SOCIETY
From despair to hope

The plight of an elderly woman who lost her two young children to blood cancer and her husband to heart failure, prompted Good Samaritan Jacob Joseph to set up a home for the old and the destitute in Kerala. The haven called Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan, established in 2000, today has 140 inmates and 20 staff members, reports Archana K Sudheer

Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan. — Photos by A.J. Philip.

The rhythmic swaying of the train was peaceful in contrast to the painful graphics flashing across Rama’s mind. Time and place were a blur to this woman, who was in her mid-40s. Before she knew it, she found herself on a platform in Kerala, lost in a sea of passengers, with no shelter above her head and no place to call home.

When Rama (not her real name) thought she would perish without help, a Good Samaritan took her to a haven called the Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan, a home for destitute, old persons, and mentally and physically challenged, situated at Eraviperoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.

Tender words and caring hands restored her indistinguishable words to clear sentences, unraveling a traumatised life. Rama lost everything, from her family to her home. Difficult circumstances made her mentally unstable. To earn for herself, she was working as a maid for a family in Jalandhar in Punjab.

When her condition deteriorated, her employers put her in a Kerala-bound train with no money or food. Now, a few years down the line, she is a healed person and a source of help to those at the Bhavan. Rama’s story might seem a miracle but she is just one in 140, each with a different story to tell.

It was Pastor Jacob Joseph, known by his pet name Prince, who set up Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan in 2000. It all began when this young man met an elderly lady, Anamma, who was in the pits of despair after having lost her two young children to blood cancer and her husband to heart failure.

On seeing her plight, Prince began looking for a place for her to stay. He managed to find a refuge for her, but it sparked a light in him. "I knew I had to do something," recalled Prince when I met him in Chandigarh, where he had come to meet a relative. After talking to his wife, who was initially hesitant, and toying with the idea for quite some time, a home for the old and the destitute was opened in 2000. Anamma was the first occupant.

Now, seven years later, the Bhavan has 140 residents and 20 full-time staff. With the help of well-wishers, a three-storied structure on 2.5 acres of land with all necessity facilities was built. "It is a commitment we have made to society and we do it with help from God," says the perpetually smiling Prince.

The residents are of different ages and with different health conditions. Among them are mentally unstable persons, patients with Alzheimer’s disease and those with spinal injuries and physical disabilities. Many of them are aged.

On being asked how the Bhavan finds people, Prince says:"Word spreads. Before we knew it, we had a huge list of applications. But we admit only the most poor and needy. If we find someone who can pay, we refer that person to some other home."

Every person has a different story to tell; some more heart-rending than the other; but all with a happy ending. Take, for example, 27 year-old Jainu. The only son of his parents, Jainu was quite healthy till the age of two when he suffered an epileptic attack and lost his mental balance. After the death of his father, his mother kept him tied in a room for seven long years because she could not control him. It was then that he was rescued and brought to the home. Now, he is a calm young man who enthralls all with his singing.

Then there is 56-year-old Lovis, an avid athlete, who suddenly lost her ability to walk and was confined to a bed in her home. Now at the home, she has learnt to walk again and is soon regaining her health.

Sixtyone-year-old Rajappan will never forget the day he entered the home. A beggar, he had come for a free meal, with a long beard, dirty clothes and sad eyes. His plight caught the eye of all at the Bhavan. He was given a bath and his beard was shaved off, transforming him into a new person. He now stays at the bhavan with no worries and concerns.

Not to forget 19-year-old Ajimol, ‘Tsunami kutty (baby),’ as she is fondly called. Mentally unstable, she had been tied in her room when the Tsunami struck. Her house was dragged away by the tidal waves. She clung on to a tree for hours before she was rescued. The trauma rendered her violent and unable to talk. "We needed several persons to handle her. She was that violent," said Prince. In the home, she found healing. She is still mentally unstable, but calm. And the stories continue.

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