As They Grow – A SOFKIN Child’s Story
SOFKIN has been helping children for over 15 years. Some of the children have been with us almost since the beginning. They have grown into caring, amazing adults. We wanted to share their stories with you to see how SOFKIN has changes their lives. This is one of our blogs we’ll be sharing occasionally where we highlight individual stories of children and young people at SOFKIN. Today, we’d like you to meet Mythri.
14-Mar-22
Sponsorship
The Early Years
Mythri came to SOFKIN when she was 11, following her other brother, Kranti. The children’s father was an alcoholic, and their parents were unable to adequately support them or provide for their education.
Initially, Mythri had a difficult adjustment at SOFKIN. She didn’t understand the need for the structure and routine of the home and didn’t see the value of studying and consequently did poorly in school. However, with Chaya’s patient guidance and care, she slowly adjusted, and then excelled. She graduated from high school with top grades and went on to earn her B. A. degree in Biotechnology.
Finding Her Way
With Chaya’s continued support and mentoring, Mythri realized that she was more interested in IT than biotechnology. Chaya arranged for a six-month IT internship at PamTen, Hyderabad. Mythri successfully completed this internship, and in June of 2019, became a full time IT employee at PamTen, where she also began to learn about the HR field.
Through Kranti and Mythri, SOFKIN was able to help the whole family. After Kranti graduated from college and was successfully established in his own career – all with Chaya’s guidance and support – Kranti was able to purchase a home for his parents and younger siblings. This allowed Mythri to move back home in 2018, although she continued to go back to SOFKIN on the weekends to assist with the care of the children.
A New Adventure
In March of 2022, Mythri transferred to a job at PamTen Headquarters in New Jersey, fulfilling a dream she had of moving to the U.S. She had an emotional goodbye visit at SOFKIN before she left. She told the children that everything that is offered at SOFKIN – the daily schedule, the values they are taught, the emphasis on education and doing your best – is important, even though it doesn’t always seem so at the time. She emphasized that, ‘if you do what Amma Chaya says, she will help you live your dreams.” All the SOFKIN children then went with her to the airport to give her a proper sendoff!
Now 24 years old, Mythri’s initial adjustment to the U.S. is going well. “I am confident in my job and love what I do.” Temporarily living with Chaya, she also looks forward to finding her own apartment and achieving financial independence – being independent and able to support yourself, she notes, are values she learned at SOFKIN.
Gratitude and Paying It Forward
Grateful for what she was given to grow and thrive – which is the same love and attention given to every child at SOFKIN – Mythri is very motivated to give back to the next generation of SOFKIN children. She is currently helping Chaya with the management of SOFKIN. She takes part in weekly online meetings with SOFKIN team leaders where progress reports for each child are discussed. She also regularly checks in with individual children. As she continues to develop her professional skills and expertise, Mythri hopes to take on even more responsibility in the future, in part to give her beloved Amma Chaya a rest.
So, the story of SOFKIN has, again, come full circle. We are so grateful to all our sponsors and donors. It is your generosity that makes these stories possible. Sharing what you can will help us continue to guide those in our care from childhood to adults.