THE story of Group Captain Atul Chandra Barua, 80, is one of pure compassion and love. He is fondly called ‘Deuta‘ (meaning father in Assamese) by the residents of Seneh, run by Bhavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust, one of the top NGOs in Guwahati for abandoned elderly women. Group Captain Barua has dedicated his life to rescuing abandoned elderly mothers in critical conditions, often found on the streets, by providing them with a safe haven filled with care and hope.
Group Captain Barua served in the Indian Air Force for three decades before he retired in 1999. As an air force officer and as an aeronautical engineer, he worked in different capacities at frontline bases in India. He also saw action during the India-Pakistan War of 1971. Since 2011, Barua has been battling to save abandoned elderly mothers. He began by donating the land and building for Seneh and continued to bear all the expenses in the early years.
How Seneh came into being
In 2007, floods ravaged Assam, particularly the rural areas, causing widespread devastation. Moved by the plight of the affected people, Barua travelled across Assam to provide relief work. While navigating through one of the remote areas, he stumbled upon a dilapidated shack propped up by just two sticks. Despite the feeble structure, he noticed signs of life within. Upon approaching the shack, he encountered an elderly woman tending to her son, who had been left crippled after a fall from a tree while working as a daily wage labourer.
The sight of the lonely mother and son left an indelible impression on Barua. He offered them food before moving on to another village where he encountered numerous individuals in similar dire circumstances. This experience prompted him to take action. With the support of his family members, he founded Bhavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust. He acquired a plot of land and constructed a home to provide a haven for abandoned elderly mothers in need. He named it Seneh.
A safe haven
Seneh is currently home to 28 homeless, elderly women, each with a unique story of struggle and finally finding hope. The care and support required for abandoned elderly mothers are immense. In the past few years, Seneh has gone above and beyond to ensure these homeless elderly women receive the medical attention they need, including cataract operations, dentures, hearing aids, and even psychiatric help and medication.
One of the residents at Seneh, Sarala Kalita, escaped from her abusive husband and was facing neglect and trauma from her brothers- and sisters-in-law. Fortunately, her father contacted Seneh, and Gr. Capt. Barua took her under his wing. Sarala has found joy in living at Seneh and has even been given a harmonium to pursue her passion for singing. She says it makes her forget everything and takes her someplace else entirely.
How Bhavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust helps people in need
- The abandoned elderly residents at Seneh are provided free shelter, food, medical care, clothing, and entertainment.
- The Bhavada Devi Trust provides a yearly stipend to top-ranking girls in a girls’ school in a remote and extremely poor area.
- The Trust distributes free sanitary pads to adolescent girls studying in schools in underprivileged areas.
- The Trust provides free breakfast to attendants of cancer patients in the general ward of Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Hospital in Guwahati.
- The Bhavada Devi Trust also engages in disaster relief work by providing food, drinking water, mosquito nets, and clothing to flood victims in Assam.
Group Captain Barua cannot do it alone
Group Captain Barua spends around ₹3 lakh a month on running Seneh, and more often than not, he has to spend from his pocket. But he cannot sustain it any longer. The expenses are growing daily, and he needs more funds to support the growing needs of the residents.
Every day, Group Captain Barua receives calls from people pleading for help to rescue abandoned and homeless women lying on the streets, alone and in desperate need of assistance. “I think about the future of Seneh every day. I am 80. What will be its future after me? And how the women will survive without help are some of the questions that keep me awake at night,” says Barua.
Seneh currently has 28 women under its care. Because of limited resources, Barua cannot admit more people. It has become difficult to make ends meet for Seneh. “My mission of rescuing abandoned elderly mothers from dying on the streets is in jeopardy because of lack of funds,” says Barua. His vision is always to see the women at Seneh laughing and singing and living together as a family in the sunset years of their existence. Even after he is no longer there to care for them. We can help Group Captain Barua by donating here.
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Kumara was a professional journalist for over 15 years, with stints in The Telegraph and Reader’s Digest. He grew up hating maths and physics. He is a post-graduate in history. Kumara believes that cricket and Seinfeld have answers to most questions that life throws at you.
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