Ajay Ponraj is studying at VI Standard in TDTA (Tirunelveli Diocese Trust Association) Middle School, Kannanallor. He is ten years old. He has a brother just a year older. When Ajay was six, his father committed suicide.
In 2016, the Suicide Death Rate (SDR) in men was 1:4 times higher in India than the global average. This figure is sadly still rising.
Ajay’s mother, J Thangam, has quite a responsible job, working on a nutricious food programme for children. However, the salary does not match the responsibility. Thangam earns just Rs (rupees) 3000 a month. This equates to just over £31. Given the low prices in India compared to the cost of living in the UK, this means she will still struggle to put an adequate amount of food on the table for her own children.
From the photograph, you will see that Ajay’s brother has suffered a fracture of his right wrist. This will have been painful for him and a disaster for his mother: there is no NHS equivalent in India. All treatment has to be paid for.
