At Snehan, the women’s day started with cake cutting by Paloma from spain, Mr.Karthikeyan the founder of Sristi Village and Mrs.Sarawasthy madam. It was an honor to have them with us to cut the cake and start the day.

To keep the day special we honored our women staff by surprise.  We had taken them for a day of outing. We went to Providence Mall in Pondicherry, for some of our staff, this is first time they entered the mall. Our women were welcome by sales girls. All of our women got a chance to get makeup by professional beautician; our women were glittered with colorful lipsticks and nail polish.

Fun in getting into escalator, almost for all of them this was a first time experience in climbing up by escalator, some were excited, some frightened but all of them enjoyed going in escalator.

Our two grandpas, really enjoyed this day, they were treated equal, got chance to be in the air-conditioned mall and watched very beautiful movie called Vaathi Tamil Move in digital cinema theatre. The homeless people are not allowed in such a social gathering. But because they are rehabilitated and look decent, clean and because they were with us, they got change to be equal and enjoy all the comfort. For all of them it’s a unique experience. At last we all went to KFC food court to eat together. It was a fun filled day for all of them in this special event.

A 34 years old Saravanan reached Pondicherry 10 years back. He became an orphan after the death of his parents. He had one elder brother, but he too died in the road accident. The in beginning days, he knew no one in Pondicherry, so he started to collect trash on the streets to sell and survive. Later time, he got a job in the recyclable trash-collecting shoppe. Faithfully, he continued his work and lived with his earnings. One day after loading a small truck of trash, he accompanied the vehicle. Unfortunately, in one particular place the small truck over tuned. Saravanan fell and his head hit right on the stone became unconscious. After, 20 days he opened his eyes but could not see anything. Later, the nurse told him what had happed and how he reached the government hospital. Now, due to major head injuries, he lost complete vision in one eye and another just 5% present vision. Now he doesn’t have any employment or any support from his employer, he is struggling on the streets and living along with other beggars.  

After, knowing his pathetic condition Snehan NGO decided to help him in taking him to a private hospital to see the possibilities of getting back his eyesight. 

After one-year-long famine (mean Covid-19) Snehan, starting its activities one by one. During the pandemic, we were severely affected and lacked for survival but somehow managed and pulled on till date because of loyal friends of Snehan. We are happy to update you, that our Earn-with Dignity project re-started today for two of our homeless beneficiaries. They come in the morning, take Eco-friendly products from the Snehan office, sell on the footpath and earn their income for self-reliance living. They take complete responsibility for the products and support Snehan in these income-generating activities. In coming days more shops on cycle would be around the city in Pondicherry.

Raju (name changed) 74 years old man struggles for his survival. Within a few hours of his birth, his mother died. Within two years his father married other women and separated Raju from his grandma, his only hope grandma too died when he was 10 years of age. Raju left alone and desperate for parental love and care, luckily one of his aunties came to help him in finding a hostel school. Raju felt alone in life, every month his peer’s parents used to come to visit their children with good food and eatables but for Raju no one. His loneliness never hindered his studies, he hardened his emotions and concentrated more on his studies. Successfully completed his schooling and college with a scholarship. But the society failed to recognize his hard work and his qualification. He failed almost in every attempt to get a government job, finally landed up in one Christian school, where they paid him a penny, he struggled for his survival all through his life. His Highest paid salary in 2007 was Rs.5000/-, he struggled even for basic needs. I feel, the society failed to understand him and the school treated him as worthless. His poverty life, could not give him the joy of family. In all his life he eats only hotel food. What a miserable life? If you were to be in his place, what you would have done? Injustice…

Snehan stands with such kind of people in society; we are helping him in whatever way possible. Hope to give a small job in Snehan, and help him to live a comfortable life, till his death.

In Pondicherry alone, hundreds of thousands of daily wage laborers lack provisions for their families and thousands of homeless people’s meals. For the government of Pondicherry to provide all of their needs would be hard but I really want to appreciate the good-hearted individual, NGO’s and donors who stretched their helping hands in providing rations, groceries, food packs and financial help to the neediest ones around.  This attitude of sharing saved many lives from starvation and death.  This shows the spirit of humanity and the character of God.

I read a newspaper article today, which brings the truth of the lockdown effect in India especially in the marginalized community.

As the milk streamed down the lane, a desperately hungry homeless man tries to scoop up as much milk as he can on thar road and what adds to the misery is that he’s sharing the milk with a group of stray dogs. This incident took place not inside the village faraway of any state but in the capital city just 6 km away from the Taj Mahal in New Delhi.

Whole Indians is a lockdown in fear of saving their life, but still many homeless individuals ignored on streets as if they are less important. Our nation was so particular to protect the country and its people, which can be appreciated but at the same time, I do have questions about the survival of old and sick homeless people and physically handicapped people who are rejected by their own family. How can they be valued in society and how their lives can be lifted to a better standard?

For a man to lick the spilled milk on the street along with the dogs is not a simple act of survival or just a photograph but the country’s negligence towards the marginalized people. Hope after the lockdown, things would change for better.

Source: http://www.dailyaddaa.com/india-news/watch-the-plight-of-a-man-and-dogs-sharing-spilt-milk-amid-lockdown-in-agra-4911364.html