A street-smart fighter, Sindhutai Sapkal broke free from mind-numbing abuse, to become the ‘mai’ to over a thousand orphans.
Badly beaten and kicked on her stomach by her husband when she was nine-months pregnant, Sindhutai Sapkal was dumped in a cowshed probably expecting her to be trampled to death. The 20-year-old gave birth to a daughter that night. Her saga of survival, endurance and ultimate triumph over adversity, to become the mother—‘mai’—of a thousand destitute and orphaned children, sounds surreal and like a fairytale.
Her journey over the past 40 years began with her taking on the care of children lost or abandoned at railway stations, where she begged for a living. The effort has now grown into an enduring organisation that includes four orphanages providing a home to over 1,050 children. There is one shelter for cows as well. She likes to say that her grand family comprises 207 sons-in-law, 36 daughters-in-law and several grandchildren.
The difference between orphanages run by Mai and other institutions is that the children do not have to leave at 18; they stay on until they get a job or are married and settled in their own homes. Many of the children nurtured by her have gone on to become doctors, lecturers, advocates and lawyers; but they remain very much attached to her. One is even doing a PhD on Mai’s life. Her life story has been captured in a biopic—Mee Sindhutai Sapkal, a film directed by Ananth Mahadeven—that was selected for world premiere at the 54th London Film Festival.
Her mission is “To bring up the orphans, destitute, distressed, children and women, rehabilitate them and provide them with basic necessities. To uplift the deprived section of the society and make them capable of living as respected human beings.”
While setting up her first orphanage, she gave up her own daughter to an orphanage so that she could remain fair to all the other children she had adopted over the years.
Sindhutai’s work is fully funded by private donations and backed with other help by people from various walks of life. In her younger days, Sindhutai begged (at railway stations) or sang bhajans for a living; today, she uses her amazing power of oration to reach out to people. What shines through her talks is her extraordinary courage and intelligence. She peppers her speech with Urdu couplets and teachings of the saints from bhakti movement. She shares anecdotes from her life, making light of the travails and indignities she suffered; yet, she evokes tears, laughter and frequent applause. She usually ends her speeches with an appeal for funds and donations tend to pour in. These include plots of land and houses including one such donation by a retired high court judge.
She says, “I am still a beggar. I have experienced what it feels like to have no one with you, no place to go to, no shelter and no food to eat, for days. My work makes me feel like someone is helping me heal my own wounds.”
Over the years, Sindhutai’s life story has been documented in the form of a book; she has received over 750 awards and has been honoured by two Presidents of India. She has used most of her award money to buy land to make a home for her orphan children.
While Sindhutai Sapkal herself is an institution, she has set up two parent bodies, namely, Saptasindhu Mahila Adhar Balsangopan Aani Shikshan Sanstha (Pune) and Vanvasi Gopalkrushna Shikshan Krida Prasarak Mandal (Amravati). She runs four orphanages viz., Sanmati Bal Niketan at Manjari (Pune), Mamata Bal Sadan (Saswad), Savitribai Phule Muleenche Vastigruha (Chikhaldara) and Abhiman Bal Bhavan (Wardha). She also runs a cow shelter called Gopika Gai Rakshan Kendra at Wardha.
Sindhutai always invites people to visit her ashrams and see the work for themselves; you may like to visit her and join her efforts. Details of how to donate are given on the website and donations are tax-exempt under Section 80G of the Income-tax Act.
Sanmati Bal Niketan Sanstha
Belhekar Vasti,
Near Vasantdada Sugar Institute,
Manjari (Bk), Tal Haveli,
Dist. Pune -412 307
Telephone: +91-20-26999541
