Once we done with listening to Julia’s life we went back to get in line to listen to Brinda’s story. Another young girl, living in a different country, experiencing things a small child never should. I was not sure what my daughter was thinking at this point but I figured we would discuss her feelings and thoughts once we had gone through the whole experience. So we took our iPods and entered Brinda’s door.
Brinda lived with her sister’s and mother in a very scary neighborhood. I would be terrified to live where she lived. But the first thing my daughter noticed was all the Hindi God’s in Brinda’s home. She didn’t understand them but we continued on with the tour. As we walked through rooms depicting how Brinda had lived. We learned how her mother struggled for money and food, how the other people thought she should sell her daughter’s virginities and because she wouldn’t the people didn’t help. Being a mom of a daughter I was proud of Brinda’s mom for protecting her children. And at the same time shocked that a culture still did that.
Brinda seemed to flourish and shine when she was accepted in the Compassion Project. Her and her sisters were all accepted and received educations. Through the project Brinda learned so much. When her grandmother fell ill, Brinda leaned on God. Instead of praying to hundreds of Hindi Gods she turned to God and prayed. She had found a faith that worked for her and gave her strength. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with other religions but for this little girl praying to one God rather than several helped. And that is what matters. Brinda found a spiritual outlet that helped her through rough times.
By the time we reached the end of Brinda’s story we learned she had gone to college! Moved her mother out of the impoverished neighborhood and into a home right before the government came in and demolished their old shak. And she seemed to be happy. It was heart touching to hear how much the Compassion Project had done for her. I was thankful a project like this existed for young girls in her country. I’m happy she was given a chance to be anything she wanted. And she was able to move into a safer neighborhood and into an actual home. And when we came to the end of Brinda’s tour we came across the same bookshelf that was once full of Hindi Gods was now full of symbols of God. It was no longer an overwhelming shelf full of statues but now a shelf filled with candles, family pictures, angels and God. For me, personally, the first shelf was overwhelming. I didn’t know how a small child could keep it straight and comprehend it all. The last shelf felt calming.
