ALICE: RUNNING AN ORPHANAGE DESPITE BEING POOR AND SINGLE
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| Alice, Sree Chitra Nagar, Pangode, Thiruvananthapuram |
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If mysterious factors had led to the disappearance of her husband Samuel Franklin from her life, equally mysterious factors have led to the appearance of 15 orphans in her life.
Alice and her husband were employees in a school at Nainital when Samuel suffered serious physical and mental damages in an accident. The family returned to Thiruvananthapuram for further treatment. But one day, 3 years back, Samuel just disappeared from home and Alice was left with the 2 children and a bleak-looking future.
For the sake of earning a livelihood, she took up the job of a trainer on contract basis for the rehabilitation of women prisoners at the Central Jail. There one day a woman under trial entrusted to Alice the custody of her 2-year-old son Anoop. That incident totally changed the life of this not-so-well-off and single woman.
Later 3 girls from Cheriya Thura, whom their poor mother could ill-afford to bring up, too joined Anoop. Slowly, their number increased as the parents or relatives started entrusting more children to the care of Alice.
The 17 children and Alice live in a 3-room rented house in Sree Chitra Nagar, Pangode, Thiruvananthapuram. Though the monthly expense including rent comes to Rs.15000, contributions of good Samaritans somehow keep the establishment running. As the legalities of keeping orphans troubled her, she has registered a charitable trust, “Divine Child Home” and has applied for a licence to run an orphanage.
“My purpose is not to teach them something and then entrust them to someone else’s care. They must be able to stand on their own feet. I only wish that I could become a tool for that purpose,” she says.
Alice with the children
Courtesy: Sujith Nair, Malayala Manorama, December 23, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
