In May 1999, 13 year old Anita came to Purnata Bhavan, (a residential care project of Oasis India ) along with her mother and brother. They came from one of the worst slums in north Mumbai, situated in Vasai. Through her second marriage, her mother got infected by HIV. Both the children are negative. A local NGO, who at that time were running a pre-school programme in the slum, spotted the children and tried their best to help them.

The mother was given a job locally as a house maid which she did for sometime. She was old, however, and kept falling ill. Also, it became unsafe for Anita, a boisterous, young and good-looking girl, to continue to live in that community. She played truant from school and even engaged in petty theft. She displayed tendencies of a kleptomaniac and took other people’s things just to horde them. That’s when the team decided to look out for other options of residential care for the family. Subsequently, they were referred to Purnata Bhavan.

Anita and her brother, Sam were admitted into the local school. Their mother was unable to learn any of the vocational skills taught, but rather helped out in the kitchen and with some gardening. After a year, she decided she did not want to stay at the home anymore and went back to the slum. The children, however, continued at Purnata Bhavan and showed a keen interest in studies.

Anita has done well not only academically, but has also excelled in sports to the extent that the school awarded her a scholarship! She is extremely helpful and creative and strongly reacts to all kinds of injustice and discrimination. She is friendly and an extrovert. She is now 19 years old and has appeared for her grade 10 final examination for which she is awaiting her results. She desires to study further and become a nurse so that she can serve people and share the love of God with them. The change in her is amazing! She has truly been transformed into a new creation!