Ayan and Asma’s Story

Ayan and Asma were just seven and eight when their father died of COVID. None of their extended family were willing to support a widow and four young children. Their mum who had never left the village before had no option but to move from rural Mudhya Pradesh to Mumbai, India’s commercial centre and one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

In Shramik Nagar slum she found work as a domestic helper for 100 rupees (less than £1) a day. But Ayan and Asma could not go to school because they had no identification documents. “That was one of the first things we did for them,” says Asmita Vadavana who runs our partners in India, Safe Harbour (previously Cornerstone), with support from Blythswood. “We arranged for ID cards to be issued, helped them to enrol and provided all that they needed to go to school. We also helped their mother find work in a factory, bringing much needed stability and hope to the family.

“Today Ayan and Asma are cherished members of Beacon Centre 2, where they receive after-school support, care and encouragement. Their mum often says that the Centre has become the family she often wished for.”

Asma, now 13, still dreams of returning to the light and space of their village, and Ayan, 12, misses his younger siblings who were left with grandparents. But Asmita says both are active in the children’s activities and eager to help others as they were once helped.

Thanks to your support, families like that of Ayan and Asma are finding new hope and dignity, and the chance of a brighter future.

Aryan’s story

Aryan is a bright four-year-old, curious and energetic. He is already in school, in an entrance class, and looking forward to joining the first grade in June. And when he’s not in school he is at the Beacon Centre, an after-school project supported by Blythswood Care to help children growing up in the red-light district of Mumbai, India’s biggest city.

Recently Aryan’s mother appeared at the Beacon Centre in floods in tears. Her partner, Aryan’s father, was missing but she was too scared to make a report at the police station. Being from a neighbouring country, she was worried that she might be deported.

“We persuaded her it was best to make a missing person report, and we went with her to the police station,” says Asmita, who runs the Beacon Centre. “They traced Aryan’s father a week later but he had run off with another woman.”

Now while Aryan enjoys playing with the other children there and has his mind engaged with games and puzzles, his mother is receiving counselling and guidance from the team at the Beacon Centre. “She is determined to do what is best for her little boy,” Asmita says.

Rani’s story

Rani loves to paint. Her day starts at school and continues at the Beacon Centre, a place of safety for girls growing up in Mumbai’s red-light district. Run by Cornerstone, with support from Blythswood Care, one of its main objectives is to protect young teens like Rani from the exploitation which has led to their mothers being trapped in the sex trade in India’s biggest city.

At the Beacon Centre, the 15-year-old can paint to her heart’s content, as well as receiving a cooked meal and help with her school lessons. And there she is encouraged to pursue her dream of one day having a job in an office.

“Rani’s mother is worried for the safety of her daughter, and so are we,” admits Asmita Vadavana who runs Cornerstone. “As girls reach that stage, they are in more danger of being exploited. When she was still a child, her mother saved her from abuse by a neighbour and so doesn’t want to send her to a hostel or boarding house. “When Rani’s mother is free of her debt, we plan to move them both to a safe place and find her alternative work, while continuing our support for Rani’s education and social well-being.”