AFTER serving as a safe home to “at-risk children” over the past 12 years, the privately-funded Happy Home is downsizing its services to solely caring for Sujit Kumar.
Sujit, internationally known as the “chicken boy”, has had an extremely traumatic life, first living in a chicken coup as a young infant where he learned to imitate the behaviour of chickens.
He then spent more than 20 years tethered to a bed in a local institution surviving terrible conditions before he was taken into the Happy Home, in 2003, to be nurtured, cared for and socialised.
And while the Happy Home team has worked hard over the past years offering their children all the love they deserve, founder Elizabeth Clayton, 70, feels it is time to downsize and focus on a sustainable plan to care for Sujit for the term of his natural life.
“We have helped to shape the lives of many beautiful at-risk children. We are grateful for the support of the community in helping us to do this. The children are now grown, some have married, some working or reaching the end of schooling, and many of the families that the home had ‘under its wings’ have now taken on more responsibility.
“One of our major focuses was to eradicate children begging, but with the efforts of Minister Rosie Akbar, and her team, the Happy Home Trust will now focus solely on care and rehabilitation of Sujit.”
Ms Clayton said Sujit’s years in isolation and confinement had taken its toll on him, but the love, care and support he had received at the Happy Home certainly allowed him to make so many positive changes.
“Today seeing Sujit being more human than what he was years ago when I first saw him brings me great joy and happiness. I believe one cannot commit to this kind of work without the grace of God over their life,” she said.
“So many people continue to contact us to find out how he is doing now as he has a huge fan club.
“The next question people tend to ask is ‘does he speaks now?’ Our response is that he doesn’t say words, but makes lots of different sounds and also communicates non-verbally, through action rather than words, and he does this better than most of us, and at times he can be hilarious when he ‘talks’ to us in true Sujit fashion.
“Over the years, we have learnt to relate and understand him so that we can have a deeper relationship with Sujit.”
Sujit’s rehabilitation program is extensive and is followed through by his carers. His daily program includes gross motor exercises which includes bike riding on a stationary bike, the cynical cone movement, a large bounce ball and trampoline — all providing stimulation to the brain.
Then there are many cognitive exercises such as sorting items, and the ABA program, which helps him with decision making and problem solving behaviour.
Afternoon exercises are usually softer type exercises such as walking to the park or shops, bus rides and swimming lessons. His daily program is fairly rigid as Sujit understands and seems to enjoy knowing what is going on in his life.
But he adapts well to change when travelling or staying at a new place. He loves travelling and particular car rides.
He communicates through pictures and objects — giving a picture of the toilet when he needs to go and passing his plate when he is hungry — or just going to the refrigerator to help himself!
Sujit has become very social and loves to be around people. He certainly recognises people and will introduce himself to them in his “fashion”. Celine Dion music is his favourite, and lightens his mood as sings along when her CD is put on.
But there are rough times when Sujit is very unco-operative when he doesn’t get his own way but we, including his carers, have learned to deal with this behaviour and lighten up his mood.
There is hardly a person that knows Sujit better, and can deal with his mood swings than I.
While not born brothers, but through living together at the Happy Home for many years we have a strong brotherly bond.
I came to the Happy Home to live there as a young boy, and remain there still with the intention of furthering my university studies next year, and hopefully forging a career in Fiji’s foreign service.
There were times where it seemed a bit of “sibling” rivalry would go on but my relationship with Sujit growing up is one many people may find hard to understand but it’s a very rewarding feeling knowing that Sujit is able to love and be loved.
The Happy Home Trust does not receive government funds but is self-funded through having short-term-stay apartments, making it viable for the operational expenses of the Happy Home to be covered, including a huge mortgage still on this home where Sujit resides.
* The writer is a cadet reporter with this newspaper and a recipient of the Fiji Children’s Award offered by Vision Fiji for his untiring and compassionate work with Sujit and other at-risk children at the Happy Home.
