Stories

Heartwarming stories of children impacted by our efforts!

Priyansh

I met Priyansh on my first day at Manav Seva. His energy immediately caught my attention as he was always doing everything with the biggest smile on his face. I spent the day playing games with the children. My seat was right next to Priyansh and we would regularly talk about different things in our day to day life. We formed a friendship which became stronger as my time at the center went on. He asked for me to come over to his home, which I did later during my stay. The day that I came over to his house, he energetically showed me around. I keenly observed the neat and clean way in which his home was kept. It was a tiny two story condo with one bed right above the kitchen. Although not having much, his mom gave him a few rupees in order to treat me and Sejal Di, the volunteer who came with me, with a drink and candy. This felt like true 'prasad', known as a blessing or gift for God. It really stuck with me that although his family had barely enough room for themselves, they found it in their hearts to be exceedingly hospitable and generous.

Prachi

The one word which describes Prachi is energetic. I could always hear her shouting my name to have me join her in whatever game she was playing. In fact, this was a characteristic shared by many of the younger girls. They would rush to my side and fight for whoever got a chance to have all of us play their game.

Kinjal

Kinjal came across as very eager to learn. Whenever I was appointed the task of teaching math to the third and fourth graders, I could always count on Kinjal participating in the activities. Her engagement and dedication to learning inspired me. Despite never having been granted abundent opportunities, she embraced everything offered to her with utmost respect and devotion.

Riya

Riya's smile always stood out to me. It had this simple yet powerful ability to make me smile in return. She was always happy and thoughtful, thinking about those around her and what she can do to help them out.

Jaysheel

Jaysheel came to me one morning during the second week of my stay. He invited me to join in on a fun game, the Indian alternative of 'four corners'. From that day onwards, I had many conversations with him and learnt of his life and adventures. He is a dedicated and fun young boy who always looks at the best in every situation. His smile is so innocent and can truly light up anyones day.

Vihaan

Vihaan had this certain smile that had the power to transcend everything around him. His energy was so vast and pervasive that you can easily distinguish his voice from miles away. I met Vihaan on my first day at Manav Seva. He caught my eye as he first smiled at me and then, when I smiled back, he got shy and hid his face. From then on, I couldn't help but smile every time I looked at him. He would shy away, and then call his friends over to come look alongside him. Finally we spoke and from that day we were inseperable. We would race together, play cricket together, and do math together. I saw that he tried really hard to solve math problems, although it didn't come easy to him. At times, he would feel tempted to take the easy way out and cheat, but this was only because he felt pushed in that direction. I tried to encourage him, reassuring him that it is okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and don't repeat them. In teaching him this lesson I realized that I was learning something myself. Vihaan holds a special place in my heart and I am eternally grateful for that.

Heartwarming Videos

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Here you can see the boys playing cricket alongside the active railroad. The conditions are so dire, yet their laughter and energy is never surpressed.

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Although in such a cramped space, the energy and joy in each of the children shine more than ever before. They find happiness in moments like these, dancing to a favorite song, or even just picking up the phone and taking videos (as did a few of the children in this clip).

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Our first project: giving the children pencil cases with basic stationary, notebooks, backpacks, and coursebooks.

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