RUBEL SEIKH

His family was abandoned by his father and his mother was a beggar. Rubel started scavenging to survive, and got addicted to drugs at a very early age. He came to our Rehabilitation centre in 2012, was detoxified, and joined our Non formal education program. After he became stable, he joined the Motor Driving Course, and then trained in Automobile Engineering at George Telegraph, Kolkata which he has now joined.

RAJU SEIKH

With no parents, Raju was staying in Sealdah Station where he got addicted to Solvents. He came to Mukti in a malnourished condition. Medical help and regular counselling helped him, and he went through the process of primary de-addiction and was transferred to the advanced rehabilitation program. He was placed in Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology, Haldia, and has now secured a job at Pointec Pen Company at Attibele, Bangalore.

MUKESH MANI

Mukesh Mani wanted to learn dance as he had himself got helped when he was undergoing Rehabilitation at our Centre through Dance Movement Therapy which is conducted by Kolkata Sanved. Mukesh had gone through Rehabilitation successfully and had become a skilled driver also through which he was earning his livelihood. But dance remained his passion, and Mukesh has got a 1 year scholarship on dance education and 2 years of employment opportunity with Darpana Performing Arts Academy at Ahmadabad which is led by Dr. Mallika Sarabhai.

SABINA BIBI

Sabina Bibi was 18 years old when she took admission at our Vocational Training Program for Women (Tailoring). At that early age she was the mother of a 2 years old girl child. Now she is earning and contributing to her family with the help of expertise she has obtained from our Tailoring Unit. She has purchased a sewing machine and and is stitching items like Blouses, Salwar Kurtis, Petticoats etc which she has learnt to make at our training centre. The kurti she is wearing in her photo is made by her.

PUJA SINGH

Puja Singh is around 17 years old. She will be appearing for Madhyamik Examination next year and is very excited.

Puja is a first generation learner. Nobody in her family is literate. Her father works as a casual labourer in a cloth shop and mother does odd jobs. The family lives in a shanty near Chengail Station. They are always on their toes due to threats of eviction since the shanty is on Railway land.

Life was a struggle for Puja right from childhood and being a girl made it more difficult for her. Puja wanted to go to school and was interested in studies. But due to abject poverty as well as social stigma which prevents girls from attending school and pursuing higher education she could not attend a proper formal school. The non formal school run by Mukti in Chengail provided an opportunity for her to pursue education. She has been coming to school regularly and participates in all extracurricular activities. She is a very cheerful and resilient girl and has endured a lot of hardship to come this far. Puja is a role model for other children who are also 1^s generation learners and also involved in some form of child labour.

Puja appeared for her Madhyamik Examination through the Open School system in March 2017and now eagerly waiting for the result which will be out soon.

CHILDREN OF REHABILITATION HOME

Children who are studying in formal section of Apeejay School Salt Lake doing really well. Their interest in education and aspiration to achieve their goal of higher studies are helping them to perform better every day. Their level of aspiration is clearly reflected in their performances.