Team Member, Rucha Deshpande, visited the Happiness Home, a Home for children and adults infected and affected by the HIV. Here she spent some time with a very special girl, Diamond. Read on to know more about what she has to say about this very special person.
This article was originally posted here
The priceless ‘diamond’ is wished by one and many. ‘Is that a diamond?’, with a glint in the eye, is a question that we have gotten on a regular basis.
Well, here is a story of this very precious stone that I came across. Her name is Diamond and no, this story is not fictional.
Diamond hails from a remote village near the Myanmar border and comes from a broken family. Her parents succumbed to the HIV Virus and left the world, leaving Diamond and her siblings Ruby and Benjamin behind.
Ruby and Benjamin, unfortunately, got the virus from their parents and hence they were sent to the Happiness Home for aid and care. (Diamond has decided to stay here by choice with her siblings because she loves the place.)
Happiness Home is a place where Father Rama (fondly called as ‘Papu’, a Mizo word for ‘Grandfather’) has raised a big family of 60 children and 20 adults, who have been affected or infected by the virus.
It all started when one lady and her baby were thrown out of their home by the landlord when he learnt about their condition. They found shelter in Papu’s humble abode. Papu helped them with all that he had and asked them to stay for as long as they wished for.
At the time, one needed to live in the village that was treating you, for at least 6 months to avail treatment for HIV. Most people could not afford the rent for 6 months in a new village and were absolutely helpless. The doctor, who had treated the lady now living with Papu, slowly started directing people to him hoping that maybe they could seek solace in his home. Slowly, people started arriving at Papu’s house asking if they could stay for a day, a week or a month. Papu’s heart being bigger than his house, he made sure to take everybody in and provide them with their basic necessities, love and care.
This is how so many people, amongst them Diamond and her siblings, happened to come across the ‘Happiness Home’.
During my brief visit to the Happiness Home, I spent a lot of time with Diamond. She is an incredibly gentle being with big dreams and an even bigger heart.
Her smile was so bright that it warmed up the cold night that we spent together. I asked Diamond if she was happy, to that she said, ‘Yes, I am very happy I’m with my siblings here. Papu is a very kind man, he takes very good care of us.’
Diamond wants to be an Airhostess. You know why? In her own words, ‘They are always so polite and kind. I want to be just like that when I grow up! I want to make people happy.’
Diamond has all that she needs; she has family, friends, warm food and clean clothes to wear. Diamond does not complain about her water being too cold or having to share her bed with two people. Diamond does not need anything to be happy but all the basic things that we fail to take for granted. She appreciates oranges and bear hugs alike.
I spent only one night with her. But in that one night, she stole my heart, my lovely Diamond.
I wish nothing for her but to see her fly – literally and otherwise! 🙂
Let’s all learn from this little gem and appreciate all that we have?
