Shobha doesn’t battle hunger anymore

Fourteen-year-old Shobha from Telangana was just about four, when her father died. Her mother, Padma had to fend alone for both of them as their in-laws became indifferent and one day both mother and daughter were asked to leave the house. Shobha started living in constant fear and grief, she suffered in hunger alone with her mother.

It was a difficult phase. Shobha started to work as a daily wage earner with her mother, but secretly she wanted to go to school. They had nothing — no money, no belongings. Working for food was their only motive for living, carrying bricks, cooking, cleaning dishes, even sweeping.

When Shobha’s mother found out about Smile Foundation’s Mission Education centre and the nutrition support by HNF, she immediately enrolled her in the centre. She is happy that Shobha is eating at least one nutritious meal every day. Smile Foundation provides nutritious meals to all children in the centre with the support of HNF. Most of the children like, Shobha come from very poor families and battle hunger on everyday basis.

Shobha goes to school now. She has started talking to people, even making friends and playing with them. She wishes to become a teacher when she grows up.