4. A Typical Day at Santhinikethanam

I was introduced to the good work being done by Sister Razia Bhanu in early 2010 by my late father. Sri. Sivakumar, an old friend of my father's, took us in his car to Santhinikethanam in Vadakkanthara, where we waited for Sister Razia to come back from her work at the nearby Devi Nursing Home. The home presently occupies the upper floor of a 2-storey house owned by a kind, elderly couple, who spend most of the year visiting their children abroad.

I was struck by the quietly elegant Razia, her sincerity and passion for her chosen cause clearly evident - inspite of (or perhaps, inspired by) the unfortunate turns her own personal life has taken.

I returned to the home in August 2010 with Mr. Sivakumar, this time without my dear father, who passed away suddenly in mid-2010. My father was deeply impressed with the home and Sister Razia's efforts, and had often expressed his wish that we should do more to help her cause.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to interview the residents and create this small presence on the web for Santhinikethanam. Their stories are found under the section titled 'The Residents'.

After plying us with delicious aapams, Sister Razia also shared her thoughts and experiences with us. She described her daily routine in the home, from getting up in the wee hours each morning to cook for the residents, to personally bathing and feeding some of the ladies with psychiatric problems, and ensuring each of them has their prescribed medications, before leaving for work, locking the home for safety. During the day, Bombay Amma and Music Amma have been trained to call her at the hospital or on her cellphone if any urgency should arise at the home.

A television set, kindly donated by one of Sister Razia's well-wishers, provides the elderly residents with some entertainment to help them while away the long hours. Music Amma is the only one who can read a newspaper. She also leads the residents in a prayer-cum-bhajan session from 6 - 7 p.m. every evening, and - in keeping with her long career as a music teacher - is known to be rather strict with her 'class' and doesn't take kindly to interruptions!
 
Sister Razia returns by early evening and resumes the evening chores of cleaning, cooking dinner, dispensing medicines and helping some of the frailer residents to bed, before herself retiring for the night.

On most days, this routine plays itself out without change or diversion. The house only has very occasional visitors like us, and as I listened to the stories of the elderly residents, I couldn't help pondering what it must be like to live out your twilight years in loneliness. What does one look forward to, when one wakes up every day, with no family to call one's own or be cared for by?

Yet, the fate of these women could have been so much bleaker, if not for Sister Razia's efforts to provide them with food, shelter and security, in what must be the most vulnerable years of their lives.

Living room at Santhinikethanam (photos were taken in August 2010)

View of the living room, dining area and laundry area

Musicamma, Janakiamma and Vesuamma

View of the balcony from the living room

Balcony where the residents enjoy fresh air on a cool night

Thathamma and MusicAmma

Vesuamma is usually one of the first to retire for the night