Jayavel and his family were dependent on the kindness of the strangers. He lost his father when he was very young, and his mother became a drunkard. They relied on money from begging all their life. Describing his conditions of living on the road he says, “We used to sleep on one such pavement. If it rained, we would try to find another shelter in any nearby shops until the cops came and chased us out of there”.
Jayavel was taken in by an NGO which was run by Uma Mathurman and her husband. They cared for him and paid for his education through the trust. “Jayavel somehow inspired us. After seeing him, we believed that we could help bring a change in his life with him”, said Uma.
Initially, Jayavel hated studying, and everyone in the school knew him and his family as he was living on the pavement right outside the school.But as he realised how his life had changed and how hard Uma had been striving to educate him, he changed himself, and he started working harder. As a result, he scored good marks in class 12. His performance inspired many donors to come forward to donate for Jayavel’s higher studies. It is rightly said ‘God helps those who help themselves’.
