A Mother and her Children...

“I have a new sari. For the last five years, I haven’t asked anyone for a sari, how could I when my children could not be fed three meals a day? In fact, I have not been able to feed my four children properly for a long time. Fifteen years ago, I got married to a day labourer. He was not able to provide enough food, but he gave me four children. Due to our country’s extreme poverty, one day he fled our home and, to date, has never returned. Life in a chor, River Island, is difficult and I tried hard to survive in my village but I failed. As I had no land to cultivate I had to work as a day labourer for others. Then one day, I heard some of the other villagers talking about The Sreepur Village and it made me really want to go there. 

Now, in The Sreepur Village, I am working in a giant kitchen, I have been here for 20 days and I absolutely love it, as cooking here feels like home from home. In the kitchen, many mothers work together and their stories are much the same, therefore, I feel we share something special. Everyone is kind to me and everything is organised and respectful, and I never have to ask if my children have been fed.

My children are also very happy. Before, in our village, the children had stopped going to school but now, thanks to The Sreepur Village Sumi, my oldest daughter, can attend class two, my two sons class one, and my youngest daughter is able to go to preschool. They really like the school, Sumi particularly likes the music class.

We, as a family, will be here for three years and for the next six months, I will work in the kitchen, then I will attend the basic training scheme. My primary goal is to attend the scheme that focuses on tailoring, this will help me to bring in an income so I can live and, ultimately, support my four children."

So, you have heard the story of one of our new mothers Nashida. As you would have read, supporting her four children alone was really tough, but now as part of The Sreepur Village, Nashida and her family will be provided with a perfect rehabilitation plan that will help to bring them a brighter future.