By Asit Srivastava
Lucknow, Oct 6 (IANS) She had a loving husband and caring in-laws, but Uttar Pradesh resident Beena Rana was devastated on being told she had uterus cancer and could never bear a child. That was 20 years ago.
Since then she has not only fought off the disease but also has a brood of 80 children who fondly call her "Mai".
They are all destitute, orphaned or physically challenged kids who have found a home in the shelter run by Rana and her husband Virendra Kumar in Muzaffarnagar district, some 350 km from Lucknow.
"I am not their biological mother, but, believe me, with the relationship we share, that thought never crosses my mind even once," Rana, 46, told IANS on phone.
"I will remain indebted to all my children...They gave me a reason to live when I had lost interest in life after being told that I could never become pregnant. It was a traumatic experience," she said.
Rana went into acute depression after coming to know about her cancer - her uterus had to be removed. Most of the time she would lock herself up in a room. Her condition deteriorated when she stopped eating and was hospitalised.
It was then that Kumar, who runs a grocery store, finally decided to do something to help his wife by giving her a reason to live.
"The idea of starting the shelter came from my husband in order to divert my attention from the problems I was facing. He made me realise that despite not becoming a mother, I could have children around me and cherish my life," recalled Rana.
"My husband motivated me to work for poor, homeless children, who had nobody to take care of them. Believe me, being amid children gradually made me stop thinking about the traumatic experience I was undergoing.
"In fact, today I have no time to think about my past as I keep myself occupied with my children."
Rana along with her husband started the Akhil Bhartiya Viklang Anath Ashram (ABVAA) in 1995. At that time ABVAA had just three children.
Today it is home to nearly 80 children - that is not counting the many who have already left ABVAA after becoming self-reliant, thanks to vocational training imparted by the organisation.
Many of them are former ragpickers and the youngest child at the shelter is just four years old.
Gyanu, 19, the eldest of the children, said: "After the death of my parents, my uncle forced me to work at his 'dhaba' (roadside eatery). He did not give me enough food and when I asked for more, he would beat me badly.
"It was Mai who along with some social activists freed me from there and brought me to her home," she said.
Echoing similar sentiments, 18-year-old girl Geetu said, "Thanks to Mai, I never feel that I don't have parents. She takes care of our smallest concerns."
Aiming to make poor, homeless children self-reliant, ABVAA offers basic education to children and then, depending on their interest, trains them in tailoring, embroidery, cloth designing and other areas.
"Our main aim is not just to provide shelter to homeless kids and orphans. It is in making them stand on their own feet so that they can join the mainstream," he added.
ABVAA does not get any kind of financial assistance from the government or public representatives.
According to the couple, they are thankful to local people who donate to their organization every month. Without their support, it would have been impossible for the couple to take care of so many children.
Besides the couple, the organization has nine others, mostly from Kumar's family, who help run the shelter even though Rana supervises everything personally.
All this while, Rana, who still takes medication, has managed to keep the cancer at bay.
"I really take pride in being associated with the shelter. Though it was my idea, the organisation could have not have become such a success without the hard work of my wife," said Kumar.