My visit to ‘Prema Nilayam’

I had an opportunity to celebrate new year in a special way this time. we at TMAD (http://tomakeadifference.net), visited an old age home called ‘Prema Nilayam’ in Langarhouz, Hyderabad. I really did not expect that running an old age home is such a difficult thing, reeling under it’s positive portrayal in ‘Lage raho munna bhai’.There people are of well demeanour, good health, and enthusiastic towards life.But here, people are of physical,mental disorders and depressed people. That’s a film and this is the reality!!

I don’t have any words to explain my astonishment towards the way Mrs.Naga chandrika garu is running the organization. Kudos to her commitment and perseverance. She started this home out of compassion grew in her seeing the problems faced by her aunts in their oldage. Being an ardent devotee of Sri Shirdi Saibaba, she left it to god to take her will forward. From then she did not look back to keep the home running. I would like to quote one line from my friend’s email signature- ‘When you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’ She is a living inspiration for taking greater challenges in life. I find it difficult to look after my grand parents staying in my village but after visiting chandrika garu, it gave me enough courage.

Inspite of her busy schedule as an engineer in electricity dept, he finds time to make sure that everything is going fine in the home. She pays a rent of 12000 from her own funds to the home. In addition to these monetary problems, she has to face somany emotional hurdles dealing with old people. Deaths happen quite frequently before her eyes. She has to see the continuous pains suffered by the people. Different kind of diseases and some are infectious. All these are being done without a dedicated medical personal. She has to request doctors to come and check the condition of inmates. I am marvelled at the kind of initiative she had taken and going ahead overcoming all hurdles. There is problem with location also. That landlord is charging 12K for that home in remote location and neighbours keep complaining that people are dying frequently!! Inspite of encourgaing the service she is doing, they are sending complaints.That’s a kind of society we are living in, what a pity!!

We,at TMAD, decided to support to the best possible extent. Whatever we do will be insignificant compared to what Nagachadrika garu has been doing. We just need to climb the ladder which was already laid by her. I request the reader to visit home once and help in any way. Other than the monetary help, medical help is the most needed one. Her interviews can be found in following links. you can go through them.
http://www.eenadu.net/archives/archive-24-12-2007/vasundhara.asp?qry=vasumain1
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007121858600200.htm&date=2007/12/18/&prd=th& 

The photos of our visit are uploaded here  http://picasaweb.google.com/prasanthi.uppalapati/OldAgeHomeVisit 
http://picasaweb.google.com/prasanthi.uppalapati/OldAgeHomeVisit