CHENNAI: Once roaming around the streets of Chennai battling daily odds, a group of street children found their mojo and excelled in the HSC examination. Formal education was a distant dream for these kids before they were rescued and rehabilitated. Currently housed in shelter homes at Karunalaya Social Service Society in Tondiarpet, four street kids have comfortably passed the class 12th examination, of which three will be travelling next week to England to participate in the first ever Street Child Cricket World Cup.
Two more children, who continue to struggle in the streets but are supported by Karunalaya, have also passed the examination. One such girl is M Durga, who secured 417 marks.
Express visited her tiny home in Kannappar Tidal in Periyamedu, a government housing complex which accommodates 60 evicted families since 2002. She lives with her mother, stepfather and two brothers in one congested room which is in a dilapidated condition.
Going forward, she wants to continue her education and study B Com and help other street kids.N Paul Sunder Singh, founder and secretary of Karunalaya, said passing Class 12 examination is nothing short of a miracle. “These kids have gone through a lot of abuse and come with crippled childhood. So, grooming them has been a challenge.”
K Suryaprakash, who scored 256 marks, was rescued from Chennai Central in 2014. A native of Madurai, he faced abuse in Punjab and was into hard labour, before joining Karunalaya. He will be travelling to England along with other street kids V Paul Raj and A Nagalakshmi.