January 22, 2001 - The cast of characters in this real life drama
in Madras India.
January 22, 2001 - The cast of characters in this real life drama
in Madras India. |
This web site is for
grandparents and mature adults
who enjoy the company of children
without exploiting or harming them.
Who Are These Kids?In the city of Madras in an area called Triplicane, I found six wonderful kids who are open and friendly, willing to spend time with you in exchange for taking them to the places they cannot afford. They will be your guides to India. They will make your stay in India much more enjoyable. |
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Miss Vela Vela is the most interesting of all the street children in Madras. She communicates better with westerners than the other kids. Therefore, she is the first person you should contact when you arrive in Madras. Vela's full name is Velankanni (also spelled Velanganni). She is named after the town of Velanganni and a Catholic church in Southern India. (Vela's is Catholic.) Vela does not understand what it means to be a tour guide. Yet she can be very useful for visitors to Madras. Vela is eager show you how to eat food like a native and she will gladly take you to amusement parks, motion picture filming lots, swimming pools, and ice cream parlors... if you only pay her way. |
Mari Mari represents the best of India. She is thoughtful and honest. She lives a model life and is someone you can trust. And unlike the other kids, she is good with money. Mari works as a manual laborer in a small injection molding company six days a week. She is almost 14 years old. Mari's days are full and at night she is usually very tired. Therefore, you should plan to meet with Mari on Sundays. Her brother is a rickshaw driver so they will gladly show you the sights. |
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Kumar Kumar can be very helpful. He can get things done when no one else can. He has a good sense of direction and is good at finding things. |
Mumtaz Mumtaz is a cousin of Vela. Their fathers are brothers. Mumtaz's fun-loving nature as well as her extreme physical beauty makes her a very unusual person. Mumtaz is inquisitive and has a wicked sense of humor. Mumtaz is also a bit lazy, preferring to cut school whenever she can. The best time to visit Mumtaz is in December when she has vacation from school. |
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Prabhu Prabhu is an orphan whose grandmother is a friend of Vela's grandmother. He is about two years younger than Vela. Yet, Vela and Prabhu are extremely close friends. His father died of "heart fever" (possibly rheumatic fever) and then his mother died a year later of the same fever. With no parents to support Prabhu and his grandmother, he was taken out of school at an early age. |
Shanthi This girl is sometimes called "Little Shantee" because another girl living on the same street corner was also called Shanthi. I know very little about Shanthi. She is polite and friendly but shy. She attends school regularly. I give Shanthi food (never money) whenever I can. If you want to meet a child who has not interacted with Westerners, Shanthi might be an excellent choice. |
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