Foster kids bring joy, happiness
“THE best thing about fostering a kid is the smile on their face.” That’s according to foster dad Shabir Peerbhay of Phoenix.
For the 35-year-old, who grew up with foster children, becoming a foster parent was natural.
“My mother Kantha used to foster kids. My brothers and I grew up surrounded with kids who grew up in negative environments and they had a steady life with us. They came and left.
“My mom passed away three years ago. Before she passed away we had two young girls at our home – a fiveyear-old, who was 2 at the time, and a 14-year-old who was 11. When she passed away I looked at these girls who already had a strong bond with us and decided I will continue to foster them.”
For the supervisor at a packaging company, fostering kids has been lifechanging.
“My mom was always the one who knew what people needed. She would be the person going into homes to rescue or get children to places of safety. These kids grew up calling me brother and now I look after them as a father. The younger child brought me a Father’s Day card last year from school which touched me. I wonder if she would do it again,” he joked.
Father’s Day is spent at Peerbhay’s brother’s home.
“My brothers have kids so we meet each year, share a meal and the kids get to play and have a good day.”
While Peerbhay, who is in a relationship, fosters two young girls, he also looks after another girl who once was a foster child at his home.
“My mom got a week-old child to look after years ago and she got very attached to us all, especially my mother. We all shared a bond and unfortunately she did not have anyone else so my mom requested if she could continue to live with us. She is now 21 and she lives here and helps me with the younger girls.
“While the baby is fine the older child is beginning her teenage years so it can sometimes be lots of mood swings. I sometimes wonder what my mom would do?”
Said Peerbhay: “These kids bring a lot of happiness and joy to our lives. Yes, they still belong to Welfare but they are family for me. People always tell me that I will be blessed and how inspiring I am for the work I am doing but the truth is I do it because I don’t want to see kids begging on the road.
“I personally prefer being home with the girls rather than going out partying for a night.”