Caring Hands for India

How We Do It

The true test of a society is how well it treats its most vulnerable citizens, especially those who are beyond contributing to the economy. The ill-elderly are, in many places, marginalized, and sometimes the social safety net is non-existent. In India, the capacity for caring for the aged is insufficient and many elderly are abandoned.

This Ministry supports two groups: The Shantibhavan Home for the Destitute in Delhi and The School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired in Karnataka.

Shantibhavan: A Home for the Destitute in Delhi

Caring Hands is dedicated to providing care to the destitute at the end of life through local partners. In 1999, the Shantibhaven Home for the Destitute was established by the Holy Family Sisters of Delhi (Shanthi dhara Province) in Burari-Dehli. Since its inception, a new building has been constructed to house 35 destitute people and it is fully occupied. Most of the residents are suffering from multiple ailments including high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illnesses. All require total care as their disabilities prevent them from caring for themselves. Four sister-nuns and three working girls provide 24/7 holistic care, providing the dignity and peace due all of God’s children.

The local community is the only source of financial support to operate the Shantibhaven home so a Caring Hand from afar helps to maintain the facility, paying the utilities and employees. The sister-nuns also provide a dignified cremation for the deceased who are found dead on the road side or at the rail station by police. We also support children with disability under this program.

In-depth look…Shantibhavan: A Home for the Destitute in Delhi

Shantibhavan Home for the Destitute was started in the year 1999 by the Holy Family Sisters of Delhi (Shanthi dhara Province). Initially they used a rented house to take care of five abandoned and impoverished people. In 2000, the Province purchased a small plot of land and built a home for the destitute. Today the new facility has the capacity to accommodate 35 people and it is completely full.

All 35 residents of the home are on medication. Many are afflicted with multiple sicknesses including psychiatric conditions, high blood pressure, and diabetes. All 35 residents are disabled and need total care for bathing, grooming, feeding, cleaning clothes, plates, and bedrooms. These services are provided by four sisters and three working girls. Their vision is to provide holistic care. The sisters seek to enable their residents to experience a peaceful life at the Home until their deaths. The sisters also try to engage the residents in various activities. Their loving care extends beyond the end of life. In fact, some deceased individuals are brought from roadsides and the rail stations to the Home. The Home arranges for cremation since these unclaimed souls have no one else on earth to respect them as family.

Local citizens support the Home with food which is a great help. All other expenses are met by the Province. The expenses for medicine and services are on the increase and the Home is in need of repairs.

Healing Hands for India supports the endeavors of the Home. The Holy Family Sisters want to increase the capacity of this institution provided they get help financially. The approximate cost of keeping a patient per day is $10. To support a patient, the cost is $300 per month or $3,600 per year. To operate the entire institution for a year with 35 patients costs $118,000.

Healing Hands for India endeavors to raise $500,000 for this institution to help defray their annual operating costs and to build an extension to house more residents.

In-depth look…School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired

The School is located in Devarapura of Kodgu district in the State of Karnataka. The District of Kodagu is primarily a estate district with gardens of coffee and oranges. Most of these lands are owned by a few rich people. Seventy percent of the people are laborers in these estates.

The Indian Missionary Society (IMS) has its Novitiate in Devarapura, Kodagu started in 1975. The Novices used to visit homes of the people, irrespective of caste and religion. During these visits the novices found that there were a number of children who were physically disabled and they wanted to help. A survey was conducted to find out one such ministry that will profit the poor people of the area at least in a small way. The survey revealed that many people in the area suffer from hearing disabilities and there were no schools to educate them in the whole district of Kodagu. The children suffering from such disabilities were rarely sent to school, and even when they are sent to regular schools they profited little from them. The IMS community, under the leadership of Fr. Dilasa,  proposed the establishment of a School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired to the superiors who gave their approval.

The Sisters of the Daughters of Mercy joined the IMS to take care of these children. These children come from very poor economic conditions. They are unable to pay any fees. They are from Hindu, Muslim and Christian Communities.

Currently there are 23 children in the School; 13 boys and 10 girls. All of them are children of the poor, most of them laborers in the estates. There are nine persons on the Staff: six teaching staff, one warden for the boys, one cook and one maid. The medium of studies is Kannada- the local language. There is recognition from the state government to the seventh grade. After seventh grade they are sent to other schools outside the district, mostly to Mysore district. All of these Children are provided with very high quality hearing aids, thanks to EARS (Ending All Roads to Silence), an organization in Washington DC.

With the establishment of the School the people of the neighboring villages began to take notice of the good being done for these special children. Currently many individually and some organizations, such as the Lions Club and Rotary Club, visit the School and provide food, sports items, stationery, etc. Individuals  provide food for the children on special days like, birthdays, marriage, and feast days.

The yearly expenses per child, per year is only $770. This is because of the generous help people of the area give in the form of provisions, stationary, toilet articles, etc.

Helping Hands for India is a supporter of this institution. Amarthvani intends to establish smart class rooms with a cost of $5,000 per class room for two class rooms.

Helping Hands for India intends to raise $50,000 dollars for this institution to find the $10,000 needed to establish the two Smart Classrooms and to help defray their annual operating costs.