She has the rare ability to make children feel that no matter how bleak life may seem to be, it does have a meaning. In just a little more than a decade, 52-year-old Dr Kiran Modi, managing trustee, Udayan Care - the institution which she established in 1994 - has not only rescued and given shelter to many needy and traumatised children but has also created a tremendous awareness in society about the abilities and dreams that lie latent within them.
Born in a conservative Marwari family, Dr Modi got married at the age of 17 and was unable to complete her college degree, but that did not stifle her aspirations. After her two sons were born, she educated herself and went on to complete her PhD in American Fiction and Literature from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Some years later, Dr Modi turned a personal tragedy into a blessing for others. After the untimely loss of one son, Udayan, the family discovered that the young lad had been donating small amounts of money to poor children, helping them to live a better life. Today, his thought and vision lives on through Udayan Care, the trust and the institution created by his family and friends.
"Udayan is a Sanskrit word signifying 'eternal sunrise' and the aim of the trust is to bring sunshine into the lives of the disadvantaged," says Dr Modi. Her voice falters as she tells us, "I experience calm and peace...I never feel his absence when I am helping others as I sense that he is around."
Based on the concept of group foster care, each Udayan Ghar has 12 to 15 children and is located in bustling localities, ensuring a sense of community living. In-house caregivers, health specialists and volunteers help each 'mentor mother'. Through a good education, vocational training and extra curricular activities, children are prepared to enter the world as productive citizens. Its trust has partnerships with established schools, such as Sanskriti, Pragyan, Delhi Public School and Rai University, where Udayan children compete with the best talents.
"It is a wonderful to find one's purpose in life as I have done with Udayan Care. We're bringing up 90 'rescued' children in our family and we'll surely 'adopt' many more within the next few years," says Dr Modi. "My heart swells with pride every time I think of my children. Our work is valuable and very important to them. But I could not have done this by myself. If it were not for the active involvement of my mentor mothers like Madhuji, Dolly, Bhavna, Aneesha, Arti and the loving support of my husband, son and daughter-in-law, I could never have accomplished even a portion of what I have."
Udayan Care builds families for children in need. Take the case of Aashma. As an eight-year-old she had run away from an abusive father and been exposed to two more abusive incidents on the streets. When Udayan adopted her at the age of 12, she was illiterate and severely traumatised. With the intervention of the trust's psychologists and counsellors and in a tender loving family environment, she quickly recovered. Today, Aashma is studying at Delhi Public School and preparing for her board exams.

For more information, contact:
Dr Kiran Modi, Udayan Care, C-9,Lajpat Nagar 111, Basement, New Delhi 110024. Tel: +91 11 29840151/39603837.
Email: udayancare@gmail.com

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