Extreme Makeover! Seon Ashram Cures Mentally Ill Man- Reunites with Family
“To create a supportive environment for a holistic development; To raise the quality of their (Ashram residents) life; To enable them to become self-reliant; and To integrate them with the mainstream society”- Vision of Seon Ashram Trust (R)
“To identify, enroll and rehabilitate mentally challenged individuals who are destitute; To provide shelter for people suffering from depression or who are oppressed or those who are abandoned; To provide minimum with basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter and medical care to the inmates; To provide vocational training to the inmates; To provide education to the orphan children; To spread community awareness and participation towards the care of the disabled community; To collaborate with other like-minded institutions, NGOs and individuals to attain Ashram’s common goal”- Objectives of Seon Ashram Trust (R)
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved. God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try. It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in. I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things. A life not lived for others is not a life. Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” – Mother Teresa
Mangaluru: Last time when I had visited Seon Ashram Trust, located at Gandibagilu in Belthangady Taluq. where the care and love that the founder of the Ashram, UC Paulose, his wife Mary, his son and daughter-in-law and other family members show towards nearly 400 residents ranging from the age group of 1 month old infant to 100-year-old adult is unbelievable and had touched me a lot- the Paulose family nurture and care for these folks just like their family members, irrespective of caste or creed. These residents are with various disabilities like mentally ill, senior citizens who are destitute, widows; children who are orphans; people with physical disability and victims of sexual abuses. Team Mangalorean has been constantly touch with Seon Ashram in their projects and activities serving the less privileged. Recently Mangalorean.com in association with Humanity First Foundation (HFF) had donated a couple of wheel chairs to the Ashram.
Before….
As Jesus had said according to Mathew 25:30 in the Bible, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do, unto me”- with reverence to these words of our Lord, lay person UC Paulose supported by the dedicated family, generous donors and well-wishers, founded this home and ever since its inception has taken good care of the residents just like his own family members. This is a live story of a miracle village, Gandibagilu in DK district, at least for 400 destitute and sick people, whose lives were originally shattered for one reason or the other and were confined to the street corners and railway stations, who had to resort to food from the garbage bins. These people, unwanted by the society, have been and are being, picked up with love and care by an uneducated couple without any of their own income source with only one ambition in life – service to mankind.
And here is yet another story, as to how Seon Ashram took care of a stranded mentally ill man on the roadside, took him to the ashram, treated and cured him, and recently reunited him with his family. It has been long seven years by now, this mentally ill man named Mayashankar had left his home. In the year 2012, 10th August, while Mayashankar was loitering near Arla Padavu in Panaje Village in Puttur Taluq, Abdul Azeez and Ravindra Bhandary and a few other youngsters from that village along with ‘Gadinada dhwani Patrike’ ( a Kannada daily) Team took Mayashankar to Seon Ashram, where he was admitted there for further care and treatment by U C Paulose, without any hesitation.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, U C Paulose said, ” When Mayashankar was admitted to the Ashram he had matted hair, long beard, shabby clothes, skin disease and he looked mentally ill not knowing anything about himself nor the outside world. After his few days here at the Ashram Mayashankar showed signs of improvement following regular treatment. Mayashanker getting recovered from his illness started to help the kitchen staff in cooking meals for the inmates. Once he recovered his mental loss, Mayashankar started revealing the details of his family. But all the attempts by us in tracking down his family members was all in vain. We prayed to God that some one would come forward and find Mayashankar”.
Also speaking to Team Mangalorean, Sandhya S, daughter-in-law of U C Paulose, and also the Manager of Seon Ashram Trust said, ” While we were desperately trying to contact Mayashankar’s family, we were not successful. Every year, Rubber India-Belthangady visits our Ashram as their annual food distribution to our inmates. Recently when they had visited our Ashtram, few of the staff of Rubber India from Bihar recognized Mayashankar as their villager and they communicated the information to his family. His family didn’t waste much time, on 5 May 2017, Mayashankar’s wife Shantidevi and his son-in-law visited the Ashram. It was indeed a emotional reunion of a member with his family after seven long years. Mayashankar,, along with his wife and son-in-law left the Ashram to his native place, which is in Muzaffarpur in Bihar.”
Before Mayashankar left the Ashram for good to his native place, the Seon Ashram staff gave the complete instructions to Mayashankar’s family about his prescription and course of treatment to be followed, to ensure that there was no relapse of mental illness. The management and staff of Seon Ashram are extremely happy that they were able to reunite a person with his family after years of gone missing. Indeed a happy ending!
…..After
According to Mathew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, ….”, we should know that giving is something done voluntarily. Giving should not be done under compulsion, coercion, duress, or conviction. There are some exceptions, of course. When you do give, you are to give what you have chosen in your heart. Those who take pity on those less fortunate than us are true neighbors and care givers..”
In conclusion, the joy of being able to bless and give someone you love and care, and to make them smile, is priceless. The satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the lives of others cannot be overstated. Knowing that you have helped make someone else’s life a little brighter and better is a special feeling, and one that will last with you for a long time. And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy. So if you are looking for a way to enhance your act of sharing and giving experience, try giving back now. Let’s give to the less fortunate, ashrams, non-profit organizations, needy families and children, and others a feeling of hope, and make a difference in their lives. So if you like to contribute and join in Seon Ashram’s efforts to help the needy/destitute/downtrodden/mentally sick…, you can call Seon Ashram at : 8197780884 ; 9740181028 or Email Id: seonashramtrust@gmail.com Website: www.seonashram.in , Facebook: www.facebook.com/seonashram
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Mangaluru: Seon Ashram Trust- a Home Away from Home for People with Disability
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