Rosaline is also 13 yrs old. She has four small sisters.  Her parents have work most days, but like most families here, they still live
horribly below the poverty line. How blessed they are though, that they actually had and kept their daughters, in a country that does not care too much for it's daughters at all! At 7 years old, Rosaline was a normal lively little girl that loved to borrow a neighbours scrap-heap bicycle and play in the village with her friends.  One day the bicycle changed her life forever when her leg got caught in the wheel. Despite borrowing from neighbours to get medical treatment, nothing was able to be done for Rosaline.  This year, after years of
nervous problems as well, she came to live at the Mercy Home, where although she is having some difficulties with study (never
having had the privilege of full time study before because of caring for her sisters) she is making progress. She gets home sick a lot, which in itself is very heart-warming and says a lot about her family life and we are all hoping that as time goes on she will show great improvement.

Ravi is a 13 yr old boy from a long line of Tribal Indians that have made their home deep within one of the few forest areas of India, not too far from the Mercy Home. He has Polio. His family sell their culled animals and firewood in their market to make their living. Because of the remoteness of their home, medical attention was not a too much of a possibility when Ravi was affected.  With their ancient belief in Mandras and Poojas, they believed Ravi would be cured. Even their old traditional medicines could not cure this little boy, sadly.   Now, happily for Ravi, he is studying in our Mercy Home and has some great interests.  With him, we are planning a future that will include those hobbies such as, drawing, painting, screen printing and also making envelopes.  He has great aptitude and is learning how to put his abilities into practice. His disability is not holding him back anymore!

Sathiya was once called "Nondi" which in the Tamil language means Polio affected child. She is 12 years old and a very pretty little girl! She, like so many of the others, was struck down with a fever when she was much younger.  Her parents would stay away for months at a time and it was left to the grandparents to try to do something for her. Although they did nothing, several doctors told them that money would cure her! Her family was mocked all the time for having a disabled child and because of this Sathiya was not comfortable going to school, only to be shamed and ridiculed by other, normal children. Her parents felt she was just a burden to them because she would not be able to work. She came to live at the Mercy Home a little while back, with her parents consent. Now she is becoming a happy, well adjusted girl who can see that she does indeed have a future now, thanks to the Mercy Home !

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