Birthday: August 15 Age: 17

Family Story: Her father had leprosy, so she was raised in the Calvary Nagar leprosy colony. She was taken out of school for three years before we found her. She is now in studying in 5th grade at Rising Star Outreach.

Personality: Alemelu is very attentive, both in class and to the needs of the younger children. Alemelu is very helpful with the chores and taking care of others around Rising Star Outreach. As one of the oldest children at the school, Alemelu likes to show her maturity by acting as a junior housemother, but can often be found out playing on the miniature slides and tricycles. She is very kind and does not get frustrated easily while in school or tutoring. She has a big smile and makes friends easily.

Age: 6
Birthday: March 2003 (exact date unknown)

Anbarasu is a quiet observer.  When you look at him you can tell that his mind is always turning.  If you give him space and time, Anbarasu can figure out how to do anything he wants.  He is very creative, and everyone knows that he enjoys building things.  In fact just last family day one of our three year old boys received a new play car; He immediately went to Anbarasu and asked him to build a road and a jump for the car race.  Anbarasu is a great brother to all of the children here at Rising Star.  He tries his best in school, and earns marks that reflect his efforts.  He loves spending time with the volunteers, and is making progress with his English.  He truly is a joy to have as a student, friend, and brother at Rising Star Outreach.

Birthday: 3 June 2003 Age: 4

Family Story: Amul’s father had a very severe case of leprosy and died only 2 weeks after Amul Raj was taken into the school. He still does not understand that his father is no longer alive.

Personality: This little rascal loves to be spun in the volunteers’ arms. He is full of energy and is always running around and exploring. His personality is about ten times bigger than his actual size. He has a slightly raspy little voice and laughs and loves to say his name in his toughest sounding voice. One day when coming home from the beach his oversized shorts and shirt were soaking wet and full of sand. He just held on to his shorts with his hands and ran to stay ahead of everyone else. One of the volunteers stopped him to dump the sand out of his pockets. He watched curiously as she turned the pockets inside out and his clothes became lighter. He smiled and took off running again.

Birthday: March 30 2003

Personality: Anitha’s sweet demeanor is just her cover for how spunky she can be. She can spend so much time sitting in one of the volunteer’s laps, yet she has no problem keeping up with the older kids. She always has a smile on her face and has the sweetest little laugh. She loves to run up to you till you notice her and then run away laughing as if she’s hiding. But don’t let that make you think she doesn’t want to be held, she’s very cuddly. One day Anitha was feeling very sick and while the kids ran and played, Anitha sat on the lap of one of the volunteers. The volunteer sang to Anitha for an hour while the little girl curled up and watched the other children play.

Birthday: 23 August 2003

Family Story: Her father is affected by leprosy, and has lost a leg as a result. As a micro-business, he makes and sells cards and wall hangings with designs made from pressed leaves and branches. She is from the Villivakkam Leprosy Colony. Her brother, Santhosh, also studies at Rising Star Outreach.

Personality: This sweet little girl is captivating. Her mature, beautiful face contrasts her tiny frame. Her beautiful smile is always something to look forward to as are her sweet little kisses. The best adjective for this little girl is “precocious.” She is petite and beautiful, but she likes to hang out with the boys, and can be pretty tough. Annall is very resilient, and recovers at record speeds from the frequent accidents resulting from the boys’ rough-housing. Her older brother seems to look out for her, and she definitely makes the job more stressful for him. When the boys are not around and she can put her guard down, she loves to have hair braided. She loves to be hugged, but does not like to sit still for long.

The best adjective for this little girl is “precocious.” She is petite and beautiful, but she likes to hang out with the boys, and can be pretty tough. Annall is very resilient, and recovers at record speeds from the frequent accidents resulting from the boys’ rough-housing. Her older brother seems to look out for her, and she definitely makes the job more stressful for him. When the boys are not around and she can put her guard down, she loves to have hair braided. She loves to be hugged, but does not like to sit still for long. Annall’s father lives in one of our colonies and makes cards and other art using dried leaves, flowers, and other materials.

Video of Ashwinaraj

Age: 8
Birthday: May 15, 1999
 

Aswinraj is a very hard working student, and often scores 100 % on his exams.  Math is his favorite subject, while Tamil is his best.  Aswinraj has impeccable penmanship, and loves to write letters.  He also excels in every sport that he tries.  Aswinraj wants to be a famous cricket player, and after he’s finished with that he’ll become a doctor.  He has high aspirations, and we are sure that he will accomplish anything that he puts his mind to.  His mother and father are very proud of him.

Age: 8
Birthday: February 19, 2000 (Estimated)

Balamurgan is always smiling!  He loves to pose for pictures, and act like he is a Bollywood star.  On movie day is beaming with joy, and promises that someday he will be an actor.  He also enjoys playing any game with the boys.  He firmly believes that girls are from another planet, except for his cousins.  Balamurgan is an attentive student, who enjoys Tamil, science, and math.  He struggles with English, but never gives up.  He is determined to finish everything that he starts. 
Balamurgan loves his family, friends, teachers, and all the volunteers.