Soon after her 18th birthday, Saanvi was climbing a tree near her home and fell, seriously damaging her spine. For weeks following the incident, she was bedridden and depressed, unsure of her will to continue living. Sewa Bhawan’s palliative care team visited her at home. It took two years full of challenging therapy sessions and hard work, but Saanvi was able to walk again with the help of some rudimentary bamboo sticks.

Whenever the community health team visited Saanvi’s home, she expressed a desire to do something more with her life. She talked of starting a small business to help sustain her family, but finding work as a disabled person is challenging. Sewa Bhawan’s Nai Disha Youth Resilience Program provided the perfect opportunity for a young woman like Saanvi. Agreeing to the challenge, she enrolled in the hospital’s residential skills development course. After three weeks of hearing about God and learning how to dye, she took the steps necessary to establish her own tie-dye business.

Saanvi had found hope in the midst of the darkness in the wake of her injury. Though her path to a fulfilling livelihood was full of challenges, her determination has enabled her to thrive. Her life has helped to inspire other local youth who have dropped out of school or are inhibited by disability. On a practical level, Saanvi has been able to purchase crutches to replace her homemade bamboo sticks.

The Sewa Bhawan hospital staff were instrumental in identifying Saanvi’s needs, assisting in her arduous recovery and connecting her with their skills development program. With the simple encouragement of faithful workers, hope can be found even in the most tragic circumstances.