At 75 years old, Bimla has spent more than four decades of her life in Delhi’s Tigri slum community. Once, her modest home echoed with the laughter of her four sons and three daughters. Today, she sits alone—forgotten by the very children she nurtured with love and sacrifice.
Her life shattered when betrayal struck from within her own family. One daughter fraudulently sold her home and pocketed the money. The deception tore her family apart, and her sons began fighting over the little that remained. In desperation, Bimla entrusted her savings—₹6 lakh—to another daughter for safekeeping. But soon after, her son-in-law absconded with it all. The weight of these betrayals crushed her husband into deep depression, and unable to bear the grief, he took his own life. From that day forward, Bimla was left utterly alone.
Her children, who once surrounded her when she had wealth, now turned away. “When I had money, they came to me. Now that I have nothing, they do not even look at me,” she says, her eyes brimming with tears.
When Asha’s Love and Lunch program began in Tigri, our team found her frail, hungry, and utterly neglected. At first hesitant, she gradually discovered comfort in the warm meals, the kindness of her companions, and the unwavering care of Asha’s health team. Yet her body bore the marks of long neglect—poor hearing, chronic weakness, constant nausea. Tests revealed she was suffering from giardia, for which our medical team immediately treated her.
The team called her son, who promised to come. When he finally did, his concern was shallow, a performance at best. With trembling hands and a breaking voice, Bimla refused to leave with him. “They will throw me out in two days,” she whispered. “I will not go. The Asha family will care for me, feed me, and look after me.”
And she was right. Today, with constant love, medical attention, and nutritious meals, her swelling has reduced, and her health has stabilized. More than medicine, she has found something even more precious—dignity, belonging, and family.
For a woman abandoned by her own children, the Asha family has become her true home.
