Family Support in Pilkhana

Calcutta Kids is associated with the slum area of Pilkhana in Howrah, known to many of us in the West as the “City of Joy”—the name Dominique LaPierre gave to this very slum in his 1985 best selling book, The City of Joy. The best known citizen of Pilkhana, by common consent, is a middle aged woman named Lucy Singh, more commonly referred to as “Didi” (meaning older sister), or “Angel”. Lucy-Didi is a well-educated single woman who has devoted her life to the people of Pilkhana and who resides within the slum so she can be immediately accessible to those in need. Lucy’s selfless efforts on behalf of the poor were nationally recognized when she was selected to receive the country’s Gandhi Award. She also was invited to have an audience with the Pope.


Noah and Sohrab were introduced to Lucy-Didi by an English doctor who was deeply touched by her work.


The path to the Angel’s home is a maze through narrow and crowded streets and directions from the main road to her house would be nearly impossible to give. But all one has to do to find the Angel is ask anyone for “Didi” and with pride, that person will guild the visitor to Didi’s home.


Didi knows nearly every household in the slum, and everyone in Pilkhana knows that when they are in need, Lucy-didi is there. She receives a modest salary from a batik factory which she runs as a vocational training center for local girls; additionally she receives irregular donations from foreign friends who have been inspired by her work and support her when they can.


Didi is a teacher and role model for both Noah and Sohrab and with the help of Lucy-Didi, Calcutta Kids has been able to support a number of Pilkhana families in particular need. This need may arise because of a catastrophic medical cost, the death of a family member, a sick child who can not adequately be cared for by the family, and countless other situations. When Didi contacts us about a particular family in need, we send a representative to meet the family and generally provide a one time donation of not more than $200 which Lucy-Didi makes available to the family in increments which she considers appropriate. At the end of each year, Didi provides Calcutta Kids with receipts of all the costs incurred.