BIGGER THAN LIFE : Kalina

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One Sunday afternoon in the month of June 2013, a couple of BTL volunteers entered a rather scary area in order to meet a slum family who had recently shifted to this location. The volunteers met with the couple and their 5 children, who were the only people from the entire neighborhood to receive them positively. Within a few visits, our volunteers found out that this place was full of alcoholics, murderers, thieves, and rapists...scary enough for them to back out!!!

But, the volunteers pressed on and started meeting the children in the community every week, taking precautions when entering the slums. They started teaching the young boys and girls some basic personal and social living and moral values. Soon the children became close friends with the volunteers and relationships of trust were forged.

Its hard sometimes when you hear the stories of witchcraft, murders, violence and young girls getting raped every now and then. We have seen these things happening sometimes with our slum friends here. Every house is a liquor bar and every soul is disturbed. But the smiles of these little ones and the still small voice pulls us back here every single time. There is No Looking Back now!' - A committed Kalina volunteer.

It might not be the safest location, but BTL Kalina is definitely in the transformation stage as the children and even their parents have slowly started to accept and love us.