Karnataka: Organisation to build home for two orphan schoolgirls in Belthangady

MANGALURU: Baduku Kattona, a group of like-minded people, has come forward to build a home for two orphaned girls at Kalmanja in Belthangady taluk. The girls have been living in a house that is unsafe for them.
According to the group, two sisters, Sneha (class VIII) and her younger sister Deepashree (classVI), studying at a government school in Kalmanja, are good at academics and extra-curricular activities. The Baduku Kattona team is led by Rajesh Pai and K Mohan Kumar. The team comprises people from all walks of life, who are engaged in social service, and it started its social work, by rebuilding houses for flood victims at Kolambe in Charamdi.
Kumar said that the girls lost their father at a young age. After a few years, their mother went missing, and never returned. They were later raised by their maternal grandmother, who also passed away five months ago. When there was no one to look after them, their maternal uncle, who was working in Mangaluru, moved back to Kalmanja, to be with them. “The girls cook, clean, and go to school. They came to our attention, when our team had sponsored about 14 girls to participate in a taluk yoga competition. The sisters bagged prizes in the contest. Later on, we visited their house, and found that their house needed a better roof, and that their current house is unsafe. So the team decided that it would build a home for the girls. The work will begin once the rain subsides in the region,” said Kumar, adding that the current house they are staying in, has a hall and kitchen, but no washroom. “We are planning to build a two-bedroom house with a bathroom and kitchen,’’ he added.
Kumar noted that apart from constructing the home, the team will also help them to get a better education. “One of the girl’s dreams of becoming a physician, and the other wants to be a teacher. They are good at academics. We will help them in whatever way possible,” said Kumar.