KAKINADA: Parivartana means a change in Telugu and the NGO, which is named thus, has stood true to its meaning and brought about a change in the lives of 24 adolescent street children and helped them settle down in their lives with good jobs, wife and children.
Some among the 24 street children the organisation took care after they were brought to it years back are now working in Reliance Company, Cybersoft, APEPDCL and a few others are working as accountants and technicians in automobile, finance and windows fabrication units.
A few among them are striving to get through APPSC exams to become government officers. Parivartana, located in Bhaskar Nagar of Kakinada, was started in 2003 with an initial capacity to house 50 children.
District administration and railway police started sending the street children to the NGO, which provides free accommodation, food, clothing and medical care.
More importantly, it provides counselling to help kids integrate into the social and cultural milieu of the society.
The organisation, which is maintained by Dr Vadrevu Ravi, Ch V Surya Rao, Vakkalanka Ramakrishna, D Satya Devi and a few others, also encourages the children to attend school and vocational training.
D Satya Devi, one of the organisers, said when they started Parivartana, the number of children were only a few. Talking about the rescued children, she said, “Santosh Akella ran away from home in Vizianagaram district.
He used to live in railway compartments and platforms. Sometime later, he started working as a petty vendor.”
“In May 2003, when he was around 9 years, he was brought to Parivartana. For the next three years, the organisation trained him in several jobs such as cane weaving, file making, typing and DTP. He was later reunited with his mother. Today, he is married and running a small fancy shop,” she said.
K Harish left home with another boy. However, he got lost and was found at Kakinada railway station. Attempts to trace his parents were unsuccessful. He successfully completed class 10 and is working as a private employee.
K Srikanth lost his legs in a train accident, but not his self-confidence. He is now working as a ward volunteer of the 4th division in Kakinada.
When he was nine-year-old, he found shelter at Parivartana and completed his class 10. He is now planning to complete his graduation.
From street to top companies such as Reliance
K Venkatesh left home when he was 10-year-old for unspecified reasons.
Parivartana took care of him. He completed his education and in 2015, he joined the Reliance Company and today, he is settled in life.
Two other boys G Chandra Rao and Anjani Kumar, who used to stay in Parivartana along with Venkatesh have also settled in life.
While Rao is working in Reliance Company at Gadimoga in East Godavari district, Kumar is working with Cybersoft company.