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BUILDING A HOME IN THE STREET

By FRAZELLA DE ARAUJO on December 24, 2015

Through her initiative Hamara School, Gandhian Mangala Wagle (86) has nurtured street children and is valiantly fighting to provide them a purposeful life

From the corner of the market to Children’s Park at Campal; to the Old GMC complex and now placed in two government flats at St Inez Panaji, this was no easy struggle for Mangala Wagle’s Hamara School. A dedicated heart and a warm smile is something the 86-year-old always carries with her.
Unlike others, she refused to turn a blind eye towards street children, but gathered them as her own and took care of them. Hamara School, which started in 2001, now takes care of 80 street children, most of whom belong to families of construction workers and labourers. Some are even orphans.

Her home, which has placed all these children in regular schools in and around Panaji, also provides shelter to 43 students. The rest return home to their parents, but only in the evenings when their studies have been taken care of.

Mangala Wagle is also the pratinidhi, or representative, of The Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, where she started projects to empower women in her hometown Canacona. It is no secret that she learnt the lessons of life differently – putting a smile on others’ faces gives her sheer happiness.

Viva Goa speaks to Gandhian Mangala Wagle about her street of hope...

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