Family’s goal: Giving broken hearts peace of mind

Seeing loved ones of those suffering from mental illnesses may be quite distressing. People who are insane often wind themselves abandoned in asylums or on the streets. Inadequate support systems cause the illness to deteriorate, endangering not just the mentally ill individual but also people in their vicinity. Furthermore, since mental illness is stigmatized, few individuals come forward to ease the suffering of the mentally challenged.

For such unfortunate individuals, however, a family in Puducherry is a true blessing. For mentally ill women living on the streets, A Sagayamary (42) and her father S A Samy (62) provide dignity and hope. They established the Buds of Heaven Social Service Society, a charity that maintains a shelter house where these women get both care and craft-related training.

This institution, which is officially recognized by the government, provides a therapeutic atmosphere by diligently teaching women how to make paper pencils, envelopes, carry bags, antiques, and flower pots with fake flowers. “In September 2016, we founded this group specifically for women who are autistic and mentally ill. 30 senior folks and 66 other individuals are housed at our home at the moment, according to Sagayamary, who gave directions to the prisoners working on crafts when we were there. The public and police often provide us with information on mentally ill individuals who are out on the streets. We bring them to our house after the proper process and provide training, counseling, and medical care,” explains Samy.

Sometimes family members want us to take care of them. We either generate money for their upkeep or gather a little sum of money,” continues Samy.

They both related the touching story of saving a young lady who had been waiting for days in front of a church. They were able to locate her family, provide her counseling, and allow her to resume her regular life with their hard work. She is a teacher in a private school in Villupuram at the moment. We continue to follow up to make sure she receives counseling and medication on schedule, Sagayamary added.

Samy and Sagayamary have expanded their benevolent outreach since November 2020. They facilitate autopsies and final rites, as well as assist the police in recovering and burying unclaimed or severely decayed dead. More than 1,700 corpses have been buried so far. “If no one claims the bodies after 15 days, we carry out the last rites,” Sagayamary said.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, the family even began handing out free meals in the Puducherry area. They also started bringing medication to elderly residents, those under quarantine, and residents of other shelter houses. They also supplied diabetics in need with diet items. People are able to donate food to the poor thanks to the creation of “Akshaya Patra,” a communal refrigerator situated at Bussy Street between Kamban Kalayanam and the Odiyansalai police station. The 22-year-old son of Sagayamary, Marie Francis, is in charge of the Akshaya Patra project and is a Master of Social Work candidate.

Creating a job for mentally ill women is Sagayamary and Samy’s ultimate objective, since it will help them gain respect and independence from society. “We wish they had a normal life, leaving for work in the morning and coming home in the evening like everyone else. They revealed their dream: “The money they make from this kind of labor would allow them to be financially independent and win the respect of their relatives, who frequently see them as liabilities. With my father’s help, I carry out the last rites of individuals who are dying alone as a daughter, mother, or sister. I’ll carry on doing it in the future as well,” Sagayamary said, hastily leaving after getting a call about the discovery of another death.