THE Abhoy Mission Ashram is unique. It brings together two disadvantaged groups of people and allows them to find the answer to their loneliness – in each other. Most of the elderly in the ashram are old women who have been mistreated by their own family members. Sharing the premises with them are children with disabilities, who have no one willing or able to give them the care and attention they need.
At the Abhoy Mission Ashram, these neglected and forgotten groups find a brand new family and have all their needs met. “We came up with this one-of-a-kind idea to combat the loneliness experienced by the elderly. But there’s more. The special needs children enjoy the company of their new grandparents so much,” shares Susmita De of Abhoy Mission in this video. Passionate about improving the lives of children and the elderly, Susmita De explains that in the Abhoy Mission Ashram, these two vulnerable groups of people now cannot live without each other.
The only way Abhoy Mission can continue to care for the 90+ neglected seniors and children is to rebuild the crumbling and dilapidated ashram which is in danger of collapse.
An elderly, neglected woman
There are over 100 million elderly people in India and many face abuse and neglect. These senior citizens have been physically and emotionally abused, denied medical attention and even left stranded on the streets by their families to suffer in dangerous conditions.
This was the fate faced by 96-year-old Shailabata Bhakta. From a poor family, she married at the age of 15 and spent her life caring for her four children while working as a domestic helper. Years later, after her husband and son both died, she was left in her daughter-in-law’s care. That was when her troubles began.
Shailabata was tortured by her son’s widow who finally threw her out onto the streets. Fortunately, she was taken to the Abhoy Mission Ashram, where she has been for the last 15 years. The medical attention, nutritious food, physiotherapy and counselling helps her cope with her failing vision, high blood pressure and broken hip. But what warms her heart is the opportunity to spend time with the children in the home. These children fill her life with the happiness that she never got to experience with her own grandchildren.
The nonagenarian says: “I would not have lived this long if I wasn’t at the Abhoy Mission Ashram.”
An abandoned, special-needs girl
There are an estimated 26,800,000 disabled people in India and most are in the 10 to 19 age group. This data, based on the 2011 Census, also indicates that of the 158.8 million children between the ages of 0 and 6, around 1.24% are disabled. That is around 1.9 million children.
Supriya Datta is a second-grader who has a 76% speech and hearing disability. After her father died, her mother did what she could on the salary of a day labourer. But she was unable to care for her and suddenly Supriya was left alone.
When the young girl started living at the Abhoy Mission Ashram, her life completely turned around. She now eats regular healthy meals, has clean clothes and enjoys music and sports with the other children at the ashram. Enrolled in a local high school under their inclusive education programme, Supriya is already developing her own interests, which includes dancing, drawing and poetry recitals. Because of the care received from Abhoy Mission, Supriya can build the future of her dreams.
How Abhoy Mission cares for the neglected
Since 1988, Abhoy Mission has been serving the needs of people in desperate need, including abandoned senior citizens and children with disabilities. The NGO cares for the most vulnerable groups of people and empowers the elderly and children by giving them a safe home, nutritious food, medical care, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, counselling, education, sports, socio-cultural activities. The children and elderly have the opportunity to live in good physical and mental health without lacking in any area of their lives.
But the ashram has become damaged over the decades and needs to be rebuilt. Its walls are crumbling and the rain causes minor flooding which further damages the building. Before the monsoon season begins, Abhoy Mission wants to finish the construction of a new home for its elderly and special needs children. Your support to Abhoy Mission’s fundraiser on Give can make a difference in the lives of people like Supriya and Shailabata who have nowhere else to call home. To support Abhoy Mission, you can donate here:
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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