A True Story From Seedling Foundation’s Rehabilitation Program
Surya (name changed) and his family came in contact with the Seedling Foundation during one of our
Career Counselling sessions at the Observation Home. During the course of our work with them, we came across the difficult circumstances the family was trying to survive in.
Surya, the eldest and only male-child of the family had to drop out of school in 11th grade due to financial difficulties. To support his family, which consists of his parents and two younger sisters, he started working as a light technician at a theatre. During our interactions with Surya, we observed that he has a strong sense of responsibility towards his family. He shared that he aspires to become financially independent through honest work and provide a better life for his family.
While at the Observation Home, he attended a two-wheeler servicing and repair course offered there. This sparked his interest in learning and working with automobiles. Following his release, Seedling Foundation supported him in enrolling in the Auto Service Technician course provided by Tata STRIVE. He attended the course for about 2 weeks before stopping after an argument with his parents. He has been living away from home for the past two months.
In accordance with the Seedling Foundation’s values, our work was limited to Surya alone. We worked with his family to identify and address some immediate needs. We supported Surya’s father in obtaining his eShram card, enabling him access to social security and welfare benefits. With the support of our donors, we were also able to clear the outstanding school fees of both Surya’s sisters. Ayushman Bharat cards were secured for Surya and his two sisters, providing access to health insurance coverage.
One of the major areas of support was the long-pending corrective surgery required by Surya’s younger sister for severe knock-knees. The work with the family is ongoing. We continue to stay connected with them, supporting the family with post-operative care and, through the support of a donor, providing food and ration supplies to help them manage the loss of income during the period of Surya’s sister’s surgery and recovery.
Surya is currently living with his grandparents, who took him to their village to provide him with a more stable environment and prevent negative peer influence.
One of the key learnings from this case was that rehabilitation often requires us to look beyond the child. Surya’s circumstances could not be addressed through a single intervention, and supporting his family became an important part of supporting him. The experience reinforced the need for flexible and holistic approaches that allow interventions to respond to the specific and sometimes unexpected needs of each family.
Supporting A Family. Keeping Hope Alive.
