LAXMI SHETTAR

I had a pretty modest upbringing, and luckily, it was not a cruise ride. But even for the slightest moment, I never felt that I would be as happy someday as I am during my journey, and all the happiness I got was from the El Shaddai family. They say that good upbringing is all about training a child to be a good citizen and an asset to society. I am extremely grateful to El Shaddai for giving me this opportunity to share my story.

I am Laxmi Shettar, currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (HR) at Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology, and I have come a long way from what I was to what I am now. Trust me when I say this—you will not believe it because it is all because of El Shaddai. To start with, I would like to tell you how and why I came to this place.

I stay in a very small village in Karnataka. In my childhood, my father was having a tough time alone and couldn’t look after me when my mom passed away. He was broken and separated from his family, and there were times when we had no proper shelter and food for our survival.

There were a few children from my village who were taken to El Shaddai for a good upbringing. Once their parents got to know about my dad, who couldn’t look after me in those days, they suggested that he get me enrolled in El Shaddai and explained how their children were receiving nutritious meals, medical check-ups, accommodation, and education.

My father loved and loves me very much and wanted me to have a tremendous amount of love, care, and support. He thought that my stepmother wouldn’t give me the same when he got married again and that El Shaddai could. The moment he got to know about El Shaddai, he decided to take me there so that I could live the life he wanted me to have—with good knowledge, health, and values, as the logo of El Shaddai states:
Loving ~ Caring ~ Sharing.

Changing the lives of children is a continuous process; nothing can be done in a limited period. I joined El Shaddai when I was just a 6-year-old baby who didn’t know anything, and that was in the year 2003. I don’t know how I was before joining El Shaddai, but I surely know that if El Shaddai didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have come this far to be who I am today—having a good education and livelihood.

I would like to share this: A typical day in El Shaddai began with the children waking up in the morning, having a good breakfast, and then going on our way to school. We would then return in the evening and rest for a while before spending our time with outdoor activities like singing, dancing, gardening, and games, followed by dinner and bedtime.

They taught me all the basic values of loving, caring, and sharing and about leading a happy life and being independent. They helped me to be a strong, independent woman with a lot of compassion, confidence, and sheer determination.

Today, whatever I have achieved, it’s all because of my family—my El Shaddai family. The friendships made, the lessons learned, the mistakes made, and all the memories have become a part of me that I can never forget—even in my dreams.

I want to take a moment to extend my gratitude towards the El Shaddai family for everything and convey my regards to all. I miss all these moments and am extremely grateful to them for giving children like me a better future.

All the best and keep up the good work!