Bhubaneswar: She's never married. But she is the mother of hundreds of children.

Her committed work has created an island of goodwill all around her. Yet, she leads a hidden life.

Meet Kadambini Bhuyan, whose magic touch has made all the difference to the lives of scores of children of prostitutes and destitute or unwed mothers.

All of 12, Runa Mishra is one such child for whom Kadambini's ashram has changed the world.

Runa is like any other ordinary schoolgirl except that she is the daughter of a prostitute and was born in Bhubaneswar's redlight area.

For thousands of little girls like Runa, normal life is itself a luxury. Runa, too, might have been forced into her mother's profession had the hands of Kadambini not touched her life.

Kadambini met Runa six years ago and took her to her ashram on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. There are more than 300 children at the Palli Unyana Seva Samiti.

Kadambini works tirelessly to bring in children whose lives have darkened and whose destinies are no longer their own. She parts the curtains of the windows in their lives and lets the sunshine in.

Yet, her work is not easy. "Doing such work is never obstacle-free. People think these children do not have equal rights in society," Kadambini admits.

Kadambini may be unknown in other parts of the country. And her legacy will definitely live on in the hearts of many young lives.

There are many such children in the Palli Unyana Seva Samiti. The children are educated and provided with vocational training, so they can grow up and get jobs and earn an income on their own. So far, 500 such children have passed out of this school. And Runa, like all others, dreams of a future full of hope.

"I don't like the place where my mother stays. I like this place as I get a lot of things to learn here," beams Runa.

Kadambini’s determination never falters. She comes from a traditional middle-class Oriya family that disapproved of her passion for helping the needy.

When she started the ashram, locals protested against the very idea of keeping prostitutes' children in their vicinity. There was little help from the government. But well-wishers donated generously and combined with the earnings of the ashram's produce, today there are just enough funds to take care of the children.

Kadambini's effort is not just to change the lives of few children. Her dream is to bring a revolution, a revolution to cure the social disease at its roots so that one can dream of a better tomorrow.

"Every one used to say I am a woman, what can I achieve except getting married. But I want to show people that women can do a lot and get recognition in society," asserts Kadambini.