Open window

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Tonight, as the cyclone winds blow and rain lashes outside, I chose to sleep beside an open window without even a bedsheet to cover myself.

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Perhaps I was trying to stay close to the reality of the communities I serve—families and children living in temporary tents, exposed to the cold, moisture, and wind. Yet I realize that no amount of discomfort I choose can truly compare to what they endure every day.

I could not write my vision tonight dear Swati. My heart was too heavy.

Maybe some would call it a saviour complex. Perhaps there is a little truth in that. But what I know is this: when I think of children shivering in the rain, unable to sleep safely, my heart cannot rest.

This is not just their problem. It is a human problem. A universal problem.

And until every child has a safe place to sleep, nights like this will continue to disturb my peace.

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Today, 9 yr old Priyanka called me. She said the water inside her house had reached her knees, and outside it was up to her waist. Afraid to step down from her cot, she told me, “I already played in the rain and now I have a cold.”

Amid the heavy rains, we cooked yellow rice with wooden appe. We boiled around 150 eggs for immediate distribution; 22 were found spoiled, but the remaining eggs reached many children and families in need.

Requests for help continue to pour in. From Chenchu Colony, a mother of nine children called asking for a tarpaulin and bed sheets. Living near the Murki Canal, her family sleeps on a muddy floor. She shared the heartbreaking reality that in past four years three of her children had already died due to heart-related health problems. As the rains continue, many families are desperately seeking food, shelter materials, and basic support.

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