Being an Orphan

In this write up, I would like to focus on two issues; being an orphan and social work. Priya is an inmate of a Girls Home for the past eight years. To give a brief background about her and her family, her mother passed away and her dad married another woman. The pressure from her step mother forced Priya to be out of her home. Let me make it clear from the beginning that I do not like the terms “Orphanage” and “Orphans”. The former, I would refer to as “Children’s home” or “Institutional Care” and the latter - no one is an orphan in this world; they can be referred to as “Single child parent” or something else. Not sure! But, never call them orphans.
I would like to tell you a true incident which disturbed me in the recent past. The people involved in this were very close to my heart. As mentioned earlier, Priya was an inmate of a Girls Home along with other inmates (should be thirty in number). As usual, when they finish their final exams, they are all set to go and be with their relatives or guardians to enjoy the summer vacation, During this time the Home is given a break and so are the staffs. Either the inmate’s relatives or guardians would take them. In no time the home is empty.
This summer, Priya’s father was not able to come to take her home. This caused great tension to the director. The question popped up the director’s mind. “Since the entire home is deserted, where will Priya stay till her father comes?” Staffs have also left for vacation. The director requested local staff and a well wisher to accommodate Priya for a short period, but no one was interested or willing. They clearly communicated that it’s not possible. My question was why not priya be accommodated in the director’s house, if it was only for a few days. No one was willing to accommodated Priya. Just imagine if Priya hears all the comments about her. If I were her (though I cannot and never wanted to be a girl!), I would not burden them, but run away to help myself. Few comments made about Priya were - she was not clean, no place to accommodate her, she stinks, etc. In fact the cause for the delay of her father’s arrival was that he is forced not to keep Priya in his house. Where will Priya go? It is the worst feeling to know that there is no one to care for you. Though they say outwardly that they care for you and that they love you! “I love you, but not at my cost”.
At this juncture, I would ask, now where has social work gone? Or where did the philosophy of love for neighbors disappear? What happened to the so called social work for the society? Is loving another person based on the comfort of a person? True love costs one’s own life and comforts. Social work should not be a good business deal with all comforts. But I feel it’s spreading like wild fire.
In another incident, I was discussing with a staff of a Christian Social work Organization. He was clear in what he was doing. He said, “Emmanuel I am not here to do true social work. The reason I am sticking on to this job for a long time is because I am paid well and my family is safe and secure. It is for the money that I am working and not for true social transformation.” I really admire and respect the person who made such a bold statement. Unlike others who say, “We are into social transformation, dedicating our lives”. But that is not the truth. I love this quote

-“You can give without loving a person,
But, you cannot love, without giving a person”

The term ‘giving’, we got it all wrong. ‘Giving’ not only means giving your money, it can be your valuable time (I would respect a person, who spends his/her valuable time with me), or if you’ve got a car, just helping others with transport, or anything which would be a blessing to others.

LOVE... JUST LOVE!!!