Amritsar girl transforming lives of neglected children

Amritsar, May 30 (ANI): Many children of rickshaw-pullers, domestic helps, migrant labourers, and single or abandoned mothers in Amritsar have found an unusually young guardian who wants to transform their lives.

At first sight, the 22-year-old Pearl Jasra looks a bubbly, vivacious and the girl next-door. However, there is much more to her.

After losing her mother when she was just 12 and her father soon after, Jasra, made up her mind to develop strength and grit in life and help others like her.

Today, this orphan girl, is motivating and shaping up careers of various deprived children. It is because of her initiative that these once neglected children in Amritsar today have something to smile about.

"The people in urban society still look down upon the backward classes. Nobody cares about their needs and expectations from life. They also want to play with toys, go out and wear good clothes. The urban society has never lent a helping hand to them in their studies and education. Their attitude is changing," said Pearl Jasra, who runs a special school for about children.

She enjoys teaching children about numbers, reciting poems and celebrating their birthdays and other festivals with them.

It is a gala time when about 92 children converge at her house in the evening to get their homework and share their feelings.

With the little resources that she has and her uncle's help, Pearl persuaded some affluent families of the city to financially support children's education.

Five years ago, she decided to organize the set up-- Initiative for Viable Education.

Children, belonging to underprivileged class, comprising house maids, rickshaw-pullers and daily wage labourers, have been coming to her in increasing numbers.

Most of them are illiterate and come from a slum colony, located near her house. She carefully monitors their homework adding special emphasis on improving their communication skills.

Her organization, Initiative for Viable Education, has identified many families, comprising widows and other underprivileged, who would like to send their children to schools.

"She is doing a good work by helping poor people. There is nobody to teach them and her job is totally humanitarian. She even teaches kids who are poor and deprived," said Tarachand, a local resident.

Her story finds a display in the K S Durlabhji calendar for 2009, published from Jaipur in Rajasthan. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)