Dear All,

I was at Anwesha over the weekend and had the most amazing time with the children. They enjoyed the Treasure Hunt I had organised with the help of their social worker. There were some 20 items on the list and eight teams competing against each other. Team ‘Jayati Ma’ emerged victorious and surprised me by getting all the 20 items on their list. In the evening, we had a balloon fight and the little ones enjoyed themselves so much. It was fun watch them hide away from the older kids to save their balloons. There were giggles, laughter and good energy flowing in abundance.

After an eventful day, I gathered the children and sat down to talk to them about their housemothers. I was keen on knowing what they loved about their housemothers, what made them sad, how their housemothers involved themselves with the kids in their daily lives. The responses these kids came up with warmed my heart.  Saji who is all of 12 years said to me, ‘My Ma (mother) does scold be, but she loves me more. She is like a friend with whom I can share everything’. Another girl, Sunita, shared that she loves her housemother because she helps her to study.

This month, I want to talk about a child from disadvantaged community  RIGHT TO GUIDANCE OF A CARING ADULT. By this right, we mean that every child has the right to be actively supported by caring, trained adults who are invested in the child’s success. To ensure this, we work closely with the social worker and the housemothers at the homes. We enable the home to envision and create an environment of support and guidance for the children at all times. The caregiving staff plays an integral role in modelling the behaviour desired in children. To safeguard this important right of the child, we ensure that-

• Every home has a social worker present to provide guidance and support to the housemothers
• All children are treated as individuals and are given attention by the housemothers.
• The housemothers must spend time with each child on a regular basis where children can discuss personal matters, concerns and seek guidance from them.
• Housemothers should inculcate in children the habits of bedtime and mealtime rituals. The family groups should bond over meal times. The housemothers should initiate and lead conversations, thus allowing attachment and healthy conversatiosn to propagate.

At the Miracle Foundation, we provide programs and trainings regularly to empower housemothers and the social worker in order to meet the intricacies and demands of the right. Founder, Caroline Boudreaux very beautifully explains this right as , ’Guiding is being in the moment and nudging gently’.

A heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the wonderful women who help us in giving these kids a beautiful, secured and happy childhood. And with your constant support and help, we keep moving forward on our path to create MIRACLES every other day.

A big thank you to you all!

Much love & gratitude,

Snigdha Raha

Communication & Sponsorship Co-ordinator

Miracle Foundation India