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| Sunday, 24 August 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Assisting the Victoria Home for Incurables : A mission of mercy by LAKMAL WELABADA 'If there's a disabled child in a house, after his parents die we must have a place to keep him,' was the foot note written by the British Governor to Sri Lanka, Arther Gordon in his notice on the opening of the Victoria Home for the Incurables on March 13, 1888: in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Coronation Jubilee. You might have passed this place thousands of times when travelling, driving or riding along the Sri Jayawardenepura Mawatha between Borella junction and Rajagiriya. But have you ever paused to think the modest off-white building just opposite the President's College, Rajagiriya, standing unnoticeable, is sheltering 187 incurable human beings (82 males and 105 females), who have been consigned to the loathsome fate of being restricted for the rest of their lives, to a wheel chair or bed? Their souls scream silently for a little mercy from the rest of the world to feed their impaired human bodies until death parts them from this world. Except for three or four with one leg disability, most of the inmates cannot move about on their own without someone else's support. Among them there are four females and three males completely bed ridden, and their whole lives are on a bed with a bedpan. How many hours can a human being sleep? But they have no other choice. Except for a few, most of them are illiterate. TV and the radio are their best companions to get information. They speak the language well. Some are good musicians and singers. Sarath, one of the inmates sings Asanga Priyamantha Peiris' popular song 'Mage daru patawu ahasata detha digu karan.....' (My children cry for their mother stretching their little hands towards the blue sky where they saw her aeroplane disappear towards middle-east...) "I learnt the verses by heart by listening to the radio. Do I sing well?," he asks innocently. A kind word of appreciation seems to be uplifting his soul greatly. It's heart-rending to see how they are trying to keep their spirits alive till their last breath. Gunewardene who is in his forties makes soft toys. Dilini, an eighteen-year-old does beautiful crotchets. And Sugathadasa makes key tags. Their products wrapped in polythene covers are displayed at the entrances of the wards to attract well wishers who come to their Home with a 'Dana' (alms giving). They have their own way of getting the raw materials for their products. A few of them including Sugathadasa own a challie converted motorised wheel chairs. "I got this in 1990 for Rs. 18,000. Today it might cost around Rs. 45,000 - 50,000", he said. Sugathadasa was crippled in an accident in 1976, and came to the Victoria Home in 1982. He collects money from his fellow 'sisters and brothers' in the Home and goes to Pettah and Pamunuwa at Maharagama to buy thread, materials, wadding and other odds and ends for their handicrafts. The unity keeps their souls together. That might be healing their inner sorrow of being away from their home, the parents and loved ones with whom they grew up until they were 18 years or more. "The age limit to accept inmates for this Home is 18 - 55 years," said D. K. Thewarapperuma, the Superintendent of the Home. "The criteria of accepting a disabled person is, to be afflicted with a permanent physical handicap by birth or by an accident. At present there is a waiting list of 102. A vacancy comes after the death of a resident," he said. Mr.Thewarapperuma is a strict disciplinarian who dedicated his life to the Victoria Home with a staff of a Matron, an Assistant Matron, two nurses and 45 minor staff including ward attendants and labourers. The inmates treat the Superintendent as a God Father in their lives. Whenever he enters a ward they smile with him with gratitude. "We encounter a lot of difficulties. But thanks to our devoted staff who sweat and toil here for a minimal salary, we manage to run this place," Mr.Thewarapperuma said. The government's annual allocation for the Home is Rs. 1 million. From that Rs. 1,50,000 is spent monthly. A certain percentage goes to settle the monthly bills: electricity - Rs. 23,000, water - Rs. 7000 and telephone - Rs. 8000. Another percentage is spent to hire the vehicle to take inmates to hospital almost everyday. And the rest disbursed for the payment of the staff. The main meals even just rice and two curries are not at an affordable level. Eighty percent of the meals for the inmates were provided by donors. But, an alarming crisis has struck recently. We learned that there were 106 cancellations of 'Dana' from January to mid June," the Superintendent said. "The home gets a monthly donation, an approved monthly interest of Rs. 15,000 to be used in an emergency basis. When there's a cancellation of a meal we have to cover it up with that interest. The Home needs around Rs. 5000 for lunch or for dinner, and Rs. 3500 for breakfast a day," said Mr. Thewarapperuma.The next problem he points out is the overflow in the sewerage system of the Home. "Our drains and toilets are in a very bad condition. We have to pump up the pits 3-4 times a month. The sewerage lines are all corroded. It's high time to demolish the whole thing and build up modern toilets to suit the disabled," he said. The labour work at Home is also tedious which include bathing, cleaning and feeding. Every inmate needs individual attention. "We are short of staff as well. But unable to get new hands due to the low salaries, and the nature of the work they have to do. A permanent worker who has worked here for the past twenty five years still gets only Rs. 3000 a month, and a casual worker gets Rs,130 a day," he said. There is no problem connected with the funerals of the inmates as A. F. Raymonds, Borella has undertaken to attend to funerals it free of charge from the day of the opening of the Home. The wards are short of two TVs. Apart from the problems encountered at the administrative level, the other severe problem the Home faces is the dumping of kittens and pups in the compound by the public. "Since they can be a threat to the inmates we had to destroy 179 cats and 19 dogs recently," said the Superintendent appealing the general public not to dump their unwanted domestic animals in the Home area as it would cause a lot of health problems. Mr. Thewarapperuma further stressed that the Home has never authorised anybody to collect donations for them. Well wishing public should forward their donations directly to the office of the Victoria Home. The Victoria Home is in need of aid. If you can allocate at least a nominal percentage of the cost from your next birthday party or wedding anniversary celebration or when commemorating somebody's death anniversary you will fill the stomachs of 187 unfortunate human beings and uplift their souls. Won't it be a blessing for you? |
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