CHENNAI: A couple in Wayanad, who have four children, have come forward to adopt a child orphaned by the recent landslides.
The landslides that struck Wayanad during the small hours of July 30 has claimed over 300 lives while intensive search is on for the over 200 people who were reported missing.
Against the backdrop of the tragedy, a woman from Idukki Bhavana Sajin had volunteered through social media to breastfeed the orphaned newborns in the landslide-hit area.
Close on the heels of Bhavana's announcement, a couple in Wayanad announced that they were willing to adopt an orphaned child from the disaster zone.
Sajith (43) and his wife Nafeeza (40), told TNIE that even before the adoption could materialise, they have selected a new name for the child. The name is Chikku.
Backstory
During the 1990s In the village of Vythiri in Wayanad, the 19-year-old auto driver, Sajith went through an experience that would stay with him forever.
One day, while driving through Vythiri, a woman asked Sajith for a ride. She carried a small bag, but when she got off, she left the bag behind. When Sajith returned to the auto stand, he heard a baby crying. He realised that the cries emanated out of the bag. Inside, he found a newborn baby boy. Sajith was puzzled. He was too young and scared of how his mother would react, so he decided to take the baby to a nearby convent instead of taking him home.
The next day, Sajith tried to visit the baby, but the convent didn't allow him inside. Years went by, and Sajith married Nafeesa. They had four daughters: Fayisa, Faheema, Fahidha, and Fathima. Though he loved his daughters dearly, the memory of the abandoned baby boy stayed with him, and he always wished for a son.
Sajith have had a tough life, doing various odd jobs from a young age and later working in Gulf to support his family. His desire for a son never faded, perhaps because of the baby boy he found years ago.
Sajith’s wife and daughters supported his wish to adopt a child, no matter the child's background or religion. "I don't care what others think if my family is happy," Sajith said,
One day, while at the hospital with his wife and mother-in-law, Sajith met a seven-year-old boy named Chikkutan. The boy helped them with medicine, and Sajith decided that if they ever adopted a boy, they would name him Chikkutan.
After the Wayanad landslide, Sajith and his family decided to adopt an orphaned child, offering a loving home to someone in need. Sajith is determined to provide a caring environment for an orphan, driven by the memory of the baby boy he once found and the dream of having a son.
Sajith's story, from a young auto driver to a loving father, is a story about the power of love and how unexpected events can shape our lives.
