Looking back to when I started with FRIEND four years ago, I was surprised by how FRIEND has grown and been acknowledged by the Government, communities, other NGOs and abroad. Relationships have been built, neglected communities noticed, the voiceless heard and many lives changed by the work FRIEND has done. Back in 2002 there was no office and everything was done by Sashi Kiran, who carried her laptop in a cloth bag to update our files at the Ba Senior Citizen Centre. Working in the community was a challenge and a struggle. My journeys throughout Ba were tough as I walked around in the hot sun and rain in the early days. Things have changed now. It’s all because of the love and commitment that Ms Kiran and Sr Satya Bali had and the sacrifices they made for the neglected. I still can recall the words of encouragement, faith and trust that these two ladies spoke when we talked about what we could do in the next 5 years.

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