I have returned to England
My family wanted me to spend Christmas with them, something only achieved 5 times in the last 25 years because of my voluntary work in India. Lots of concerts and church services attended and exciting, albeit expensive, shopping trips. (I always think in terms of what the money spent here could buy in India!)
I arrived in Mumbai on New Years Day 2019 having been requested by my old university friend, Ramesh Toshniwal, to visit his charitable foundation for senior citizens in the Western Ghat hills, three hours drive from Mumbai. For the first time I didn't have to buy my own plane ticket and I was also given a couple of days to aclimatise in a hotel and spend some time with the Toshniwal family.
I remember Mr Toshniwal telling me of his idea, some 20 years ago, to open a home where elderly people who, for various reasons, were unable to live with their children in the traditional joint family. In some cases the parent had become estranged from the children, others were not able to be accommodated in the smaller homes of today, others were left behind when the children emigrated to the USA or the UK. Some were servants who had no where to go when they reached retirement age with only the smallest of state pensions. This idea come to fruition about 12 years ago as 'Awaas Seva Sadan', a home for healthy senior citizens. I was asked to see what I could do, or suggest, to improve the life of the residents.
I also had invitations to visit a disabled ex-colleague in Allahabad, to stay with my former physiotherapy colleague in Patna and to visit a special village for women with leprosy near the Nepal border.
These visits were to be fitted into my main schedule and purpose for coming to India, namely to visit, and live with the children of Brighter Future, particularly those with an HIV background, as I had been doing for nearly 6 months every year since 2005.
Sadly, Victor told me he had no time to see me until April. The weather is at its hottest during that month but I managed to persuade him to let me come at the end of March instead. I had just three days to say goodbye to the children I have known and loved over the past 13 years, whilst staying in the newly built flat of the Shanti Nivas’s Warden.
Besides the HIV children on the Shanti Nivas site, nine college students, who at the moment still live at Prem Nivas (the first Home for HIV orphans), came to see me, as did a couple of 'old boys' who have left Brighter Future and are now working. \they were able to provide me with news of some of the others who had left. Some of them have opted for college and degree courses while living at home with a relation. Victor said that occasionally he has visits from these 'old children'. He is planning to persuade them to support Brighter Future in recognition of what they have received in the past.
Brighter Future is still finding HIV infected orphan children, mainly from the remoter areas of Srikakulam and the rural areas of Visakhapatnam. Altogether there are now 63 HIV infected children at Brighter Future. The local village school at Ompalli now has an English Medium facility and several of the HIV children have opted for this advantageous opportunity to access higher education and better jobs in the future. The Vocational Training unit is still turning out boys skilled in plumbing and electrical work. They get plenty of opportunity to learn on site as new building spring up and repairs are always needed to the fabric of the buildings at Shanti Nivas Prem Nivas and the Rainbow Children's home.
Back in Awaas Seva Sadan I took up a paintbrush and offered the residents choice of 6 colours for their front doors. They live in separate bed sitting rooms. Their colour choice was intended to allow them to express their individuality and personality. It certainly brightened up the place and only two refused to be painted. The communal Awaas doors and main entrance gates were painted a uniform Oxford Blue. The next job was to sort out the store room and office - something neglected for a long time. Lucky I had a good apprenticeship, from my husband, in DIY and was able to sort out and label the electrical, plumbing, general fittings etc
Next came the more difficult job of coaxing the residents out of their rooms where they watch TV or sit at computers. The majority of the residents have blood pressure and sugar levels around normal for their age but the threat of heart attacks, stroke and diabetes is real, with large waistlines and increasing weight, mainly due to inactivity. There is now monthly weighing and measuring to encourage those who are making an effort to become fitter,
My physiotherapy skills came in handy as I devised exercise charts which most residents now have on their bedroom walls. The exercises are divided into ones that can be done in bed, holding on to a bar or chair and floor exercises. Victor was complaining of back pain while I was at Shanti Nivas so I passed a few of the exercises to him too.
Awaas has a newly planted orchard in the grounds with a walking path around it.
I used my walking poles to do a few rounds every morning and by the time I left there were two or three residents also doing the rounds using smart phones to measure their distances walked. One gentleman had bought two broom handles and was using them, calling them his 'Indian walking poles'.
My next job was to paint lines on the central courtyard to make a badminton court. Mr Vinod helped me with the painting and I helped him to learn the game. A few days before I left we had 4 residents willing to have a knock around at 7am - before the sun rose above the roofline and before it got too hot.
An attempt to start a film club was frustrated when first the DVD player gave up the ghost, and then the TV broke down. We did manage to show two films - classical black and white ones, very much appreciated by the ladies. Now the DVD player is replaced and a newer TV installed so I hope that the residents are taking the opportunity to watch some of the many DVD's and CD's donated by the Toshniwal family. I heard this week that the regular Karom players now put music on to accompany their games.
An Art club was started and the earliest sessions involved freehand designs and using adult colouring books.
Gradually other projects evolved, thanks mainly to one of the residents who was a commercial artist.
Some residents opted to decorate shopping bags, others painted pictures to go on the walls.
Sainath our 'real' artist made a large 'Wedding Scene' in Warli tribal art style and a Madhubani style picture of the Sun.
It was certainly very interesting getting to know the residents. Many of them wrote me a little account of the years before they married. Thirty individuals with different backgrounds, various foibles and phobias but all very interesting and friendly. Most of them younger than me by 15 or 20 years! They gave me a grand send off last week and said they'd like me to return.
Next came the more difficult job of coaxing the residents out of their rooms where they watch TV or sit at computers. The majority of the residents have blood pressure and sugar levels around normal for their age but the threat of heart attacks, stroke and diabetes is real, with large waistlines and increasing weight, mainly due to inactivity. There is now monthly weighing and measuring to encourage those who are making an effort to become fitter,
My physiotherapy skills came in handy as I devised exercise charts which most residents now have on their bedroom walls. The exercises are divided into ones that can be done in bed, holding on to a bar or chair and floor exercises. Victor was complaining of back pain while I was at Shanti Nivas so I passed a few of the exercises to him too.
Awaas has a newly planted orchard in the grounds with a walking path around it.
My next job was to paint lines on the central courtyard to make a badminton court. Mr Vinod helped me with the painting and I helped him to learn the game. A few days before I left we had 4 residents willing to have a knock around at 7am - before the sun rose above the roofline and before it got too hot.
An attempt to start a film club was frustrated when first the DVD player gave up the ghost, and then the TV broke down. We did manage to show two films - classical black and white ones, very much appreciated by the ladies. Now the DVD player is replaced and a newer TV installed so I hope that the residents are taking the opportunity to watch some of the many DVD's and CD's donated by the Toshniwal family. I heard this week that the regular Karom players now put music on to accompany their games.
An Art club was started and the earliest sessions involved freehand designs and using adult colouring books.
We bought paints and canvases and set to work to brighten the place up.
Sainath our 'real' artist made a large 'Wedding Scene' in Warli tribal art style and a Madhubani style picture of the Sun.
It was certainly very interesting getting to know the residents. Many of them wrote me a little account of the years before they married. Thirty individuals with different backgrounds, various foibles and phobias but all very interesting and friendly. Most of them younger than me by 15 or 20 years! They gave me a grand send off last week and said they'd like me to return.
.Brighter Future has been my passion for 13 years, preventing deformity in
leprosy occupied my ten most rewarding years and my fundraising began in 1994 when I did a 3000km solo bicycle ride along the Ganges from it's source to the mouth.
I should retire but somehow I always find interesting opportunities.
I should retire but somehow I always find interesting opportunities.
