FXB is pleased to share true stories of some of our program participants.
Deepak*, India
Deepak’s parents died in an accident when he was only 12 years old. Distressed and alone, Deepak jumped on a train to city of Jaipur. Like many other orphans, he was homeless and lived at the railway station. To survive, he scrounged through trash, and after time he drifted into drug use and hopelessness. In November 2007, an FXB volunteer found Deepak on the tracks and brought him to FXB’s local transit home for street children, where he receives regular meals, a clean room, and medical care. Now confident about his life, Deepak will soon start vocational training to become an auto mechanic.
Claire*, Rwanda
Claire’s parents died of AIDS when she was 17 years old, leaving her to care for her three younger siblings and two cousins. HIV positive herself, Claire was forced to rent their house for income and move her family into the backyard shed. In 2005, FXB enrolled Claire’s family in an FXB-Village, providing them with food, educational support, health care, and grants to operate a small business. Today, Claire is a student at the Kigali Institute for Science and Technology, where she studies dietary therapy for people living with HIV. FXB covers the costs of Claire’s tuition and board, and continues to help her support her family.
Granny Ban*, Thailand
Granny Ban is a 72 year-old woman who lost both her husband and daughter to AIDS. After her daughter’s death, she took in her two young granddaughters, Supattra and Sukanya, and they all lived in a tiny, rundown house. Granny Ban struggled to meet their needs, and the young girls faced severe discrimination and stigma at school.
With help from the FXB-Village program, the family’s situation looks much brighter. Granny Ban now has a beautiful vegetable garden, a small fish pond, and a couple of pigs that provide more than enough income to support her and the girls. Supattra and Sukanya are happy to attend school and help their grandmother in the garden. They enjoy new friends and they are proud of themselves and their grandmother.
*Names and/or photos have been changed to protect privacy.