Once I finished my studies, I had to go out and work. I didn’t want to get into Hotel industry because the work hours are long there. I wanted to work with Pappa and learn many things and at the same time go out and work. I tried for a job in a BPO and attended many interviews. I would reach the final level but would not get selected. The reason was they thought, since I had a good academic record, that I was perhaps waiting to get a job in a cruise or go for higher studies. Finally, I got a job in a BPO- International Voice Process. I was happy because, I had night- shift. I could spend the day and the week- ends in the units in Udavum Karangal.
I earned a lot of money and I had freedom. I had everything but felt empty. I had only money and nothing else. Something was missing. Within a couple of months, I realized that I belong to Udavum Karangal which is my destiny.
An opportunity came again when Pappa asked me to take care of the units in Coimbatore. I said ‘yes’ immediately. The very next day, I quit my job and I am proud to say that this the best decision I have taken in my life.
Once I finished my studies, I had to go out and work. I didn’t want to get into Hotel industry because the work hours are long there. I wanted to work with Pappa and learn many things and at the same time go out and work. I tried for a job in a BPO and attended many interviews. I would reach the final level but would not get selected. The reason was they thought, since I had a good academic record, that I was perhaps waiting to get a job in a cruise or go for higher studies. Finally, I got a job in a BPO- International Voice Process. I was happy because, I had night- shift. I could spend the day and the week- ends in the units in Udavum Karangal.
I earned a lot of money and I had freedom. I had everything but felt empty. I had only money and nothing else. Something was missing. Within a couple of months, I realized that I belong to Udavum Karangal which is my destiny.
An opportunity came again when Pappa asked me to take care of the units in Coimbatore. I said ‘yes’ immediately. The very next day, I quit my job and I am proud to say that this the best decision I have taken in my life.
As we have observed no one is without a family. We pick up patients from the streets, we take care of their needs and rehabilitate them. We try to find their family and one fine day, we reunite them. When we analyze this situation, what strikes us is his suffering. What he must have gone through at home and in the streets, no relationships, no orientation. We have to imagine ourselves in a situation like this where we are lost and have no food, no communication.
Families are very important. Poverty, lack of awareness, lack of facilities especially in interior villages lead the families to abandon their mentally ill member.
This is the reason we began Parivartan. Udavum Karangal admits only homeless people. I thought ‘why not start a program for those who are with their families? Why do we wait till they end up on the street?’ If we helped the families, we can prevent the mentally ill members from ending up on the streets. That is how Parivartan began.
It was very tough in the beginning. People used to run away from us. They had heard rumors that we will take them and remove their organs. Convincing the families and the community was a big challenge. Sometimes we felt that we could not continue. But we persisted. We thought of Pappa who had faced a lot of challenges but never gave up. Compared to him, what we faced was nothing. The very thought of Pappa and the way he faced problems boosted us. If there were not these many problems, we would have thought we were on the wrong path. We were reassured that we were on the right path and carried on with our work.
Parivartan in Coonoor is an extension of the Coimbatore project but there we have to work many times harder. While treating addicted people is in itself is a major problem, accessibility to reach them is another ordeal. There are no proper roads and we have to walk long distances in the forest
The transformation in the people in both the projects encourages us. It is not just the transformation in one individual but in the whole family. Some of the patients are now bread- winners or they take care of the home enabling others to go to work. The family also treats the recovered patient with more love and compassion. Seeing their happiness motivates and makes me happy.
About the future, like Pappa who is never satisfied but asks ‘what next?’, I too look for more projects. He never hangs on to one success. It is a coincidence that I have a similar character. He is my role model. I like taking risks. The biggest risk for me would be to stop taking risks.
Seeing their happiness motivates and makes me happy.
About the future, like Pappa who is never satisfied but asks ‘what next?’, I too look for more projects. He never hangs on to one success. It is a coincidence that I have a similar character. He is my role model. I like taking risks. The biggest risk for me would be to stop taking risks.
