Kukil Das, a resident of Kamrup district, was barely four years old when he was sent to Assam Sishu Kalyan Sadan—a child care home located in Guwahati's Sundarbari, Jalukbari.

"I was too young to understand what was going on with me in life. I had just lost my father, and there I was, at a child care home, away from my family—my mother and my younger brother," Kukil recalls while speaking to The Story Mug.

"Later, as I started growing up, my maternal uncle and aunt explained to me the circumstances that led to my being sent to a child care home, despite my mother being alive," says Kukil, who now works at the Purbai Dairy plant in Guwahati's Panjabari along with pursuing his graduation from Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia College.

"Life at the child care home was good, and it was everything but home! Despite all the facilities, love, and care that I and several others like me received at Assam Sishu Kalyan Sadan, we missed home and yearned for parental love and care," he further adds.

This is not just Kukil’s story—hundreds and thousands of children like him have been forced to live in child care homes across Assam. And every child has a different yet similar story.

"I do not know the name of my father. I was taken in by SOS Children's Village, Guwahati, when I was around two years old. Right from my education to my personal expenses, the SOS authorities have taken care of everything. However, despite having it all, we do not have what matters the most—the love and affection of a real family," says Halema Khatun, a recipient of the Udayan Care Fellowship, who is currently employed with Amrit Cement in Guwahati.

To an outsider, life at a child care home may seem normal, but it is far from that—it is a challenge at every step.

"For anyone who takes shelter in a child care home, irrespective of the reason, life always presents a new challenge every day. And it gets even more difficult when one has to leave the place after the age of 18. Most of us are clueless about what we should do next. We do not know how to take care of ourselves, and in such situations, some of us find ourselves indulging in things that should have been avoided. In some rare cases, a few even take extreme steps. What pains us the most is that society outside the child care homes does not readily welcome us or consider us a part of it," bemoans Priyanka Rai, who was sent to a child care home at the age of 10.

"From finding proper accommodation to getting our documents in place—children like us face numerous problems. Most of us do not even have an Aadhaar card, a PAN card, or a ration card. Due to the lack of these documents, we are also unable to access several government schemes, even though some of us have benefited from schemes like the Nijut Moina Scheme of the Assam government," she added.

"We face a lot of trouble when we apply for jobs or look for rented accommodation, as people give us queer looks because we do not have proper documents. Many assume that, since we have lived in child care homes, we might have committed crimes, and if not, then we will in the future. Documentation has been the biggest hurdle for children like us," adds Farida Begum, who was forced to live in a child care home despite having a family.

Farida’s parents separated after her birth, and she was sent to a child care home when she was around four years old.

"The first few days were tough for me to adjust. But with time, I adapted and accepted my fate," she added.

As documentation has been the biggest challenge for these children, an association named Assam Care Leavers Association was formed in 2021. It is supported by the State Child Protection Society, Assam; UNICEF, and Aide et Action.

"Since we grow up in a place where we receive a lot of care and then one day have to leave and start life on our own, we have named this association the Care Leavers Association. Currently, we have around 470 members, and we are trying to build a family—something that we have all been denied. Through the association, we have so far been able to provide over 50 voter IDs and around 16 PAN cards to care leavers," informs Priyanka.

"We are taking help from this organisation to overcome the various challenges we face in our day-to-day lives," she adds.

This is not just the story of Priyanka, Bikul, Halema, or Farida; it is the struggle of every single child who is forced to live in child care homes. The Assam Care Leavers Association is a humble beginning, and with time, it is certain to grow and help these children—most of whom are extremely talented and intelligent—achieve greater heights in their lives.

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To know more about the association, click the link below and listen to the complete interview.