Growing up at the Home and going to school is a blessing, but what made it difficult is when we were branded as the “ luveniyali “ by the rest of the kids at school.

Luveniyali is when a person is branded as a lost child, a child who has no knowledge of his/her parent.

Raised by the Home since he was born, 21-year-old Stephen who was speaking at the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of St Christopher’s Home says the staff at the home had given them all the love they could but this was not the case from some of the people outside the home.

Stephen says they were grateful for anything that they had received at the home, even dhal and rice would make them happy.

He says the kids now are privileged as people know about the home and are very generous towards the children.

Known to everyone at the Home as ‘Siti’, he has lived up to the expectations of the Home as he now fends for himself and the foster home that he lives in.

Stephen was also disappointment towards some of the children that were raised at the home who could not be part of the celebrations due to work commitments.

He says even a small act like cutting grass for the Home would mean a lot to the children and the staff.

Also speaking at the celebrations was 39-year-old Sepi-uta Halapi-api who has been a part of the home since birth as her father was in-charge of the Saint Christopher’s Parish.

Halapi-api shared one of the many life changing experiences for her at her home such as Christmas.

She spoke about one such Christmas where she was given about five presents by the sisters at the home, but her father only let them give her one.

The 39-year-old woman who is still part of the church recalled how she felt grumpy all day, but later her father had explained to her that she is no different from the other children at the home.

Her father told her that no one was different and that everyone was a part of the same big family.

The Saint Christopher’s Home celebrated its 50th year of existence yesterday.

The 788 children who have been nurtured at Saint Christopher’s Home since 1968 have a lot to be grateful for today as many of them have done very well, and are equally respected in society.