7.12.22. 7pm IST
Today we explain how abandoned ladies In our women shelter home spend their entire day .
A small video attached. 👇
1st of all to be a lady who is :
☆ abandoned,
☆ widowed & childless ,
☆ rejected by own family,
☆ divorced & thrown out on the roads,
☆ thrown out by your own child,
☆ an unwed mother ,
☆?suffering from HIV & TB ,
☆ Old and unmarried with no family share
Then you are in a situation.
Now Club this situation with disabilities, specially if its mental disabilities like :
☆ Schizophrenia ,
☆ Bi polar ,
☆ Hypertension,
☆ Hallucination,
☆ Depression & anxiety ,
☆ Mood swings
☆ Phobias
Add both or if there is a lady ( which many are ) who suffer from all the above then rehabilitation is very challenging and difficult and its more stressful / challenging when the services are absolutely FREE.
We have 4 ladies Homes & 46 such ladies
3 homes in the north & 1 in the south.
Morning all arise at 7 am,
Fresh up and then breakfast
Small light exercises
House cleaning and mopping .
Then Physiotherapy sessions on alternate days & daily Hospital trips in the morning especially to IPHB for assessment , follow up and monthly medications.
We have Counseling and vocational training sessions in the 3 north homes which is quite effective.
Afternoon lunch and siesta time due to medication.
Evening tea followed by indoor games as well as exercises and outdoor walks in the vicinity of each home.
Bath at 6 pm , followed by early dinner but light dinner and all lights off by 8 pm.
Caring for these 46 women is more difficult then caring for 100 men .
On the bright side, in all our ladies homes, alot of craft and handwork with cloth is taught and is carried our by the ladies.
They enjoy using their hands in making flowers and handicrafts.
We don't have any outside cooks or maids but in all our homes the kitchen is taken care by the ladies who are under rehabilitation supervised by the care giver.
Some ladies do gardening and they like to touch the mud .
Outing to the beach is the most looked forward activity in the ladies Homes .
We have dance , music, games. Etc which bring out the talents of these ladies especially those who are below 60 years .
But I will be fair ” OUR LADIES HOMES ARE CLEANER & SYSTEMATIC as compared to the men's home”.
You know why ?
Because ladies are more involved with house work as compared to men .It's their inbuilt instinct. Our washrooms and bathrooms are spotless and clean.
We have in our ladies Homes professionals like :
♡ counselors
♡ MSW
♡ Occupational therapist
♡ Physiotherapist
♡ Expert care givers
♡ Nurses
Who take good care of each and every lady in the ladies shelter homes.
For the first 3 years of our existence, I had only one shelter home and I was a failure in running this shelter Home because it just was not happening the way I wanted it .
And everytime I asked GOD why am I not tasting success.
Why can't I open more homes for ladies?
I got the answers in these 3 years which I can't write here but I realized the success is in getting the right care giver who understands ladies suffering from disabilities and who has the passion which I have and not keeping OFFENCE & ANGER.
And in the last 21 months, we started another 3 shelter Homes ad God has sent the right care givers who share my dream and my passion.
Most of these ladies will be permanently rehabilitated with OUR NGO and i really feel for them but I just can't get emotional.
My satisfaction is that inspite of being a man with little patience, short tempered , yet I Have the passion to plan, implement, co ordinate and put a team together in these 4 ladies shelter homes.
There are many many patient and better people who run old aged Homes for old people but don't have that passion to work, care and look after homeless women with mental disabilities.
I thank God for the Calling, The Grace & the motivation daily to do the best I can when I get up everyday.
Takes alot of guts and energy dealing with :
My wife & children
My job
My Trustees
My staff
Various Government officials
The friends in all the 8 shelter homes &
My health
And i thank all the benefactors who stand with me daily, reading my long posts and blessings me with donations, prayers and wishes.
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes
8380097564 / 7020314848