Cynderella was just a few years old when she arrived at the Homes. Twenty years on, she has moved to Kolkata to continue her studies, thanks to the Extended Sponsorship scheme.Chitra grew up in Kolkata but joined Dr Graham’s Homes at seven, thanks to a sponsorship from DGHUK. For Chitra’s mother, it was a moment of both relief – she couldn’t afford to give her an education – and heartbreak as she helped her daughter relocate to the Himalayas for a new start at boarding school.
Chitra’s sponsor, Esther, has followed her journey from those early days of homesickness through to her current success as a college student. Having recently visited the Homes for the 125th anniversary celebrations, she shares Chitra’s story about what it’s really like to grow up as a sponsored student, the challenges she faced, the skills she gained, and the bright future she’s now building beyond DGH.
Chitra’s story
Chitra came to the Homes in 2012, just a year after the Sikkim earthquake struck Kalimpong, causing widespread damage in the town and across the region.
When she got on the train to Siliguri, many of the children were crying and she couldn’t understand why because her mum had said this was a big adventure and she would see Chitra at the other end of the journey. After a long train and bus ride, Chitra arrived in Kalimpong and immediately started looking around for her mum; she wasn’t there! Clearly her mum had tried to soften the blow of parting by indicating that she would see Chitra at the end of the journey.
Because of earthquake damage, Chitra wasn’t immediately allocated a cottage; she stayed in the upper floor of what is now the central kitchen (CK); she recalls feeling scared and homesick, but Auntie Margaret, one of the cottage parents, was so kind to her that eventually she settled into her new environment.
One of the campus cottages where pupils live
Learning to belong
One of her biggest challenges was language; her native tongue is Bengali, and she had to learn to speak English. I said to her, “Did this take a few years?” “Oh no!” she replied. “Just a few months!”
Chitra went on to stay for four years in Birissa Cottage, which she loved, and then Mansfield, Elliot and Old Thorburn cottages.
During her time at the Homes, I had the pleasure of visiting Chitra on several occasions, and it has been a joy to see her grow and develop.
Life lessons beyond the classroom
Chitra was very happy with cottage life and, despite the sometimes dilapidated state of the buildings, she was taught housework and encouraged to keep the cottage clean and tidy at all times. In those days, children ate in the cottages themselves, and she was taught simple cooking skills which she enjoyed. Chitra’s teachers and cottage parents also taught her how to use her time wisely and she tells me that this particular skill translates into her everyday life as a young adult.
Like many of the children, Chitra didn’t like the transition from eating in the cottages to eating in the central kitchen. After a 15-minute walk to the CK, they would stand in a queue for another 15 minutes, then eat their food quickly and walk back to the cottage. By the time they reached their cottage, they were hungry again. Chitra missed being able to cook and eat at the cottage table with her friends.
It has been a joy to see her develop
Esther, Chitra’s sponsor
Chitra and school friends
Birissa Cottage has been a home-from-home for boarders since 1915
Discovering her passion
Chitra worked hard at school and went on to achieve good marks in all her subjects, enabling her to apply for a college place studying Computer Science at a technical college in Kolkata. She loves her course, particularly graphic design, but says she is challenged by computer coding! Chitra tells me that even something so simple as a semi colon put in the wrong place destroys the code.
Her love of computer science started at school, even with the limited facilities they had at that time. She was thrilled to hear that DGH now has a robotics lab!
Building a great future
In the future, Chitra would like to do graphic design. She tells me that some jobs even offer scholarships to study for a Masters at the same time, which she would like to do.
Chitra remembers Dr Graham’s Homes with love and gratitude towards the teachers and cottage parents but particularly her cottage friends. They were a team and she loved the experiences they shared together… it felt like ‘home’.
Today, Chitra is studying at a college in Kolkata; she is in her third year of a four-year course and is doing well in her studies.
The difference between a child who has and a child who has not is opportunity!
Chitra is now continuing her studies in her home city, Kolkata
Cynderella was just a few years old when she arrived at the Homes. Twenty years on, she has moved to Kolkata to continue her studies, thanks to the Extended Sponsorship scheme.
