“Sometimes we eat only biscuits and water during the day.” Pinky
Pinky, 12, grew up in Bihar. It has been four years since she and her family moved to Delhi. In her family of 8, everyone works as a rag picker. Her family lives in a temporary home made of thick foil and wood in the slum.
Before lockdown, Pinky's parents had left her and her two sisters with her aunt in their village in Bihar; her maternal grandmother also lived there. Pinky used to take care of the aunt's house along with farming and all the minor household chores. But the aunt often used beat her sisters and she often did not give them proper food. Pinky's parents were stuck in the Delhi Lockdown and could not go back to the village to see them, but as soon as the restrictions lifted, they came to take the children back to Delhi with them, particularly after Pinky’s grandmother complained that the children were just causing trouble.
Once they got to Delhi, Pinky's parents tried hard to enrol her and her siblings in school, even before the lockdown, but due to lack of necessary documents, such as an Aadhaar card (ID document), they met obstacle after obstacle.
This was hard for Pinky as she has always been very fond of reading and writing and has always dreamed of being a teacher when she grows up so she can help children in their development. But instead of attending classes, she worked as a ragpicker, contributing to the family income just to survive.
Even with Pinky and her siblings working, having enough money to get the basic necessities was hard. Getting enough food to grow up strong and healthy was a particular challenge that the family faced.
“Food is cooked twice a day at my home, in the morning and in the evening. And during the day, if there is some food left, we eat it. Sometimes thought, we eat only biscuits and water during the day. Good food or dishes are made at our home only on festivals or any special occasions.” Pinky
Thankfully, not long ago, Pinky was met by a street outreach team member from CHETNA, Toybox's partner in India. They listened to Pinky and invited her to the project, where she could attend informal learning sessions and get nutritious food to help her grow.
“Before coming to the project, some organisations used to bring food outside our slum at the time of lockdown, for which we had to stand in long queues during scorching heat. In the project, we are given nutritious snacks by sitting in a proper circle. We have full time to eat and we are able to eat without any problems and with pleasure. Before, we ate all kinds of food at our home - like if there is any leftover food, then we have to eat it in the morning. My parents do the work of sorting the rubbish until late evening, so food is prepared early in the morning and then eaten the same food at night, but due to the hot weather, many times the food also gets rotten. It feels very good to eat together with everyone at the project, it increases unity among us and there is an opportunity to mingle with each other and share our thoughts. We are given biscuits and namkeen snacks which add up a nutritious value in our daily meals which we like very much. My favourite food is chowmein noodles and ice cream.” Pinky