Sonia Thomas is a very happy girl today as she is just getting ready to study general nursing and midwifery course. Youngest in a family of five, her father is in the prison serving a sentence. Her mother, who is mentally challenged, is in a care centre for women run by the government. She has an elder brother and an elder sister. As a teenage girl living in a tent in unsafe condition, with no adult family member or relative to look after and ensure her safety, Sonia was brought to Don Bosco Valsalya Bhavan in Ernakulum. She was in class VIII then and was on the brink of giving up her studies. Once at Valsalya Bhavan, overcoming the trauma associated with her childhood, she scored 80 per cent marks in her class X public examination. Two years later, in May 2017, she completed her higher secondary course too in flying colours. “Once I had lost all zest to live. But thanks to Valsalya Bhavan and the care, support and training I received there, I feel more confident and optimistic about life now. I want to pursue nursing, get a job and look after my parents”, says Sonia with gratitude and confidence brimming.