Mr. Potter’s Indian helper

When the 12-year-old M.S. from Mumbai was expelled from school because his mother was a commercial sex worker he didn’t expect to meet Anjali.

She was going to a field trip with her classmates from another course. It was in the area where the prostitutes lived outcast from the society. Almost any house or tent on the street had kids who didn’t know the names of their fathers.

Anjali was 16 and had just finished reading the first Harry Potter book. Like the famous character she likes to do magic without expecting anything in return.

“I’d love to have a magic wand and flying broom stick. I will use it to clean the air in Mumbai and make it less crowded”, says Anjali now 23 and a student at the University of Westminster.

The magic wand

Not sure about getting the flying broom she was unaware that she had already possessed the magic wand. Few people were willing to go to the shady streets of the Kamathipusa neighbourhood. You had to be a magician to make the difference in those people’s lives. That didn’t stop her.

“When after school while my friends went to movies I went to the Red District to teach M.S. math lessons. He later passed his exam.”

Looking at her expression while she’s talking about this experience you can tell that she didn’t need any reward. It was about self-satisfaction from helping others.

The chocolate story 

I did try to challenge her to find any other motivation. But then Anjali tells me a story when she was only three.

“My mom gave me chocolate and you know it’s the most precious thing for any kid. I saw a beggar on the street and gave it to him.”

There should be a reason for people to be like that. For the student it is her moral obligation to help others. Anjali was raised in a Catholic family, but goes to church on Sundays only to please her mother.

She is helping the society and doesn’t care if the government is doing its job. Like a heroic character from a book Anjali wants to be sure that she had done anything possible to change lives for the better.

Definition of happiness 

I tried one last time to challenge her asking her how she would define ‘happiness’. Without even thinking for a minute she replies, “I want to adopt children and help those in need.”

That was today's exercise for our class. It was a very hectic day.We had to do a profile on a classmate. It was pretty stressful to finish on time, but we managed. The post is on my news group Bravo News 10. Here's the profile that Anjali did on Mladen.