We at street Providence Shelter homes for the homeless & people with disabilities in Goa provide alot of facilities especially for women residents.

Some of the facilities are:

This post is about physiotherapy sessions.

Well 60% of residents in all our Homes are suffering from walking ailments due to living on streets and also men consuming alcohol who loose their strength as alcohol has eaten into their bodies.

90% of our residents are totally suffering from severe mental disabilities with heavy doses of psychiatric medications already prescribed to them by IPHB to keep them in control.

With so much medicine already entering their bodies daily, physiotherapy was the only solution to help these residents get up from their wheel chairs and solve their walking issues as well as reduce their pains in the necks , backs , legs & arms.

With huge support both from Government of Goa , through Social Welfare Department till 31.3.24  & from 1.4.24 , thru the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department, we have managed to run 3 physiotherapy units ie

Government of Goa has been generous in providing our homes grants upto Rs 5 lacs per unit to purchase the equipments as well as generous benefactors who initially donated to start these units.

We have 4 Physiotherapists on board to cater to 180+ residents with disabilities & the Government at the moment reimburses us 

Rs 10000 a month Salary towards two of these Physiotherapists of two units.

Remaining amount we raise thru donations.

But irrespective of the costs ” we feel satisfied that hundreds of residents last 4 years with close to 300 sessions per month taking place,  numerous residents irrespective of their mobility at the time of their admission, has got up and walked, all by their selves “.

With these physiotherapy units running close to 4 years, alot of improvement has taken place in all our Homes.

Today due to physiotherapy sessions we hardly have any senior citizens using Pampers in our homes except those senior citizens either those undergone surgery or those who are having urinary issues.

Well,  why & how we got these physiotherapy units running for the residents when they are poor and homeless?

Initially when i started the NGO in 2017 , alot of work & pressure was on me as we did not have much resources to employ staff. 

All that hard work and stress in 2020 took a heavy tool as a result I was in terrible pain and many times I used to crawl on the mat in agony as I just could not get up for hours at times.

Then I met Dr Ashton a young handsome Physiotherapist from St Cruz, who would regularly come daily to my home at night and it was covid crisis yet he would treat me.

Slowly from daily sessions we did 3 times a week to 5 times a week to every 15 days and so on and this went on for months.

That's the time I got a thought from Holy Spirit 

” since you could afford you are treating yourself to Physiotherapy which has benefitted you , what about people in your homes who suffer but can't tell their pains or even if they express their pains they are given pain killers ?”

We also care for 25+ persons with severe stroke sickness or partially stroke symptoms and physiotherapy is must for their recovery. 

Besides some stroke related residents are also suffering from mental disabilities.

Immediately I got on the back of the Government to start these physiotherapy units in our homes.

And that's how we are the most blessed NGO to have Government grants for all 3 units.

Hon Minister for Social welfare Shri Subhash Phal Dessai has played a crucial role in seeing that we got the grants through his Department and infact 2 of the 3 units were innaugrated at his hands which makes operations transparent.

Social Welfare Department headed by Director Sir Ajit Panchwadkar too has supported our units till 31.3.24 along with Asst Director Mrs Marathe and the staff Mrs Trupti who we are indebted too.

From 1.4.24 , Director of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department,

Mrs V Naik has extended wonderful support towards our physiotherapy units. 

The previous Social Welfare Director 

Mrs S. Kamat to was very helpful & supportive when we had started our 1st physiotherapy unit in 2021.

Usually one finds NGOs always criticizing the government departments for delay of grants but I am happy that our NGO has been always being given 1st preference at Social Welfare Department and now Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department for so many physiotherapy units as well as other grants.

Yez the grants are calculated at 2007 rate but something better than nothing is always welcome and appreciated.

Imagine one NGO getting 3 grants from one Department without any hassle and bribing or even any demands under the table.

We are constantly attempting to access government funds towards our shelter homes as these are people who live on streets and are brought to our homes by the state police and this work has to be done by the Government.

 One can never depend alwsys on donations as donations are never steady to run such homes as benefactors too have their own issues to solve daily.

A small video of a few of our patients getting physiotherapy sessions in our shelter homes.

All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564

Www.streetprovidencegoa.com 

God bless you all