By M S Nazki
If we cannot relate anymore to the world that we live in, we are bound to remain like orphans, forlorn in the wasteland of our desires! Desires of Orphans are many but they just need nurturing!...
Perhaps there are those who are able to go about their lives unfettered by such concerns. But for those like us, our fate is to face the world as orphans, chasing through long years the shadows of vanished parents. There is nothing for it but to try and see through our missions to the end, as best we can, for until we do so, we will be permitted no calm……Assam Rifles!
“When you lose your parents as a child, you are indoctrinated into a club, you re taken into life's severest confidence. You are undeceived…”
“Mother was anchor. Mother was comfort. Mother was home. A girl who lost her mother was suddenly a tiny boat on an angry ocean. Some boats eventually floated ashore. And some boats, like me, seemed to float farther and farther from land.”
Orphanages are the only places that ever left me feeling empty and full at the same time!
In any story the two hardest things to be are a widow or an orphan. Those are the bad cards to draw from the deck marked "life. Because those are the two moments the people you love the most die. It's heart break. Heart shatter. Heart starve. It's so much loss that it's easier if you just died and started the game over. But you can't. You have to wander. Part of it is losing your tribe and being homeless. Part of it is being alone in the dark.
Maybe only an orphan can understand this, but we had been cut free from our anchor and the blow was crushing. We didn't know who we were, and more importantly, we didn't know whose we were -- forever proving that identity precedes purpose. You can't know who you are until you've settled who you are! Death came into my family and reminded us of its close proximity to humankind! We didn’t know sadness until we had a point of comparison. The world has enough orphans. Maybe it's time that we started to be parents. What will be your legacy to the world? The orphans that you have fathered in your name. It's funny how children can still go on even after their parents have died. You'd think it was only polite for someone who gave you entrance to the world to see you through it.
History:
Orphanages During the War:
In 1918, at 11am on the 11th of November, World War 1 ended. A two minute silence to recognise the losses of war has been observed each year since, at the time the armistice came into effect.
Many children from institutions across Australia fought in the world wars, the names of those who didn’t make it home recorded on honour rolls in some of the homes.
Those too young to go to war were also impacted heavily, by the privations of economic depression followed by rationing, evening blackouts, & the fear of invasion. They were also enlisted to help the war effort from homes, and participated in a number of ways.
At St Vincent de Paul’s Boy’s and St Augustine’s Orphanages, newspaper articles about the war were read aloud during meals, and the St Vincent’s Band was asked to play at various events and the Town Hall on Friday night by recruiting authorities.
Older boys at St Vincent’s made thousands of sandbag hand grenades and targets to go to military training camps.
After Japan entered the war, preparations were made to secure orphanages. One boy who entered St Vincent’s in 1942 recalled an environment of… Chaos – war raging – the hall was being bricked up and sandbagged as a precaution against attack!
Children in institutions all over Australia were evacuated, including 96 children and three house mothers taking 44 days to travel from Croker Island NT to Sydney NSW by foot, boat, canoe, truck and train!
The military used, or planned to use several locations to house and train soldiers, including Americans who were based in Australia. Overcrowding became a significant issue as a “heavy increase” in children admitted to homes, staff shortages, and a lack of foster homes combined to see children squeezed in dormitories, verandahs and balconies.
Whilst the shift toward more women entering the workforce was blamed for the increase in children relying on state care, there is little evidence to support this. Very low financial support for foster families impacted on the numbers able to ‘board out’ children, and numbers began a steep descent during the 1930s. Mothers left alone to support large families on a military allowance, or who were unable to care for their children independently due to poor health or the housing shortage had few options for their children’s ongoing care. Children of widowed soldiers were also placed in care while their fathers were at war.
With petrol rationing, restricted public transport and little activity on the streets during brownouts, children missed visits from their families, outings and trips away from the institutions, and freedoms they previously enjoyed were cut heavily.
Children greeted the end of war along with the same excitement that was felt all over Australia, by running, singing, and dancing with relief.
