Kaminika Morjaria

I am presently pursuing a Masters degree in Development management at the London School of Economics. I was born in London and at the age of fourteen I moved to Pune, where I lived for 5 years and where I attended the Mahindra United World College. After completing school in India, I went on to attain a Bachelors degree in Economics and Political Science from McGill University.

Living in Pune opened my eyes to the reality of life for many children whose home is the streets of the city. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work with many of these children. In befriending them I was able understand that they had been forced to lead adult lives, to survive in a world of danger and risk and to deal with situations of near starvation, severe deprivation, neglect and health hazards. However, these incredibly smart, young people who had developed a certain knack of survival were still children with a need for love, affection, reassurance and security.

When approached for this project I saw the potential to give children like these secure lives and to give them hope for a real future. Working in homes for street children I have been able to observe, as an outsider, the real difference they can make for these children as well as to understand the mistakes that have been made in the past and the limitations of many of these homes. This experience is what has inspired me to work on this project and to create a family for our children!