In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a younger Alice is bored of sitting by the river together with her sister. She spots a rabbit that appears slightly completely different and decides to observe him on a whim. And so she heads down a rabbit gap and arrives in Wonderland.
As kids, all of us who learn the traditional by Lewis Carroll dreamt of visiting Wonderland ourselves some day.
However what is that this land? I suppose it relies upon from individual to individual. For me, it’s a fantasy land, however for a lot of kids who wouldn’t have anybody to take care of them, it’s primary training, dignified life, and a safe future.
Such is the case for a number of kids in Puducherry, for whom ‘Alice’ has created a form of ‘wonderland’ for the previous 32 years.
Alice Thomas is a 53-year-old who runs Udhavi Karangal to work in direction of rehabilitation of kids who’ve nowhere to go. These embrace these residing on the streets, coming from tribal communities, orphans, or any little one who wants a superb training and life.
Take, for instance, seven-year-old Subash* (title modified). His life included begging each day and consuming no matter he acquired as alms. His mother and father have been ragpickers and trusted him to gather cash.
In 2001, Alice took him beneath her wing and reworked his life. In the present day, he’s an engineer working in a MNC.
Subash is one among over 150 kids that Alice, who began Udhavi Karangal in 1991, works with. She runs a main college, a boys’ dwelling, a women’ dwelling, and a women’ commentary dwelling in Puducherry.
She started her endeavour when she was solely 21 years previous, and all of it started with an eight-year-old boy.
Discovering her ‘true calling’
“I used to be sitting at my good friend’s home and a boy got here begging and asking for meals. I advised him, ‘Why do you need to beg? Include me, I’ll feed you and educate you’. He agreed instantly, however stated that I have to inform my mom. I took him on my cycle and the very first thing his mom requested was, ‘Did you deliver meals?’. When he stated no, she began yelling and beating him,” Alice recollects to The Higher India.
However the boy insisted that he go along with Alice, and the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past. Due to him, she discovered her life’s goal, she says. After he got here to her home, he introduced alongside two extra associates. Alice helped them get a primary training and vocational coaching.
“In the present day, that boy’s daughter — my granddaughter — is pursuing her last yr in BSc Nursing. One other grandson is a state hockey participant in Tamil Nadu,” says Alice as she beams with satisfaction.
Excited about social work since she was an adolescent, Alice was concerned within the whole literacy programme in Puducherry at the same time as a scholar.
“I used to be accountable for sure areas on the town and slums. A lot of the mother and father we noticed have been alcoholics and their kids have been ragpickers. They have been depending on their kids for meals and cash. I at all times knew I wished to assist these kids, however I additionally dreamt of turning into a lawyer like my grandfather. However that small boy confirmed me my true calling,” Alice smiles.
Initially, she would enrol the kids in colleges and supply vocational coaching. “However I used to be unable to assist them past Class 10 or 12 initially. Slowly, as we grew and constructed these properties, we additionally began our personal main college. In the present day, we’re absolutely geared up to assist them with their submit commencement and past,” she says.
When the primary boy got here, Alice rented a spot subsequent to her home. After a yr, she says, she shifted them to her father or mother’s dwelling. She later purchased land in Nonankuppam, Puducherry.
Her organisation is authorities funded, with extra funding coming from Alice and well-wishers for provisions.
‘My greatest victory is their success’
Initially, getting kids to their dwelling was a problem, however because of modifications in authorities insurance policies, it has grow to be simpler, she says.
“To start with, I’d be on the roads to search out these kids. It was additionally powerful convincing the mother and father. However now, individuals know of us they usually ship their kids to us. It has grow to be simpler previously 10-15 years. The federal government can be extra conscious, with the Baby Welfare Committee (CWC) and juvenile justice legislation,” provides Alice.
However even at this time, getting some kids, like these from tribal communities, stays difficult.
“Some mother and father take their kids to work in brick kilns or for sugarcane reducing. My focus now could be on such kids. For kids whose mother and father don’t cooperate, we additionally supply dwelling education and make them full their training by correspondence,” provides Alice.
Such is her dedication to her kids that she and her husband determined to not have any themselves, as they already had 13 after they bought married.
As for what Alice means to the youngsters, Balaji, who has been related to Udhavi Karangal since he was a toddler, says, “I got here right here in 2002, after I was about seven years previous. It was simply my mom and I, and Alice took us beneath her wing. In the present day, I’m an engineer working as a software program developer in Chennai.”
The truth is, most of the kids, who Alice says are like her personal, are engineers, nurses, paramedical employees, musicians, and social employees. “One among my kids accomplished MPhil and MSW and is working as a senior little one counsellor in our dwelling. One other one did MSc Med and is the principal at my college. Their vivid future is my greatest victory. They can give a superb life to the subsequent technology,” she says.
Edited by Divya Sethu