Hello, my name is Kalpana, and I am six years old. My home and my school are in a town called Veeraghattam, in the Andhra Pradesh district of southeastern India. I am an only child, and sadly I lost my father to COVID when I was still very young. This is my story.
I live with my mother in a rented house that has no basic services such as a bathroom, running water, or electricity. My father passed away in 2021 during the pandemic, and since then it has been just the two of us.
I began attending the Canossian Sisters’ Kindergarten at the height of the pandemic. After my father’s sudden death, my mother was forced to find work to support what remained of our family, accepting any job she could find, even when it meant travelling far from home. Work is scarce and difficult to secure, and in the early months after my father’s passing, we relied heavily on the support of my grandparents. Today, however, they are too elderly to continue helping us, and my mother makes great sacrifices every day to provide for us both.
Because of a lack of nutritious food, I was often absent from school at first, as I was too weak to attend regularly. Thanks to the care and support of the Sisters, this situation has improved significantly, and my health is now much better.
In 2024, thanks to the generosity of a family living far away from my country, I was able to continue my education with the Canossian Sisters. This year I am in second grade, and I am doing very well in my studies.
I love going to school, and being with my classmates makes me very happy, because I have no one else to play with. I am focused, lively, and calm at the same time. With my positive attitude and the guidance of the Sisters, I am learning not to be defined by the difficult circumstances I come from. I am determined to reach my goals for my own future and for my mother’s.
If you would like to help other children like me grow up healthy, feel loved, and have a real opportunity in life, your small but meaningful gesture can truly make a difference.
Please support Fondazione Canossiana VOICA – ETS and the mission of the Canossian Sisters in Veeraghattam.
Thank you — from me, and from all the children who, even from far away, can count on your support.