We are a poor nation!!

It was early morning. The maid had rung the door bell. I woke up early, so i thought i will open the door. I opened the door and suddenly a ground reality struck me. Things have not really changed much. There is a woman in shattered clothes, there is a young girl, both of them have had nothing in the name of breakfast and are out on work. I was suddenly interested in who had been working at my home. I asked my mum, she told me, she is a refugee from Bengal and is very poor. I could see the poverty. I started thinking. I have spent some 4-5 years of my life in southern part of India now, the poverty is surely not of this grade down south. I can see rickshaw puller and i can see really poor workers in Delhi.
The lady does not know the language. She will do more than what she is paid for because need for the minimal justifies for all that life asks out of her. My mum has a very soft corner for her. She often feels for her and her daughter and keeps telling me that however much i earn in life and whatever i do, i must know that no poor person from my home should go hungry, thats the minimum we as humans can do to soothe the pain of destiny. She also tells me that i must always remember that this could have been me, its just that God was kind to give me good basic start in life and rest i have built upon.
I wanted to think on all strategy and reran through my entire education cycle. I also looked into self help books and books on you make your own destiny. I looked at the little girl sitting in one corner, did she make her own destiny? Did she really have much control over being a refugee and thown to a large city to wash utensils. Had she not done good for herself and her mother by running to large city, find small job and eat two meals? Isnt she the best example of heroic woman in my life? I wanted to interview this woman.
I sat next to her started questioning. She told how she had spent 15 days and nights of no food when she decided to go out of village in search of food. There were caste issues, woman biases that she had to face. She then contacted some people who help them go to city. They promised them a fair share of monthly income in city to pay the ticket fare. The expenses were taken care of by the agency and they were then sent to Delhi. She and her mother took help of other refugee village woman to find households where they could find work. She had a smile, we have to work less harder than we did in village, and we have assurance if nothing we will have food. She said there are houses in which they work and the rich woman shout at them because they dont know the language properly and often they have to work more for lesser money, but then things will be ok once they settle in the city. Last one was just the kid in her, she said she wants to reply back and shout at woman who shout at her, she wants to run away and not do any work, but then she looks at her mother and also the two siblings who go to school. She is proud that she could pull off all this.
So am i. Street born kids have just the right kind of attitude and strategy to cut through anything in life. I love it. Reminded me of one day when me and Nams were driving and suddenly a kid came to sell something. Nams started playing with him by opening and closing the window. She told him to go away and he said nahi jaunga. :D Nams turned and told me, i like them, they are just too cool, they live life their way, inspite of what comes and goes. I like them too. They have the DNA of success, pick them and support them, they can overrule anyone. Can i do something for them sometime in life?