Please say hello to Kaveri

Over two years ago I asked friends to keep an eye out for a young girl who I might support in Manjula’s name.

There’s no shortage of children experiencing challenging circumstances here in India. I wanted to find someone with a similar background to MAnjula but no one came forward.

Then one day in the park opposite our house I heard a helloooooo.

My first introduction to Kaveri

Shortly after that first meeting I was using Manjula’s ‘flash cards’ to discover how much English she knew.

This video shows how she responded by turning the tables on me

I was impressed with her confident assertiveness with a foreigner she’d only just met.

Yesterday Sowbaghya who has become indispensable at Mysore Bed and Breakfast and Radikha Kaveri’s aunty who’s more like a sister and I were reflecting with kaveri on how she’d changed over this last year or so.

I’d clearly spotted a smart cookie, confident and assertive a good communicator. She’s carried along that same track

Yesterday reading a pictorial version of the Little Prince she was confidently tackling unfamiliar words switching to phonetic pronunciation where necessary.

She’s important in my life for many reasons not least for helping me manage my grief. Growing to help me fill the space around it.

I look forward to our continuing time together and helping her continue to grow her beautiful character.