“I feel my life has changed after coming to this center.”

“Initially Monu seemed very uncomfortable at the center. He seemed very restless and would not participate in any activity,” recounts the non formal educator at PCI (Railway Children Delhi Partner) center.

Monu was contacted at a bus terminal at New Delhi by PCI workers. From the way he spoke, the workers guessed that he probably hailed from Bihar
(northern state of India). Monu willingly accompanied the workers to the PCI center.

Over the forthcoming days through interactions with the counselor, it was realized that Monu indeed hailed from Patna, Bihar. His father was a cycle rickshaw puller and mother ran a small tea shop. Monu’s parents had admitted him to a government school. But due to constant beatings, Monu left the school and refused to go back. His parents then tried to engage him in some form of labour, but Monu refused to work as well.

“My parents kept pestering me to go to school or to work. I didn’t want to do either. I never want to go back to school. My parents would get very angry and they would beat me. I also got fed up. That is why I ran away from home,” confessed Monu after many days of counseling.

Now Monu is living at the center. He attends regular counseling and non formal education sessions. The counselor has noted that he is beginning to show an interest in studies.

The counselor has also spoken to Monu about going back to home. Monu shared that he wants to go back to home and especially misses his younger sister. However he fearfully expresses, “I am scared go home. My parents will beat me if they see me.”

PCI shall wait for some time till Monu is ready to go back to his home and expresses the same to them. Till then Monu shall continue staying at the center. “I feel my life has changed after coming to this center. I actually like to study. I know now how to behave,” says Monu with a proud smile on his face.