Unlike three other children in his family, 12-year-old Rattno was lucky to survive in November 2012 when the shack their family called home burnt down. Rattno is a Hindu boy of the Parkari Koli tribal people in south-east Pakistan who are desperately poor, enslaved to feudal Muslim landlords, dispossessed, and who lost everything they had during the floods of 2010 and 2011.
Rattno's parents moved to Jhirruk, 40km south of Hyderabad, when they heard that St. Elizabeth Hospital was building houses to re-house flood affected people. Although the hospital had constructed 820 houses in other places, only 30 could be built in Jhirruk until more funds became available.
Shivji and Shonti's (Rattno's parents) hope turned to disaster when their children were lighting a kerosene pressure lamp which exploded. Saiba, Lakhnu and Shonti, aged from 7-15, died in the fire. Rattno survived.
St. Elizabeth Hospital arranged for Rattno's extensive skin grafts and medical care. Although he is recovering well, he has been in the hospital since February. St. Elizabeth wants to continue his good medical care, to ensure infection control and to provide the food and comfort which he would not get in the desert settlement of Jhirruk. His parents take turns to remain at the hospital with him.
Happiness and hope have come back to Rattno. I often ask myself: "If only we had the money then to build all the houses in Jhirruk so that Rattno and his family would have a permanent home?"
The skin grafting on Rattno's legs, face and left hand is a success. He still needs extensive orthopaedic surgery on his left leg. The cost of his care will be AUD$9,787/NZD11,114. Since May he has commenced his school education whilst in hospital.
None of the other 540 adults, teenagers and children living in the permanent houses in Jhirruk or still waiting for their houses to be built has been to school.
We know that Rattno's story will have a happy ending for him as he recovers. We hope that it will see a new beginning through education for him and the children of his village.
Columban Fr Robert McCulloch was a missionary in Pakistan for 34 years. He is currently the Procurator General of St Columbans Mission Society in Rome.
Read more about Fr Robert's works in Pakistan
Read more from The Far East, September 2013