My name is Manjula Huddar and I am 18 years old. I am a native of Bijapur, Karnataka. Growing up with my parents was really difficult. My mother worked as a maid and my father as a mason.
Despite having financial issues, my parents could not send me to school since whatever he earned was used to care for my mother as she suffered from TB and HIV. After doing so much, my mother passed away when I was 7 years old.
With only my father to care for me and my small sister, I thought my life would end here, but one day my father met someone who told him about the lighthouse, and soon I was enrolled there.
The lighthouse was about to close due to some issues years later. Everyone living in the lighthouse was leaving with their parents, but my father never came back to take us. At that moment, I was hurt because my father had abandoned us and focused only on himself.
I want to thank the lighthouse family for letting me and my sister begin a new journey in El Shaddai. My sister and I moved to El Shaddai in 2014. In El Shaddai, we were provided with shelter, clothes, delicious food, and education.
We both enrolled in Shanti Niketan school soon after. I learned how to speak and write English, made new friends, and was surrounded by love and care. I was very happy to have a life I had never imagined. I used to take part in every school event and I always tried my hardest to study. I got good grades. I was involved in making cards, soft toys, tailoring, sports, and painting.
There were many different artists who offered workshops, but what caught my attention was when Gasper taught us about digital storytelling. It was then that I decided to get into digital art.
In my early years, I was fascinated by drawing and making creative things. I dreamed of becoming a designer as a child. After learning about digital storytelling (DST) and being very excited about it, I got another chance to learn about Corel Draw software. I then thought about becoming a graphic designer.
I probably would have been married off or wandering about the streets begging for alms if I was not enrolled in El Shaddai.
Thank you Didi and Dada for giving me a chance to dream again. Children like me are missing out on all kinds of opportunities, and I owe all of my success to didi and dada. Additionally, I would like to thank Punitha for teaching me about graphic design and video editing as I am working with her as an assistant graphic designer. Since I have completed my 12th grade, I am now pursuing my postgraduate studies in arts.
Dada and Didi gave me the opportunity to pursue all my dreams and desires, which is why I am here today. My sister and I have received parental love, regardless of the fact that they are not our actual parents. I am so grateful to them.
El Shaddai has given me a second chance at being who I am today . In the future, I hope to be a beacon of hope for girls like me who lack the chance to dream. I hope my story will inspire many children like me.