“Why do aged people feel lonely?”
A simple question that pushed me to research, which eventually led to start “Good Samaritans India” back in 2010. The main objective was to help aged people initially by giving them counselling and support. Good Samaritans was initially a clinic for senior citizens to spend the afternoon while their children were busy/at work.
As we understood the emotional drivers and family structures that led aged family members to be alienated, it transformed into a drive to adopt senior citizens from the streets and give them a dignified life.
A lot of the general public do not understand the procedure or protocol of identifying destitutes, senior citizens or mentally ill people living on the streets and inform about them to an organisation like us. We partnered with the police to make the general public aware of how they can work together with us and the local authorities to inform and help aged people and the like. We then helped them to get treatment or rejoin their families depending on their personal situation.

We have now rescued more than 4000 individuals in different capacities. We have 4 different homes for the aged, mentally ill and destitute individuals. We are building our permanent home as we speak where we can serve each individual better based on their unique needs.India needs more homes than helplines, in my opinion.

I focus on aged people and destitutes more because they have sacrificed their youth to bring their children up and when it is the child’s turn to help their dependent parents, they are abandoned to the streets. This is a crime but there are no strong policies governing the same.
I feel guilt mostly when I see this situation around me, for a country which prides itself on tradition and religious principles in respecting our elders, we are being greatly hypocritical.

One incident that inspired me to take up this cause happened around 2012. I received a call about an old woman thrown into a garbage dumpster in Kachiguda. We rushed to the spot, but I broke down just looking at her.She had been on the street for a week by then, in very unsanitary and weak condition. We requested the nearby railway employees, got her showered, and took her home. This brought me immense joy and the next day the lady thanked me for my help and that satisfaction is what drives me.

Humanity is not cheap, it is the most valuable commodity in my opinions and we should not lose that. My work gives happiness and satisfaction to both the parties involved. The rescuer and the rescued.

Ever since the old age home started its operations, it has become a tradition for me to come here every Christmas with my son and daughter. Instead of celebrating at my house, I feel like celebrating Christmas with my extended family, which is way more joyous.

We celebrate every time a person gets rescued, we celebrate when they get treated, we celebrate their death too! We understand that every step we take is meaningful to them, and that is why I am grateful to every in-person donation we receive, even during the COVID pandemic.
At the end of the day, we are all happy to celebrate humanity in all its forms.”

#MerryChristmas2020 #Celebration #SpreadingHappiess #christmasgifts #christmastime #COVID19 #Elderly #spreadthejoy #Hyderabad #HumansofHyderabad