Rekha’s life took a tragic turn after her husband, her pillar of strength, succumbed to a stroke eleven years ago. Bereft of much support of near and dear ones, she took to working for minimum wages at a garment factory. Suffering with Asthma, her lungs unable to handle the dust, she soon quit and had to eke out a living for her and the two children by working as a housemaid in many houses.
Her income was barely enough to feed the family and keep them off the roads. The little help that she got from family members was not enough to cover the school fees. Sadly, the schools did not even think of providing some concession to this single-parent family. Unable to see the struggles of his mother, the son stopped school in the 10th standard and began working odd jobs to supplement the income and also keep his sister Jayashree in school. The brother sacrificed his future for the sake of the family, not even thinking of going to government school as it would hinder his earnings. Even this noble gesture was not enough, and her education and future were in jeopardy. She had to change schools just to avoid discontinuing her studies.
It was at this hopeless juncture that Operation Sahay Foundation, stepped in to help this family through Project Cruse, a support scheme for such single-parent families and their children, orphans, and others in challenging situations. Rekha and her son’s deepest desire, was for Jayashree to be able to pursue her studies. Now with timely help from OSF reaching them on a monthly basis, the family is able to move ahead. She was on the verge of being forced to follow the path of her brother in taking up some low paying job. Jayashree is happy and grateful to OSF for coming forward and helping her continue pursuing her studies.