Have you ever wondered how people live on the streets? What are their hours of working? How do they manage academics and finances? Do they have any hobbies?

Hindu

Well, we can tell you one thing for sure - there is a certain section of young street dwellers in Chennai who've made India proud in Rio de Janeiro, where they won medals in the Street Child Games.

One such girl, Hepsiba, won three medals, including a gold in the girls 100m dash. The 16-year-old is one of five street kids from Chennai who were given the chance to participate in the Street Child Games in various disciplines.

(Also read: These Boys Don't Have Homes, Yet They've Won A Football World Cup Title For India)

Street Games United

The games were organised by an international NGO Street Child United who also helped fund Hepsiba's trip to Rio. The NGO works to give a voice to street kids who are marginalised and give them a platform of sports to express their talents.

In her trip to Rio, where the tournament was held from March 14-20, Hepsiba was very happy to make friends from other countries like Burundi, Pakistan, Egypt, Britain, Argentina and Brazil. Street kids from a total of nine nations participated in these games, including Mozambique and Philippines.

Street Games United

Along with the 100m gold, Hepsiba won bronze in 100m hurdles and a silver in girls' 400m. Her Indian teammate Ashok won a bronze in boys' shot put and Sneha stood third in 4x100m relay race to claim the bronze.

For such a noble cause, credit must be given to Paul Sundar Singh, secretary of Karunalaya, the Chennai-based Indian NGO, who took these five kids to play in Rio. "We had organised a sports contest for street children, and this girl (Hepsiba) was sheer talent. Actually, she just about made it; it was a miracle that her passport came through on time," he is quoted as saying in the Hindu.

We hope for more such initiatives to take off in India that give an identity to the marginalised sections of our society.