UTTAR PRADESH: Raman is no ordinary 13-year-old. As a boy with no parents, this chap from Haryana’s Faridabad has been through a lot.
But now he is looking forward to a transformed life, thanks to foster care facilitated by Participatory Action for Community Empowerment (PACE), a partner of Just Rights for Children, India’s largest network of over 250 NGOs working in 418 districts for child protection and child rights.
He was going through a dark phase in life when he was rescued two years back. His father had walked out on his family following a dispute with his mother, who then approached a local spiritual leader known as Manju Devi. However, Raman’s mother soon passed away after falling ill, leaving him at the mercy of Manju and her family.
Manju, who kept Raman at her home without any formal adoption papers, engaged him in household chores.
“I don’t remember how old I was when she took me in,” Raman says. A few months later, the family relocated to Hardoi, where Raman remained busy with tasks like washing dishes and serving tea or food.
But the worst was yet to come. After Manju’s husband died of Covid-19, Raman started to face physical abuse. He was eventually expelled from the house. Devastated, he reported the matter to the local police, which then involved PACE.
Since he had no immediate family or biological guardian, the Child Welfare Committee shifted him to a children’s home in Lucknow. Much to Raman’s delight, he was enrolled at a residential educational institute.
“He is now in Class II and performing very well academically. Seeing him grow into a confident person makes us feel extremely proud and content,” shares PACE director Rajvinder Kaur.
The organisation also initiated the process of connecting Raman with a family through adoption, resulting in his placement in foster care with a senior police officer in Lucknow. His foster mother, a single parent, ensures that Raman receives the love, care and protection that he was deprived of during his early years.
Additionally, with the support of law enforcement agencies and PACE, Raman receives financial assistance and education. “Raman’s journey is a symbol of hope for every kid facing adversity in the form of trafficking and child labour. Traffickers exploit and abuse vulnerable families and children. So, his case underscores the importance of child protection systems that can step in, offer support and ensure that every kid has the opportunity to fulfil their potential, no matter their past,” adds the PACE director.
It is worth noting that Raman is just one of the many children who has got a new lease of life because of the efforts of Just Rights for Children.