We met Mani and Asha in May of 2005 on the streets of Mysore. Asha used to attend school but she stopped going after coming to the streets. Mani's husband abandoned them and Mani was forced to earn her living on the street, taking care of her only daughter.

Mani's only wish was to get her daughter Asha off the street and into a residential school, as mom knew of the perils of street life for a young girl, having herself been a victim.

In October 2005, at Mani's request, we placed Asha in a residential school. But Asha refused to stay at the school and within a couple of weeks she had returned to the street to be with her mom.

Asha may have suspected that her mom's health was quite poor, as about a month after returning to the street, mom fell quite ill and lost the use of her legs. Tests showed that Mani was HIV+ and had contracted tuberculosis, a disease rampant among HIV+ patients in developing countries. Although we took Mani to the right physicians, including getting her admitted to the tuberculosis hospital and registering her at the local HIV clinic, the diseases had progressed too far and there was not much that anyone could do. In the early morning hours of June 29, 2006 Mani succumbed to her illnesses.

During this entire time, Asha refused to leave her mom even when her uncle tried to force her to go with him to his home. Asha, this incredible 12-year girl old, too mature for her age, bathed and fed her mom, and carried her during the rains when they moved to shelter. Asha knew her mom would soon die, but she still held out hope, often asking "When will my mom get better? Will her legs work again?"

We helped Asha start her own flower business, stringing up beautiful jasmine flowers every morning for sale later in the day. From her daily earnings, she bought food for herself and her mom and had some money left over to buy the next day's supply of flowers. We are all blessed to know Asha and to have known Mani, as they only did what we should all do - be good to each other and serve each other in even the most seemingly hopeless of situations.

The street women gathered together and gave Mani a proper ceremony and cremation. After the funeral, Asha went to stay with her uncle. We continue to stay in touch with her and are there to support her in continuing her education.