Despite being surrounded by donors, caretakers and volunteers at all hours of the day, orphanage life can be lonely. Suddenly there were hands that we didn’t recognize, and we became strangers.
“It sucks to be an orphan. Now what do we do? What is Plan B? For us, the answer was to find a new family that would provide not just the material benefits of food, shelter, and education, but also the intangible benefits that come with the love of a family.”
The Assam Rifles and Support for Orphanages
The Assam Rifles supports, aids, and partners with various pre-existing orphanages, destitute facilities, and old-age homes across the North-East through its Civic Action Programmes rather than establishing them as dedicated permanent!
Major Supported Centers & Facilities
Kohima Orphanage and Destitute Home (Nagaland): The Assam Rifles constructed and furnished a dedicated residential facility here, inaugurated by senior military leadership, and routinely supplies utilities, rations, and medical camps.
Apna Ghar Abalamban Old Age Home & Jawaharlal Nehru Balika Nivas (Agartala, Tripura): Supported with regular provisions, RO water systems, and educational stationery.
Carmel Jyoti Orphanage & Happiness Home (Manipur): Receives recurring infrastructure support, including appliances, bedding, and recreational outings arranged by regional battalions.
Thalai Hmasawn Pawl Orphanage Centre (Aizawl, Mizoram): Aided with modern educational amenities like smart-class infrastructure.
A short Story:
The rain in Haflong always felt heavier inside the stone walls of the Assam Rifles Orphanage Centre. For Maya, a girl who knew nothing of her parents except that they were lost to the remote hills of the Northeast, those walls were both a shelter and a cage.
While the other children found comfort in the routine of the home, Maya found solace in the corner library. She devoured books on science, mechanics, and innovation. The disciplined environment maintained by the Assam Rifles personnel taught her resilience, but it was her own insatiable curiosity that drove her forward.
At night, under the dim beam of a smuggled flashlight, she sketched blueprints of machines she hoped would one day change her world.
Her turning point came at sixteen during an annual science exhibition hosted by the military unit. Maya presented a low-cost, solar-powered water filtration system designed specifically for remote, flood-prone villages in Assam.
A visiting senior officer was so impressed by her ingenuity and sharp presentation that he brought her project to the attention of a national youth innovation foundation.
With a scholarship secured through the foundation and the mentorship of a retired Assam Rifles captain who recognized her raw talent, Maya left the hills for Chennai to pursue an engineering degree. The transition was brutal.
She faced a massive language barrier, cultural isolation, and the quiet sting of being an outsider. But the grit forged during her upbringing kept her anchored. She didn't just study; she lived in the labs. By her mid-twenties, Maya co-founded an eco-tech startup aimed at developing affordable, decentralized green energy grids for underserved communities across India.
Her breakthrough came when her company secured a massive government contract to electrify hundreds of off-grid villages in the Northeast.
Ten years after leaving the orphanage, Maya returned to the Assam Rifles centre, not as a ward, but as a chief guest. Standing before a room full of children who looked exactly like she once did, she didn't speak of luck or fate. She spoke of the blueprint she carried in her mind when she had nothing else. Today, Maya is the CEO of a multi-million-dollar enterprise, proving that the circumstances of one's birth are merely the starting line, not the finish.
Stories of Hope and Success
Kiran was a ten-year-old boy who lived alone in a small stone room behind the old railway station, having lost his parents in a sudden train accident two years before.
Every morning, Kiran woke up before the sun and walked to the local bakery, where a kind baker named Mr. Thomas always handed him a warm, soft bread roll and a cup of sweet milk. Kiran did not have a family, but he spent his days helping sweep the market stalls and carrying heavy bags for elderly shoppers in exchange for a few coins or fresh fruit.
Though the world felt cold and empty without his mother's gentle voice, Kiran kept a small notebook where he drew pictures of the stars, believing his parents were watching over him from the night sky and smiling whenever he chose to be kind.
