Sindhutai - 'mother Of Orphans' Adopts Over A 1000 Children - Story

[JANASENA]

Pune: Beaten up and thrown out of her house by her husband at a very young age, Sindhutai Sapkal lived on the streets till she found her calling in life. She is now a mother to many abandoned children and runs four homes in Pune.

It was three years ago, when a baby, Sakshi, was found in the corn field of a village in Maharashtra, without any shelter, warmth or love. She was brought to Mamata Bal Sadan Ashram in Saswad, Pune and was given a home, a happy family with sisters, and of course, the love and blessings of Mai, Sindhutai.

"Every time I fed the homeless children, I used to think of the thousands of orphans out there," says Sindhutai.

Born to an illiterate cowherd in Pimpri district of Maharashtra, Sindhutai was educated till class 4 against her mother's wishes and married off by 10, to a man, who was 20 years elder to her.

In 1972, she took up the cause of helping village women sell cow dung they collected to the Forest Department, which didn't go down very well with her husband. A pregnant Sindhutai was beaten black and blue and thrown out of the house.

With her newly born daughter Mamata, Sindhutai wandered from town to town, singing and begging near temples, and even tried to commit suicide, till she found her calling – taking care of orphaned and tribal children.

Beginning with her first ashram at Mamta Bal Sadan in the 1994, Mai went on to set up five homes in Pune and Wardha district. The homes survive on donations, and alms she receives after her lectures. Sindhutai has never given any of the children up for adoption.

"I give lectures across the world to run my organisation," says Sindhutai.

Mai has nurtured over a 1000 orphaned children, giving them a home, an education and a life to hope.

"I want to fulfill Mai's dream by becoming a doctor," says one of the girls at Mai’s home.

"Mai has only studied till class 4, so it is my dream to make her proud of me, and I want to be a teacher," says Sindhutai's daughter Pooja Sapkal.

"Mai is our driving force, she coxed me to study further, today I am an assistant professor at a college and I'm doing my PhD as well," says her son Shyam.

In many cases, Mai's children opt to live and work for her. Deepak, 50, Sindhutai's first adopted son, takes care of her biggest ashram. Deepak dada also gives children vocational training such as farming.

"I am Mai's first son, and I have seen her go through all her trials and tribulations. The hardest part in life was when we would travel from one town to another, with no money, food or shelter. She would go to temples and sing bhajans, and that's how we would get rice and pulses. From there, we have reached here," says Deepak.

Mai has also taken it upon herself to wed most of her children. A proud Sindhutai boasts that she has 36 daughters-in-law and 177 sons-in-law.

:3D_Smiles:

 

[micxas]

Great, gp

[Darshwana]

Awesome

[Nellore_peddareddi]

GP

[edo_oka_ragam]

we need more people like her.. thank you and i am proud of you

[Novak_Djokovic]

Gp