Born to a labourer and an agarbatti-maker, and having lost his father early in life, Muruga is today a 27-year-old medical doctor with qualifications from India and abroad. Read how Muruga overcame all odds to fulfil his dreams.

I was told that Muruga was just five years old when he had left his home with his elder brother Girish in search for a better future. Their search had brought them to SOS Children’s Village Bangalore in 1992.There Muruga grew up under the loving care of his SOS mother Girijamma, who ensured his dreams would turn into reality someday. After a couple of years, Muruga was moved to the Youth House along with ten other boys.
Muruga did well in academics all along. He scored a high first class in his Class X board exams. He then took the United World Colleges (UWC) exam and was awarded a scholarship to study at UWC Canada! After finishing his studies in Canada, Muruga returned to India. He then took the CET exam and secured a place at the JSS Medical College, Mysore, to study medicine. In 2012, he completed his MBBS degree and became Dr. Muruga.

Do you wonder what motivated the young Muruga to pursue medicine? It was actually a science class field visit from school to the Victoria Hospital. As he told me, “Before that visit, I had set my mind on becoming an engineer in the US, or maybe an IAS officer. But when I realised that becoming a doctor was a huge service to the society, I decided that this was going to be my aim now.” I know that the future holds many prospects for our Dr. Muruga. He has applied for a job at JSS Hospital. He even wishes to pursue an MD in Neurology and possibly specialise in the surgical field. But Muruga has not forgotten his roots. As he tells me, “A few years down the line, I would like to come back to Bangalore and serve the children of the village for free.”

There is no doubt in my mind about how bright and intelligent Muruga is. But to imagine that he could have been easily deprived of the opportunities to reach his potential and fulfil his dreams is disheartening. Muruga is forever grateful for the love, nurturing, and encouragement that he received at the SOS Children’s Village – the support from his SOS mother, his siblings and other co-workers.

There are many more children like Muruga out there who are waiting for a helping hand to reach out to them so that they too can realise their dreams. Your donations will ensure that these children get to fulfil their dreams and contribute to the society as responsible citizens.