PARADIP: Caring for the old, weak and infirm is their mission. Meet this group of youths who have been working selflessly for the welfare of the elderly and the destitute in Paradip town for the last many years.
Santosh Behera, Kalandi Majhi, Om Prakash, Jagannath Behera and Narayan Jena have set up Maa Santoshi Old Age Home at Balijhar in Atharbanki area to provide care to the elderly abandoned by their families. More importantly, the youths, under the banner of Vande Mataram Sahajoga Samiti, have been running the old age home with funds raised through various campaigns and without any support from the Government or any corporate houses in the port town.
Santosh said when Super Cyclone wreaked havoc in the region in 1999, the then members of the Samiti had come to the rescue of people, especially the old and the destitute, and lent a helping hand in rescue and relief operations in the worst-hit Andhari, Kunjkothi, Japa, Ambiki, Jiraelo and other panchayats of Erasama block.
“Inspired by their act, we decided to set up a shelter home for the old and weak who are neglected by the society,” he said. The youths first opened the old age home in the house of one Lokanath Samal of Biswali in Kujang block. Later, trade union leader late Sankhanad Behera donated a piece of land along with a building following which the shelter home was shifted to Balijhar in 2016.
Narayan said though they faced fund crunch, it did not deter them from working towards their goal. “We were determined to help the weaker section of the society and hence, raised funds through campaigns,” he said.
Currently, Maa Santoshi Old Age Home houses 26 inmates including 14 women. Seventy-one-year-old inmate Fakir Charan Behera said, “I had lost all hope in life after my three sons drove me away from home. But these youths brought me here and provided care, affection and shelter. Now, they are my sons.”
Echoing similar sentiments, 81-year-old Panchu Behera, who hails from Astrang in Puri district, said after his sons abandoned him two and a half years back, he took shelter in the old age home. “Since then, all I have been getting here is love and affection,” Behera added.
Kalandi, who is the Samiti secretary, informed that `3,000 is spent daily on refreshments in the old age home. Besides, thousands of rupees are spent towards ration, dress, electricity, drinking water, sanitation and medicine. “We raise funds to meet the expenses of the inmates from locals, social activists and traders through gifts and donations,” he added.