Opening the Door to Untold Stories and New Horizons

“Reflections of My Journey from receiving support to now offering” Reflecting on my journey from receiving support to now offering it, I realize how much I’ve grown and how much more I hope to accomplish. My lived experience of being in care and transitioning out of it successfully has taught me the profound importance of having someone who truly understands and stands by you, at every step of your life. This understanding is the cornerstone of my work with and for care leavers, locally and globally.  As the care leavers’ engagement officer at Udayan Care, my role extends beyond simply fulfilling a job; it’s a mission to ensure that care leavers in India and abroad always feel supported and hopeful. And that I can be the ‘someone’ in their lives, whenever they need to fall back on someone they can trust.  I remember what it was like to be in need of support and wanting to explore my life and become part of a larger society. Often, I received sympathy instead of what I actually needed.

“Sisterhood is not about blood, it’s about the bond that ties hearts together” Growing up in a child care home in a big city, I often dreamed of living with siblings together for some time to create memories with each other, someone who would truly understand me and share love and affections with each other. I even imagined us supporting each other, learning together, and facing the world as a team. But as life unfolded, I learned that even within families bound by blood, differences in upbringing can create deep divides. My own experiences with my biological sister showed me this. While I grew up in a structured environment with access to education and mentors, my sister spent her childhood in a small, rural village, far from the life I knew. Our worlds were completely different, even though we were connected by blood. When we finally reunited as adults—something I had longed for during my years in care—I was eager to bridge the gap between us. I wanted to share my experiences and the

जब मैं अंधेरे में खोई थी, उम्मीद की एक किरण ने मुझे ढूंढ लिया था। दूसरों के हाथों से मिला था सहारा, मन में भर गया था नया जोश और जज्बा। मैंने सीखा है देने का मंत्र, खुद को समर्पित करने का कर्म। मैं बन गई हूँ एक दीपक, अंधेरे में जगमगाने वाला। अब मैं दूसरों को संबल देती हूँ, उनके सपनों को साकार करती हूँ। एक साथ चलने का साथी, उनके जीवन में नया अध्याय। मैंने पाया है जीवन का अर्थ, दूसरों की सेवा में। मैं उड़ान भर रही हूँ, नई ऊंचाइयों को छूने में।