Kicked out of their grandfather’s home one night and made to find a sleeping place somewhere, brothers Faizal and Shabir Khan have now found peace and solace with a new family, made up of 118 brothers.

The saddest part of that night was that their mother was with them when they were chased out and that memory has been engraved on their minds.

Faizal, 10, and his brother Shabir Khan, 13, now call the Islamic Institute and the Orphans Home of the South Pacific, home.

Their story is one which is shared by many others at this orphanage, based in Drasa, Lautoka.

Their father, Afzal Khan died in 2012 after suffering a stroke and the brothers were left with their mother to find a new life.

The older sibling remembers being taken by their maternal grandmother sometime in 2014 to their grandfather’s house to stay.

One night, the three were told to leave the house but Shabir, who was nine at that time, could not remember where they initially went.

A few weeks later, their mother, unable to look after the brothers, sought refuge for them at the orphanage.

Orphanage head priest, Mufti Zainul Abidean said their mother told him she went everywhere looking for someone to look after her and her sons but no-one seemed to want to lend a helping hand.

“She told me this (orphanage) was the last resort.

“Now they are like my sons and we have one big happy family here,” Mr Mufti Abidean said.

“These brothers were mistreated by family members and even thrown out and made to sleep outside with their mother.”

“At the orphanage here, we make it like a home and send them to school.

Both attend Drasa Muslim Primary School with Shabir in Year 8 and Faizal in Year 5.

The orphans do not have to wash their clothes or cook as the orphanage has people to do that.

Shabir said they feel comfortable there and were well looked after.

“This is our home now,” he said.

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

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