“I sing and sell kids’ toys on the trains for a living. I have never been to school because of the financial difficulties at home. I don’t want my daughter to face the same fate as mine.

Singing video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtLVNb7hq_q/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I grew up roaming around in the street, with the other street kids of my age, who were just as lost as I was. Gone are the days when, in a bid to survive, I picked up rotten fruits in the streets and ate it. For a day’s meal, I had to work hours cleaning dishes. My parents were also daily wagers. Staying away from them has had a terrible impact on my life. I used to sleep on the streets of those same places at night. Then, those nights were scary for me, as scary as hell! Because in the dark of night, alcoholics and people of bad character would

When I was 16, I met my husband who’s a daily wager. Somehow, I realized we liked each other. A few years later, I got married to him, and since then it’s been close to 10 years today that I’ve been living with him.

My husband works at a construction site on a daily wage basis. But because I have children and to support my family and pay the house rent, I started to work to make ends meet by selling toys and also singing in trains.

I have suffered a lot in life. But I want to give my daughter a prosperous life by earning. There was no safety or dignity in my life, but I want to ensure my daughter leads a dignified life, this is the only endeavor in my life as a mother now.”

• Sarita, street vendor, singer