We Are Family

You’re either born into a family or marry into one. But it’s not that simple for some.It took courage and grit to create these Indian families. Anindita Ghosh brings the story of five extraordinary journeys to kinship

- Anindita Ghosh

TAKES A VILLAGE

For orphaned and abandoned children, an SOS family is as close as it gets to the real thing

All of Prerna’s happy memories start at age 4, when she was brought to the SOS Children’s Village in Greenfields, Faridabad, in 2004. Her father had passed away and her mother had remarried. In a country that has little time or space for abandoned girls, Prerna faced an uncertain future. But she blossomed under the care of her ‘house mother’ and bonded with her foster siblings to become the well-adjusted teenager she is today. “I had so much fun here— there were suddenly so many brothers and sisters to play (and fight) with! I was never hungry again or ever in need of anything. The best part was the love I got from my house mother,” says the 17-year-old.

When it comes to families, one of the most special kinds is the SOS Children’s Village family. A concept that originated in Austria after World War II, these villages provide group foster care to children who are orphaned, abandoned or come from difficult circumstances. A foster mother takes these children under her care in an SOS family home of 8 to 10, where all their needs are fulfilled. “The family homes function as real homes. Kids can bring their friends home, and enjoy the natural conviviality of a neighbourhood where other families with children also reside within the same community. The basic aim is to provide children without a biological family, a family within our community,” says Anuja Bansal, Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages of India. “Younger children do not have too many adjustment issues. The older ones, however, who have undergone some trauma, take longer to integrate. These problems are ironed out soon though. Eventually, every child gains confidence and feels safe and secure,” she says.