How It All Started...
Elizabeth had experienced social ostracization of the children from less privileged sections during her school days. In a way she had internalized the practice at a tender stage of psychological development and thus saw nothing wrong with it. After graduation, she sought to realize her big city dreams and found work in the metropolitan city of Bengaluru. There she witnessed the abhorrent practice of manual scavenging first-hand – an 8 year old boy performing the menial job to provide himself a meal. The incident made her realize the sheer injustice of it all.
Elizabeth married Shibumon in 2000 and came to Delhi. Their railway journeys further opened their eyes to the grim reality that is life for a lot of children in India. Begging, selling, rag-picking, they try to survive the day, not trying to think what tomorrow has in store.
An acquaintance introduced the couple to ‘Sapera Basti’, a slum of snake-charmers in the Shanti camp area of Mandi village on Delhi’s outskirts. The slum children were treated as untouchables by the surrounding communities, to the extent that not a single child used to go to the nearby government school.
Soon their first class began under a tree…
Elizabeth married Shibumon in 2000 and came to Delhi. Their railway journeys further opened their eyes to the grim reality that is life for a lot of children in India. Begging, selling, rag-picking, they try to survive the day, not trying to think what tomorrow has in store.
An acquaintance introduced the couple to ‘Sapera Basti’, a slum of snake-charmers in the Shanti camp area of Mandi village on Delhi’s outskirts. The slum children were treated as untouchables by the surrounding communities, to the extent that not a single child used to go to the nearby government school.
Soon their first class began under a tree…
