An orphanage called Hope: Indian couple rebuilds lives after losing own children to tsunami

Children staying in the care home set up by Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani after they lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, pose in a park along a beach in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

NAGAPATTINAM, India (Reuters) - Karibeeran Parameshvaran and his wife Choodamani contemplated suicide after losing three children to giant waves triggered by a 9.1-magnitude quake fifteen years ago.

Days after their son and two daughters aged 5, 9 and 12 died, the grief-stricken couple walked from their southern Indian town to some nearby villages.

Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani, who lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, pose outside their house that they have turned into a care home for orphaned children in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

"We could see many children standing on the road, without shelter, without parents," Choodamani told Reuters.

"I thought, I lost my children, why don't I take these children and give them shelter."

Initially, the couple brought four orphans home. Soon after, they converted their home into an orphanage called Nambikkai, which means "hope" in Tamil. Within days, the number expanded to 36 and the couple had a newfound purpose.

Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani, who lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, take pictures of children they shelter at their care home for orphaned children in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

More than 6,000 people were killed in their coastal district of Nagapattinam - the hardest-hit area in India where nearly 9,000 died on the mainland and almost 42,000 people were rendered homeless.

Parameshvaran, an executive engineer, and Choodamani, a branch head at a life insurance company, have since cared for 45 orphans at Nambikkai and built two buildings - one for girls and one for boys - to house them. They started out using mainly their own funds but friends have also stepped in to help.

The couple has also had two more boys of their own.

Boys staying in the care home set up by Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani after they lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, bathe inside at the home in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

Now, many of the older children have moved out, some pursuing higher studies. A few have joined multinational companies.

Sangeetha, 21, one of the tsunami orphans, has come back to work at the centre after getting a diploma in information technology.

"I came back to Nambikkai to serve the children," she said.

A girl staying in the care home set up by Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani after they lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, has her hair braided, in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

Parameshvaran, 54, looks back on his and Choodamani's lives with a sense of fulfilment.

    "This mission will continue for a lifetime, as long as the earth is moving, because we want to honour our own children," he said.

   

Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani, who had lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, pose with a photograph showing their children inside their house that they have turned into a care home for orphaned children in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

(Reporting by Sunil Kataria; Writing by Rupam Jain; Editing by Karishma Singh and Edwina Gibbs)

Karibeeran Paramesvaran (front), who lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, helps cook food inside his house that he has turned into a care home for orphaned children in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

Children staying in the care home set up by Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani after they lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, eat a meal before heading to school in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

Children staying in a care home set up by Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani after they lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, leave the care home as they head to school in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

Boys staying in the care home set up by Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani after they lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, put on their clothes before heading to school in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

A view of the coastline in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar

Karibeeran Paramesvaran and his wife Choodamani, who lost three children in the 2004 tsunami, show their family album inside their house that they have turned into a care home for orphaned children in Nagapattinam district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar