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 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.

“And we’re all excited about the new building for Beacon Centre 2,” she says. “It should be open by Christmas and will allow more than 80 children to attend the after-school programme in a bright, spacious environment to make learning and play much more comfortable.

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

Beacon Centre 2 provides after-school support and care for children like Asma and Ayan.