Sixteen-year-old Zaheer (name changed) scarcely knew anything that resembled a normal childhood. Born in one of Kolkata’s several red light districts, circumstances had set Zaheer on a self-destructive path. He hadn’t seen an alternative. And anyway, there wasn’t much in the way of hope for him and many like him in this slum that teemed with the violence and desperation that only the most extreme poverty can foster.
This was a far cry from the Zaheer who I met in October of 2022, when I visited CRY America-supported project Sanlaap. I was immediately struck by Zaheer’s confidence and determination to work toward a better life for himself and his peers. The educational support and personalized attention provided by Sanlaap – and made possible by our donors – has been nothing short of life-changing for Zaheer and others like him.
The second of 6 siblings, Zaheer dropped out of school at a young age to work with his brother at a tea processing factory near his house. It was a move driven by tragic necessity: Zaheer’s father became blind and was no longer able to provide for the family. His mother formerly worked in the sex trade, until she too fell chronically ill and left that occupation. She continued to earn a small amount of money, producing paper pouches at home.
Before he was forced into work, Zaheer had been a highly eager learner and a football enthusiast who dreamed of playing professionally. Before long, Zaheer’s job and living situation began to take a heavy toll on his mental and emotional health. As did many of his peers, Zaheer turned to drugs and alcohol to cope.
One of Sanlaap’s field workers in the slum became aware of Zaheer’s challenges, and invited him to the organization’s resource center. In the course of the discussion with staff, Zaheer expressed a desire to continue his studies at the center in the evenings. However, he declined to enroll in school, as he had since become the sole earner in his family.
After finishing his studies, Zaheer works for three hours before returning to his house around midnight. And remarkably, his days of alcohol and drug abuse are behind him, thanks to ongoing counseling and motivation from Sanlaap staff.
Now clear-headed and confident, Zaheer took on a youth leader role and began speaking out against child labor and abuse. As his health improved, he jumped at the opportunity to join a regular early-morning football practice provided by Sanlaap.
One thing that was obvious to me about Zaheer was his deep compassion for family and community. Though his family circumstances have yet prevented him from leaving work altogether, he has selflessly used his earnings to enroll his sisters at a quality government school. I left our visit that day certain that the investments that CRY America supporters have entrusted to partners like Sanlaap will continue to pay off for kids like Zaheer in ways we can’t even imagine!
Support Projects like Salaap by donating on: https://www.cryamerica.org/donation/
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