Gulam Mustafa Rabbani's "achche din" as Sasha Harper

Hyderabad: "Every step in life we take teaches us a lesson but it also opens up new unexpected avenues." Hello, I am Sasha Harper. Let me tell you at the outset that this is the journey of an eleven year old boy from Bengaluru who chose to flee from his house back in 2003. This 20 year journey of my life has taught me many lessons but most of all it taught me gratitude and generosity. I can never forget these till the last breath of my life.

I, Gulam Mustafa Rabbani, way back in 2003 fled from my house with just one pair of Jubbha-Shari and a Topi. When I started my journey I had absolutely no idea what my destination would be. For a couple of days I boarded trains and travelled where they took me. I met many Good Samaritans along the way. They gave me morsels of food when I was hungry. At other times I would scavenge left-overs from the dustbins near the railway stations. I spent nights of terror on the railway platforms dreading when the police would wake me and lathi-charge me. Keeping away stray dogs was another pre-occupation.

Good times began for me at the Hyderabad railway station where I met another run-away boy named Alok Kumar. He spoke Hindi and he was like a God-send for me. Until that time in my journey I had not met anyone who spoke in my native tongue. Hindi was the only language I knew. He told me there was a place in Vijayawada where we would be welcomed and invited me to join him on the next train journey. When we reached Vijayawada, he had skipped off and was not to be seen, and I found myself all alone once again. At that time I had a vision problem because I was suffering from cataracts in both eyes and my vision was restricted to only a few meters.

At the Vijayawada railway platform a policeman, finding a kid all alone by himself, approached me politely, sat beside me and gave me a packet of biscuits and a water bottle. He tried speaking to me in Telugu but I could not understand a word. He held my hand and took me to a booth on the platform. It had the name CHILDLINE 1098. A guy there had the same name on his T-Shirt. Later I came to know that it was a child rescue service. He asked me a few questions and made some notes. I was then taken to a Home for boys but here everyone spoke only Telugu and the boys went to a Telugu medium school. I was not comfortable here and asked to be changed to another Home.

The "achche din" of life began when I was shifted to Happy Home, another NGO Home. The Home was run by Brother Sebastian and he had about 25 kids with him. His place was small and crowded. Brother Sebastian was a kind but strict person. He wanted to give me a better opportunity and so a few days later he took me to a big office and spoke to someone there and left me a big dormitory type hall where I saw many boys and girls. Then someone from the office approached me, took my hand and put me in a car with few other boys and girls and drove away.

Finally, my unknown "achche din" destination arrived. I was dropped off in a large campus far away from the centre of town. As soon as I got down from the car I ran into the nearest house as I wanted to go for loo. When I came out into the hall I saw many kids holding new clothes and a lady was distributing the same. I went up to her and I was struggling to read what was written on her T-shirt. Finally I read the word "Levis." "Ah, you can read English" she remarked. "What is your name?" "Rabbani," I replied. She asked me where I was from but I had no answer. I just kept looking at her with tears in my eyes. That was the first time I laid eyes on Mummy Carol!

Later I was placed in one of the Homes and came to know that this was the campus of Daddy's Home, a Home for children in need of care and protection, on the outskirts of Vijayawada town. The home was comfortable and I was happy and I felt secure and calm. The next day I was sent to school on the campus and placed in Class 2. I kept telling the Headmistress that I completed Class 4. After my initial academic assessment I was promoted to Class 4.

Some days later Brother Sebastian came to visit and asked about my wellbeing. He took me to see Mummy Carol and Daddy Noel and introduced me to them and told them what little he knew about my past that I was from Gujarat, North India. Mummy and Daddy were curious to know more about me but I could hardly express myself and told them only a few details.

A couple of days later about 50 kids from the campus were scheduled to take a trip to town and I was asked to join the group. I was curious to know where we were going but could not understand what the trip was about. Finally we arrived at a shopping Mall - Chandana Brothers – and Mummy Carol and Daddy Noel were there. They asked us to choose two pairs of clothes each. I told Mummy "You choose for me" and I accepted whatever she picked up, not because I had no other option but her taste of clothes was so good and they were a perfect fit. They asked me about my eyes and I answered them in Hindi and my broken English.

The next day they took to see an Eye Doctor. He declared that I needed to undergo cataract surgery for both eyes. I knew it was going to cost a lot of money but Mummy accepted and told the Doctor to go ahead. The next day I was admitted in the hospital and Mummy came to visit me. She brought me new pyjamas and toilet articles and bedsheets and cookies and chocolates. She spent quite some time with me holding my hand and talking to me. On the day of the operation Mummy and Daddy came early in the morning before the operation to make sure all was ok. In the afternoon when I gained consciousness I was on Mummy's lap and it was so comforting as she placed her hand on my head. That's when they decided to adopt me. I came to know that they had several kids living in their home and I was excited to be part of their family. They asked me if I would like a new name and when I said Yes Mummy proposed a choice of two names: Patrick and Sasha. I chose Sasha! And this is how I have been known ever since.

They also told me that they are not able to pronounce my original name and didn't want to spoil the name with mispronunciations. When I left the hospital Mummy and Daddy took me to their Home and I became part of their family!

At Care & Share Charitable Trust my life was turned around. I had a second operation a couple of months later and I could see again. During my stay at this organisation, not only me, but all the other children too were well taken care of. Everything was provided from a toothbrush and toothpaste in the morning to bedsheets in the night. I completed my 10th grade in 2010 at the Care & Share High School and went to Loyola College, Vijayawada, for my Intermediate. For my Graduation I was sent to Loyola Academy, Alwal, Secunderabad. The college expenses for me and for all the older children were paid for by the Trust. Each one of us were allowed to study whatever course they wanted and to pursue our dreams.

The services rendered with the love and care for each and every child by my late Mummy Carol and the one man who is still taking care of the organisation Daddy Noel is extraordinary. They have always taught me to be humble, polite, respectful to everyone I meet and helpful to anyone in need. The couple churned my life up and made me into what I am today: from a run-away kid on a railway station to the Sub-Editor of a reputed Newspaper and TV Channel. I will be always grateful to them. I chose to write my story as a testimony to this Good Samaritan couple and what Care & Share did for thousands of children like me.

Care & Share Charitable Trust began reaching out kids in 1991 when Carol Linda Faison and her family began to sponsor kids from an orphanage in Manginapudi. The Trust was registered in 1997. The Trust runs two large campuses for children – Daddy's Home on a 27 acre campus at Buddavaram with 350 girls and boys and Butterfly Hill on a 30 acre campus with 100 boys at Veerapanenigudem, Gannavaram Mandal. The Trust caters to children in need of care and protection, orphans, semi-orphans, street kids, the handicapped, HIV+ kids and abandoned babies.

The Trust runs 6 slums schools catering to over 2,000 children. It also conducts community development programmes, skill training for women, relief and rehabilitation programmes, assists in the Government Juvenile Home and collaborates with CHILDLINE for the rescue and rehabilitation of children. On 5th February 2009 the Trust was given the National Award for Child Welfare by the Government of India at New Delhi. Over the past 30+ years the Trust has reached out to and changed the lives of more than 10,000 destitute children!