he who plants a tree, plants a hope
said Lucy Larcom (1824 – 1893)..never were words written as true as in the case of Preeti and our new aloe vera project…
Stop a moment to look at Preeti’s smile before your read on…
Preeti is 19 though she looks 12.. she suffers from a mental retardation that no one ever bothered to assess and by the time she came to us it was far too late to do anything concrete..
Preeti is not a pretty child and in her home no one loves her. Her grandmother has even told us to ‘give her a rat poison’ on more than one occasions and not as a joke. If her family could wish her away, they would…
Pretty has never been fed and has a severe micro nutrient deficiency which translates in her eating flies and insects.. which makes her the butt of nasty and snide remarks..
But Preeti is an endearing child if you are willing to stop and look at her with love. In spite of her very limited abilities she loves to help in any chore she can and one of her favourite activity is gardening.
When our friend DV suggested that we start an aloe vera project we had no hesitation is giving it to our special section under the stewartship of their educator Virinder.
The children are now busy planting aloe vera saplings into tiny pots, preparing charts and other material explaining the vertues of aloe vera and the advantage of having a plant in every home. They have collected empty containers of aloe vera based products and highlighted the exhorbitant cost of each of them and are now preparing a little presentation for our annual day that will be held on August 13th. They will on that day launch the sale of their saplings at rs 10/- a pot and who knows our littel aloevera fairies may turn into business ladies!
And maybe, just maybe, Preeti would gain a little place in the heart of her family when she comes back with first earnings…
so as Lucy larcom said
Plants hope. . .
He who plants a tree –
Plants joy. . .
He who plants a tree –
Plants youth. . .
He who plants a tree –
Plants love. . .
Gifts that grow are best
well, here’s something else the kids can do.
i save all the large tetrapack containers in which my soya milk comes. then after unfolding the lid carefully, a quick rinse and a drain hole at the bottom i have a sturdy planter. the pour hole is also a robust point from where the planter can be hung.
it’s water-proof and so will last a while
if the kids draw on it –sign their name!- it becomes a great gift ob. besides engrossing them and giving them an identity.
and as a final bonus, one less for the garbage heap