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Dr. Sarojini Agarwal: How the loss of her daughter led her to become the mother of 800-girls.
Sarojini, who has a PhD in Hindi literature, is a popular writer in India.
In 1978, she and her husband, the parents of four children, lost their 8-year-old daughter Manisha when she was killed in a roadway hit and run accident.
As a mother with an unrelenting aching heart, Sarojini tried to make sense of it all. And then she had a moment of clarity:
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"I was lamenting the loss of one when there were so many other [girls], homeless and unloved, looking for a mother. Perhaps I could give them a loving home."
In 1985, with the support of her husband and their family, Sarojini started Manisha Mandir, in her home to welcome orphaned or abandoned girls.
The first girl they adopted was an infant born deaf and mute, and orphaned when her mother died in childbirth.
Soon, two sisters joined the household, orphaned when their mother died in an accident.
Other orphaned girls arrived, as did others rejected by their families and still others taken off the streets.
Sarojini also placed an empty crib in front of her home, where people could abandon newborns instead of leaving them in the streets. No questions asked.
Over 32-years, the operation grew and is now in a large three-story home.
There, there is a computer lab, a library, workshops, gardens and other facilities that make each of the girls feel comfortable and safe.
And these girls are provided with the best possible education.
As a result, as women, many have become business professionals, teachers and other occupations, as well as being wives and mothers.
In summarizing her life’s journey, Sarojini said:
"In every orphan and abandoned girl, I see my daughter Manisha. Maybe God took my daughter away from me as he wanted me to take care of these children."
"I thank him for giving me this opportunity to keep her memory alive in a meaningful way."
Editor's Note:
To learn more, please see http://www.dailygood.org/2017/03/17/she-lost-a-daughter-today-she-shelters-800-girls/ and http://manishamandir.org/
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A veterinarian who rescues endangered species.
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