The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Mirroring their life

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 12, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Mirroring their life

Anil Kumar Sastry

JUBILATION: Children from two rehabilitation centres who were taken to watch `C/O Footpath' in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: It was a bit poignant. A group of street children being taken to a movie that tells a story about their own lives. There were 65 of them: some turned up for the fun of it and others for inspiration.

These children live on the streets, picking rags, coping with daily horrors, losing their childhood en route. Shunned and abused, they were brought to Tribhuvan cinema on Saturday by the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) to watch C/O Footpath directed by child prodigy Kishen.

YMCA runs two rehabilitation centres and two day-care centres for street children in the city.

Prabhakar, who is in fifth standard, thanks to the efforts of YMCA, was quite excited about the occasion. "I have seen some movies. But I was told this one is a different movie that is close to my life. So I am here to get inspired," he told The Hindu.

C/O Footpath, starring Kishen himself, movingly narrates the struggle of a boy from the slums to educate himself.

Maria Louis of YMCA said the two rehabilitation centres together could accommodate 80 street children. While younger ones were sent to schools, others went for vocational training. Within six months, they were capable of earning their livelihood. "Our primary aim is the reunion of these children with their family. When it does not happen, we take care of them."

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