CHENNAI: For the 19 hapless men who were found wandering the streets of Chennai, the home for the destitute run by the Chennai Corporation in Dooming Kuppam has slowly turned into a safe haven.Meet 40-year-old Ramkumar, who takes delight in stretching his arms for the yoga sessions here and loves to play Kabaddi with his fellow residents.According to the resident Counsellor, Sumathi Murugaiyya, Ramkumar was one of the many residents who came to the city in search of a job few months ago and lost his way in the city. His story is no different from that of Sonilal, who worked as a light technician for a wedding band, until he lost his job and became homeless. For these troubled souls, recreation at the centre comes to their rescue, she says.Their day at the centre, which was started in February this year, begins with yoga to relax their mind and body. The regime that begins at 11am for a group of 10 members is followed by another afternoon session postlunch at 3.30pm for the rest of the inmates of the home.“The sessions give them a break from sedentary lifestyle and help them engage in relaxation techniques to divert their mind,” says G Noorulameen, the yoga master at the home, who helps them unwind.Sumathi says that the inmates have also been trained to make small covers using newspapers for packing tablets that are now being used by Corporation doctors.“Initially the inmates who are mostly from the northern parts of the country, namely Uttar Pradesh, Benares and Nasik, did not respond to the sessions due to the language barrier. But, we finally got through to them,” says Noorulameen.Some of the residents of the home are now able to dance and jest with the staff and fellow residents, she adds. “We are planning to initiate more recreation activities that are tuned to their liking to motivate them and give them hope,” she says.Y Priscilla, teacher at the Chennai Corporation Anganwadi adjacent to the centre declares, “They are full of life and even help me create charts and colourful stickers to decorate the classroom.” The Mithra foundation has been assisting the Corporation by providing them with the requisite manpower, including a yoga teacher, a counsellor, two male nurses, three security guards, as well as attire, according to K Velankani, project coordinator of Mithra foundation.Speaking to City Express, Dr Amudha Hari, consultant gynecologist and laproscopic surgeon, who spearheads Mithra Foundation that focuses on healthcare of the vulnerable sections of the society, says that their partnership with the Chennai Corporation has helped them come up with the recent initiatives like the tree plantation drive that was organised along with Tree Bank at the Dooming Kuppam campus on Friday.
Comments
0 comment