Medak: Summer Holidays Bring Fear, Not Joy, for Orphaned Siblings Without a Home

This is the story of Lavanya, Anuradha, and Naveen, three siblings from Dalit Wada of Kurthiwada in Papannapet mandal of Medak district. They were born to Buthipuram Ravi and Sampoorna. Their mother left the family seven years ago, and their father passed away just a year ago. Since then, their aunt, Laxmi, who works as a house help in Hyderabad, took responsibility for them and admitted them to a tribal welfare school.

Lavanya is currently in the 8th standard, Anuradha is in 7th, and Naveen, the youngest, is in 3rd grade and stays in a BC hostel. During holidays, they only return to the village when their aunt manages to come and take them, as they have no house of their own there. 

Lavanya now faces uncertainty as she completes her current class and does not know where she will study 9th standard. “I want to become a teacher if someone comes forward to support us,” Lavanya told a vernacular daily with hope. Her sister Anuradha dreams of becoming a nurse, while little Naveen aspires to be a police officer.