Remarkable People Who Overcame Adversity
Leonardo Del Vecchio: Abandoned as a child and raised in an Italian orphanage, he grew up to found Luxottica, building a massive global eyewear empire and becoming one of the world's wealthiest industrialists.
Sindhutai Sapkal: Abandoned and facing extreme poverty after birth, she rose from begging on railway platforms to become India’s beloved "Mother of Orphans," nurturing over 1,400 destitute children who grew up to become doctors and lawyers.
Madam C. J. Walker: Orphaned at age 7 and facing immense struggles in post-Civil War America, she worked her way up to become America's first self-made female millionaire through her pioneering line of hair care products.
Coco Chanel: Placed in a Catholic monastery orphanage at age 12 after her mother died and her father left, she transformed her austere upbringing into the inspiration for her revolutionary fashion house, Chanel.
Four Boys, One New Beginning
Meet four remarkable boys, Sam Marandi, and Sudesh, who, despite facing abandonment at a young age, found hope and support through United Gospel Mission's orphanage. After graduating high school with flying colors and numerous sports awards, their journey exemplifies the transformative impact of love, care, and education.
In a small village where poverty and neglect were rampant, four orphan boys, aged between 5 and 6 years old, were left abandoned by their relatives. Their future seemed bleak without parental guidance or support until they found refuge and a new family at United Gospel Mission's orphanage.
Growing up without the love and care of their biological families, the boys faced numerous challenges. From coping with the emotional trauma of abandonment to overcoming societal stigma, they endured hardships that could have easily derailed their prospects.
United Gospel Mission provided the boys a safe and nurturing environment where they received love, care, and education. Through the mission's dedicated staff and volunteers, they found a sense of belonging and were allowed to thrive academically and socially.
Journey of Impact & Success:
Despite their difficult beginnings, the boys flourished under the guidance of the United Gospel Mission. With access to quality education and extracurricular activities, they excelled in their studies and became standout athletes in their school. Their hard work and determination earned them good grades and numerous sports awards, showcasing their resilience and talent.
The success of these four boys is a testament to the life-changing impact of the United Gospel Mission's support. By providing them with a loving and supportive environment, the mission empowered them to break free from the cycle of poverty and achieve their full potential.
As these four boys graduate from high school with honors and sports accolades, their journey serves as a beacon of hope for other orphaned children. United Gospel Mission's unwavering commitment to their well-being and education has transformed their lives and inspired them to dream big.
With continued support from generous donors, more children like them can rewrite their futures and become the leaders of tomorrow.
Reflections on Orphanhood
“There," she said. She rocked him back and forth. "There, you foolish, beautiful boy who wants to change the world. There, there. And who could keep from loving you? Who could keep from loving a boy so brave and true?.
“The women laughed and wept; the crowd stamped their feet enthusiastically, for at that moment Quasimodo was really beautiful. He was handsome — this orphan, this foundling, this outcast.”
― Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
“The truth is you can be orphaned again and again and again. The truth is, you will be. And the secret is, this will hurt less and less each time until you can't feel Like
“If your brother can't 'old 'his own against a bunch of orphans, 'e'd best leave off playing 'azard altogether!”
“pay is basically through you peanut butter sandwich type of pay check. That’s what the big world thinks it’s worth, to save white-trash orphans.”
“There are orphanages," he exclaimed to himself, "for children who have lost their parents--oh! why, why, why, are there no harbours of refuge for grown men who have not yet lost them?....
Now we come to the end of the story:
Orphans are the only ones who get to choose their fathers, and they love them twice as much. Suddenly there were hands that we didn’t recognize, and we became strangers. But we had to be united! The purpose of having the orphans study all these diverse fields was not for them to just become geniuses, but to become polymaths – meaning they would be geniuses in a wide variety of fields. The orphanage taught their girls religious ritual to the Nth degree, and how to make their own clothes. Giti mended uniforms for the soldiers and even sold a few prayer rugs in the marketplace. Self-sufficiency they called it. Ha! We can point the finger at adults for the stupid decisions they make in life, but an orphaned child can never be blamed for the situation in which they find themselves.
