Mumbai: Belinda Pereira, a social worker, was among the recipients of the ‘Inspiring Leadership Award’ from Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on September 25. The award was given to leading women achievers.

Pereira received the award in the social service category.

In 2006, she founded Karuna Ghar Foundation, a daycare shelter for underprivileged children in Thane, a metropolitan city in Maharashtra state in western India. It takes care of their basic needs, education and a meal. She works as a social worker at its school and local parish. She also spends her time with other organizations dealing with special needs children.

According to her, her NGO is a mission of mercy towards street children and children from single-parent and financially challenged families. The children receive a quality education.

She shared with Matters India in an email interview about her work and experience. Excerpts

Matters India: How did you receive the news when you were informed about the award?

Belinda Pereira: Priya Sawant, the founder of Leading Lady Foundation, an NGO, got in touch with me through Facebook. She left a message on messenger on September 4. Numbers were exchanged and that is how we connected.

Please tell us more about the Karuna Ghar?

Karuna Ghar Foundation caters to 28 to 30 children of all castes and creeds. It is a daycare center located in Thane.

In the Foundation, children of all ages are welcome, children of all backgrounds, and even children who have single parents.

I was disturbed by the fact that children of single parents had to work as rag pickers and succumb to the wrath of their circumstances. These children call me “Amma” (mother). So it is my duty to mold them with guidance, care, patience and love.

These children now lead a better life. The process is very simple. If the Karuna Ghar children see any child begging on the street or working in the market place, they bring that child to Karuna Ghar and this spiral keeps going on.

Why did you start caring for such children?

When I see the children, I see my childhood in them. I was born in a family where a strong widow, my most beautiful mother bought up six children all alone.

Her source of income was stitching and altering clothes. So imagine what my childhood would have been like. We lived in a tiny room with so many children. Sometimes the handcart in the ‘chawl’ (a tiny home made of tin, slightly better than a hut) was my bed with the stars over my head. Those were the days.

One thing that my mother saw to that was to educate all the children.

In school, the underprivileged children were given a glass of milk during a short break and at noon a meal that was secretly bought at home so that we all could share and have it as a family.

After school, I did odd jobs like selling handkerchiefs and hairclips on the main road and even local trains. During weekends, I used to sell cake in offices too. However, I enjoyed doing it as my brother was always with me.

During my growing up days, I always had that seed that was planted in my heart that I would give back to society what I received.

‘How and when I do it’ was my thought. I did not know but it was “I must” in my mind and my heart.

My determination became strong when I was growing. I could not bear to see anyone hungry or naked. I started on a one to one basis. And that joy was different.

What exactly you and your team do in Karuna Ghar?

Volunteers at Karuna Ghar are students from (Jesuit-run) St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. They have a mandatory program called SIP@ Social Involvement Programme. So every four months we have 12 students helping us.

A little more about the year-round activities: These students organize various activities for underprivileged children over the summer. They train them with basic language education and a little of mathematics so they can earn themselves a livelihood later in life.

After this round of basic education, children from Karunaghar are admitted to municipal schools for further formal education. In this very manner, two of the children who are visually impaired have cleared their grade 10—one girl in second-year Bachelor of Arts and another boy entered a junior college.

The NGO provides them with one meal a day in the evenings. Thus all the basic needs of these children are taken care of—nutrition, clothing, education along with a happy and stable life.

At the start of each academic year, I organize for hampers to be given to each child at Karunaghar containing all required school supplies – books, stationery, water bottles, uniforms and bags.

Twice a year, i.e. amidst the festivities of ‘Diwali’ (festival of lights) and Christmas, the children are given new dresses as part of the celebration.

What has been your experience running the NGO for the last 14 years?

In the initial years, I started using and unused toilet at the lakeside where the children used to come and just sit and chit chat. Sticks and stones were our first lessons teaching them how to calculate.

We spent a few happy hours playing and sharing our day’s talks. Winning their hearts, it was easy to speak with their parents and telling them about the importance of education.

Later, when we registered as an NGO, things became a little better, though it took us a long time to do so.

Now, we are in a decent rental place. I live one day at a time and truly believe that if you have a vision in mind, a desire in your heart end you want to work on it to make this world a better place. “It happens”.

What are the challenges you have been facing in your work?

The biggest challenge was being firm and educating the parents on the importance of education. The early years were difficult at times. Parents did not allow the children to stay as many are not educated in their community. They used to say: ‘education is expensive who will bear the cost?’ But slowly things turned better.

Who are the people or institutions that collaborate with you and your NGO?

It is the students of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai and our very own bigger children help out.

Social media plays an important role too, so many strangers’ families and friends come forward.

What does social work mean to you and why are you driven into it?

To me, social service means giving back to society what I received from others.
During my childhood, it was the priest and nuns who helped my mother and my siblings to take care of our studies and our essentials till my elder sisters started working and we could have a decent meal. So I feel it is my duty to do so: pay it forward.

What is the future of social work in India as the federal government is trying to restrict receiving funds from abroad to NGOs?

To date, Karuna Ghar Foundation lives one day at a time. We walk by faith. And I believe if God has given me this mission he will take us through. All we need to pray for wisdom and grace.

Please tell more about yourself (family background, education, experiences, etc)

I am a proud mom of three biological sons—the eldest is Samuel who is 24 years old and my twins—Anthony and Agnelo who are 22 years.

I always thought my family was incomplete. Henceforth, I took guardianship of my little angel Rupali who is 14 years. I feel like a proud mom with my extended family of 30 more children. Yes, you heard it right.

I am always seen on wheels. I am more like a gypsy and love to travel around. I loved to play football, hockey, did kickboxing till I got married.

The woman in me is when I say I love to ‘Jive’ and do the ‘Salsa’ (‘Jive’ and ‘Salsa’ are forms of English dances). My way of thinking is different. I believe we live just once so live to the fullest. You never know if you will see it tomorrow.

Being a cancer survivor, I started loving life even more. I have that “Never give up” attitude. I believe if God has put you in that situation, He surely will get you out from it. Coming out of the jaws of death, I have dedicated my life to the underprivileged children and helpless souls in society. I believe these children are like sowed seeds who will bloom to be beautiful souls later.

I love penning my emotions as it is wisely said, “A pen is mightier than the sword.” They call me a woman who wins hearts by her unique smiles and spreading smiles both in action and by her writings on social media and around her.

Title and crown owner appreciated for making a difference in society in her own way. That’s me.