27.2.25. 7pm IST
Once bed ridden & wheel chair bound, to now walking fit & fine – all within one year.
Mr Punappa is a middle aged man from Karnataka who while working in Goa on a beach shack in Candolim lost his mobility and was in a situation where he was bed ridden.
Possibility excess of alcohol or substance abuse but was not able to stand let alone walk.
Dr Roshan from Candolim health centre requested us to rehabilitate him but his condition that day as seen in the video was pathetic.
Goa Police issued the NOC to get him admitted into our home.
Arturo Dsouza was deputed with our team to candolim to pick him up.
Physiotherapy, hospital trips , medication, nutrition, motivation etc was the way to get him up and walking.
Takes alot of time and resources as Punappa may be suffering also from some sort of memory losses due to may be his past history.
Otherwise, does the work given to him but still on treatment.
Like Punappa there are 100's of such men & ladies on the streets of Goa looking for a second chance to start life again.
The problem is last 7 to 8 months we are not taking people off the streets as we just can't foot their bills.
Non Goans we have completely stopped taking as they have to go back to their respective states
Because we are not taking, Government hospitals, mental hospital and cities of Goa are having huge no of homeless street people including those with disabilities.
Already like Punappa we have in our homes
40+ men & 20+ ladies who are on way to recovery but it's not happening the way I intended it to happen.
Many times people call us and when we express our inability to oblige them, they take offense and troll us and write nasty things on social media.
It makes no difference to me as I know how difficult it is to care and look after such complicated people.
I feel bad to refuse admission but on the other hand where r the funds ?
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT &
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES DEPARTMENT, actually for the full year have not supported our men's home and that's why we are in a big financial crunch.
We will be in the coming week hitting the streets of Panjim followed by a visit to The Hon CM official Bungalow with our resident men who 80% are ethnic Goans and no grants till yet given either by :
Social Welfare Department or
Persons with Disabilities Department.
Women & child Department is providing resources for our women homes after many years of struggle mostly on the streets.
Inflation besides petrol is killing us.
Donations are slowing down due to the inflation rise which our benefactors who may be also feeling the pinch.
Without Government funding it's next to impossible to look after homeless people.
To care & rehabilitate one homeless person who is surely carrying along a huge bag of sickness for a month our costs are nothing less than
Rs 20k to Rs 25k.
☆ Daily we have to provide 3 meals to 175+ residents along with 40+ full time staff.
☆ Our total staff strength is 75.
☆ We have 30 full time lady care givers in our 7 women homes.
It's not a joke, everything in the last 6 months has increased almost 20% .
Schemes are announced in plenty but nothing to our NGO with regards to men.
Small example : Margao city has anywhere between 300 to 500 homeless of which 50 + are our own goans.
We require your help to help young men like Punappa to get a second chance and go back to society.
Your support is what we require.
Summer is around the corner, heat is rising , the old and infirmed on the streets need help.
☆ Our Total bed capacity 250
☆ Currently Occupied 175
☆ Balance 75
But Government has to give us our dues else we can't do much at the moment.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes
8380097564 / 7020314848