Swanthana - Home for mentally challenged
Last Sunday went on to visit Swanthana along with friends. I don’t know anything about it before I reached there and was expecting to be one more NGO. After a long ride and missing the route as it was guided by one of my friend known for that, Prince are you reading this?, we reached Swantana. It was on the out skirts and has a good looking building well constructed. All the kids were outside lined up in different types of wheel chairs and few sisters carrying babies and everyone was busy in their work, no one to wish or greet.
We all went together and introduced ourselves to the sisters and started conversation and knowing about what they do. They were very friendly and started talking to us and explain about the center. The kids we saw all of them mentally challenged children of various ages. All have different disabilities and not even any two matches. I was awe-struck by the care the sisters are providing.
This is the only female care center for mentally challenged in the entire Karnataka. Sis. Rigina was heading the center and along with her 6 more sisters that work there. She went on to tell the daily routine, these kids has to be given bath 3-4 times daily just to keep them away from the bad smell they develop and had to feed them 6 times a day with proper diet. They have 4 attendants, girls who work there. And with staff of mere 10 the kids they have to manage is 29 who needs attention 24/7 yes it is 24/7.
Few of these kids don’t sleep in the night and keep crying and the sisters have to be awake all the night taking care of them. Sleepless nights are part of their routine. The care they take cannot be described, the patience they have.. it’s just amazing.
The sad part of this is they don’t have support. They don’t have any continuous financial assistance. The government promised and is supposed to give Rs.450 per kid towards the monthly expenses which they never got. It purely runs on donations from the public. Sister told how some times when they don’t have the next meal they call people and few help.
Even when we were there, there was a TV crew of some local channel. Sister told that there is a baby of 3 months old who needs a heart surgery that cost 4 lakh rupees and when they approached the government for the money they sent the TV crew to help them by casting it in the news. But will the money come and is the baby going to survive is still a ?
The regular medical care also costs them a lot as these kids have lot of problems. They have a physiotherapy room where the kids are regularly treated. Few can walk on their own, one with support and rest needs to be carried for everything.One can respond to senses and needs education, the nearest school charges Rs.28,000 per year. The center also needs lot of maintenance as the wear and tear for the cots and beds is high. Few of them are already in broken state and they don't have enough money to replace them.
These people need a lot of support. Go through their website http://swanthana.com for more details and if you are willing to support. Even if not financially you can give them moral support by visiting them.
My reflection on this follows…..
