THE ORIGIN OF INDIAN SMILES
She is the infant with dark and shattering eyes, the one with whom the story began, the one whose intense gaze decided the path to take in 2002. An initiatory route strewn with pitfalls, beginning with the solitary but tenacious journey of Michèle Fériaud, until the connection with Ra Foundation. Rekha then becomes the first child sponsored by Ra Foundation. Gradually, the Indian Smiles adventure shapes into a formal and structured association with an obvious objective: the will to help other children who, like Rekha, were born on the wrong side of the tracks.
The story of this child's early years, punctuated by meetings between Michèle and Rekha, is far from meaningless. It is the living testimony that a simple encounter can tip several lives and lead them towards hope, bring mentalities to change and lift mountains crowned by children's smiles.
Rekha is now grown up and gaining self-confidence. Soon she will be independent. By taking the time to read the beginning of her story, we take the time to reflect on ourselves, our capacity for commitment, whether limited or tremendous, instead of passing by, accepting the unalterable fate of those who are ill-starred.
Excerpts from Michèle Fériaud's diary (2003-2008)
2003 : Encounter with Sunil N.
A friend in New York, having studied in India with Sunil Nayak, thought he could be sensitive to my story and may be able to help me in India. Thanks to her recommendation, I met him in July 2003, while he was on a professional trip in Paris. We didn't know each other and we had agreed to meet at the foot of Notre-Dame cathedral. Upon returning home in India, Sunil immediately set up a network of volunteers who started visiting Rekha and her parents, in order to provide them a meal everyday, medical support and daytime care for Rekha. It didn't work very long though! Rekha cried a lot because she didn't want to be separated from her parents. In addition, however low are beggars' resources, they do earn much more when they are accompanied by a pretty and endearing little girl.
In December 2003, I went back to India. Rekha and Savita, her mother, were under the protection of Sunil's team but Savita was still reluctant to leave the streets. For them, I remained a foreigner and it would take a few more months before I would gain their trust and they would understand my benevolent intentions.
2004 : Rekha's illness, from the streets to the slum...
Meanwhile, we discovered that Santosh, Rekha's father, suffered from tuberculosis and alcoholism. He was admitted to the hospital, but soon ran away because of the food quality! Unfortunately, he passed away. Despite my shared sadness for the family, I must admit that his disappearance allowed us to take decisive measures for Rekha's survival. It was a turning point towards a better life. Poor men living on the streets with relatives pay only little attention to a girl's education. If they have to choose between a daughter and a son, at the most they will favour the boy's education. The story doesn't say what their lives would have been if Santosh had survived, but since begging earns more than time spent in class, Rekha would probably not have had access to education.
December 2004, new visit to India. Rekha is seriously sick, being diagnosed with malaria and tuberculosis! Thanks to Sunil, she can be hospitalised and treated. I went to visit her at the Mumbai hospital. It's the first time I go to a hospital in India, the place is huge, silent and intimidating, with the spacious rooms filled up with many beds. Rekha is in the children ward, in a crib, Savita is laying next to her, as many other mothers in the same unit.
Sunil's volunteers have their own dedicated space in the hospital and reassure me about Rekha's state of health. She was admitted in time and will be cured. But once she gets out she must continue to follow her treatment and eating “correctly” which means she needs a daily monitoring.
Thus Sunil and I decide to find accommodation for Rekha and Savita in a “slumdog” (slum) where the conditions are less precarious and insecure than in the streets. The slums are poor neighbourhoods made up of hovels, but they have access to water, there is supervision, social or medical workers and some form of protection. Contrary to what we might think, Indians pay a rent to live in these slums. The situation is truly human exploitation as in the Brazilian favelas . The acclaimed film "Slumdog Millionaire", thought being romanced, gives a quite intrusive overview of these slums neighbourhoods.
The solution is not ideal, but once again, living conditions in the slums are better there than on the pavement, especially for a single blind woman and her toddler daughter. Indeed, in India, a widow is not much, whatever her social status might be…
2005 : Visit of the Fatima Ashray Convent
In December 2005, I went back to visit Rekha in Mumbai. Rekha was placed in the Fatima Ashray Convent. There, she receives the education of English nuns. She is very proud to show me her school grades. Four other girls, either orphans or victim of abuse, have joined Rekha.
I took many pictures of the girls who are thrilled to look at themselves on the screen of my digital camera. Inside the convent, the atmosphere is lively and I am happy to see Rekha healthy and surrounded by other friends. Savita keeps in touch with her daughter and visits her every month. She was placed in an institution in Lonavala where she learns cane crafting.
2007 : Creation of Indian Smiles
In January 2007, Rekha still lives in the convent. She speaks fluent English and seems happy. She is no longer worried when she sees me as she was in the first years. Probably her mother feared that I would take her to France and cut her from her home country. I never had such an intention, and both Savita and Rekha eventually understood this. I asked my daughters to make a
t-shirt for Rekha with a picture taken in 2005 of all the girls in Fatima Ashray. They were all delighted to see the t-shirt. I was accompanied by my elder daughter who, like me, is very moved to see the smiles of these children who had such a miserable start in life.
Back home, I decided to create the association Indian Smiles in order to structure my help from France and allow other Indian girls to receive education and improve their living conditions.
2008 : Rekha's 7th birthday
In 2008, I visit Rekha in Fatima Ashray on November 1st, the day of her 7th birthday. She is healthy, cheerful and very friendly. Like for every other visits, I am moved by this black-eyed child. It is a privilege to see her grow up. Once again, I go back to France full of an exceptional experience I wish everybody could live. Within the next two years, Rekha will have to leave the convent to go to a boarding school.
Since 2009 : Rekha follows her journey as a studious young girl, following her apprenticeship. Savita remarried to another blind man. She now earns a living by selling household items at the train station with her husband. After the children's home run by nuns, Rekha went to a religious boarding school, before enrolling Ra Foundation's Happy Kids program in 2011. She attended the Sweet Memories High School in Panchgani where she completed her secondary education.
She is now pursuing graduate studies in the arts at the Thane NKTT College, with a particular interest for painting, drawing and jewellery making.
2020 : Since the 2019 lockdown, Rekha has struggled to adapt to distance learning methods. Nevertheless she is now more familiar with online tools and she is gaining more confidence. Her results are good even if her school report, for the first time since the beginning of her schooling, mentions only few details about the subjects taught and her achievements. Rekha develops her drawing skills. During extracurricular activities she became passionate about mandalas, which helps her a lot to overcome the stress due to the pandemic.
By clicking below on "Rekha's latest news", you will have an overview of her talents. You will find out on the latest school reports that Rekha officially changed her family name. Until 2020, she used her father's surname "Manjukar". Her full name is now Rekha Pawar, her mother's new husband name.
2020 : Recently Rekha participated in a well-known giving festival, have a look there to see her work:
