***This story contains violent elements and may not be suitable for younger readers.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Tanu is his big smile and his courage - his courage to choose joy and optimism.

It seems unlikely for a 13-year-old boy with a story like Tanu’s to be so hopeful and joy-filled. When Tanu was a young boy his life seemed hopeless. Tanu suffered torture at the hands of his father. This was a kind of abuse and torture that you and I will likely never even begin to comprehend. But thankfully that is a story of his past.

It always started with crude hateful words directed at Tanu, his brother, and his mother. As Tanu’s father would fall deeper and deeper into his drunken states, the words would turn to physical blows; beatings so severe that Tanu would fall to the floor and lay there unconscious for hours. One night when Tanu was four years old, his father began to chase his mother who was holding Tanu. He chased them through their jungle village until Tanu’s mother ran into a live electrical wire and killed her on the spot. Tanu was seriously injured and his father threw him out on the street with severe burns and an amputated leg. When a villager found Tanu lying on the street in his helpless state, they took him to a hospital that was four hours away in Mangalore India. While at the hospital, Tanu received basic treatments and was soon after picked up by Reaching Hands Children’s Home. Reaching Hands is a Rice Bowls partner homes and a beneficiary of the money your candle purchases provide through Rice Bowls. Over the years, Reaching Hands has been able to get additional treatments for Tanu allowing him walk easier and live a more normal life.

If Reaching Hands had not rescued Tanu at his most vulnerable moment, his torture would have been his greatest curse. Instead, Tanu was cared for. He was shown love, provided healthy meals, given many years of much needed medical attention, and provided an education. Today Tanu does not have to worry about things like his safety. He is a thriving and growing boy. He may bare scars from the burns, walk on prosthetic legs, and have memories of those hopeless nights, but these things do not define him, they only give him courage and fuel him to live a full and impactful life.

Never underestimate the power of loving care and nutritious meals. Without these, Tanu would not be where he is today. I have no doubt that Tanu has already impacted many through his story and that as he grows up, he will do incredible things. 


To learn more about how you can impact Tanu and kids like him with

nutritious meals, click 🕯here or visit 🍚ricebowls.org

To learn more about how you can impact Tanu and kids like him with nutritious meals, click 🕯here or visit 🍚ricebowls.org