CHENNAI: The in-house garden of Anbagam, which houses intellectually disabled people rescued from the streets, is ravishingly verdant. The patients sit around the garden, and tend to a variety of vegetables that are slowly sprouted with their care and love. From ladies finger, tomato to pumpkin, their garden has it all, and it continues to flourish. These veggies, painstakingly grown, are cooked into healthy meals at Anbagam centres, in Chennai.
Away from the monotonous medical check-ups and sour medicines, these patients have found solace in an engaging and healthy pastime and transformed an otherwise dullsville into a hub of activity, by growing veggies and taking care of them! Their ever-growing love for gardening had taken root around six months ago when they started cultivating vegetables on their own.
In an effort to not outsource their needs, the patients of the three Anbagam centres — in Otteri, Tondiarpet and Thirunilai — decided to grow their own produce. The home at Thirunilai is steadily becoming fully self-sufficient - with most of the vegetables grown inside the campus itself. The other centres, too, have been following the same path.
Listing out the veggies that are freshly grown in the self-sufficiency drive, PC Rafiya, Director of Anbagam, explains, “More than 250 inmates are currently housed in the Thirunilai centre, and we buy only onions from outside stores. As trees like papaya and citron grow on the rehabilitation centre’s campus, we decided to plant vegetables. Six months ago, we sought the help of training from the Chennai Resilience Centre.” The garden now has spinach, brinjal, chillies, cluster beans and other vegetables, and has enough food for all, the director adds.
The carefully planted and nourished vegetables grown in Otteri are enough to fill the tummies of the patients at least twice a week. Kavitha, a 38-year-old patient from the Otteri centre, explains the process, “We like to water the plants, and we also prepare a spray with ginger and green chilli and jet it out on pests spotted on the plants. A quick glance at the growing plants itself warms our hearts and we, most of the time, eagerly look forward to the day when the harvested vegetables will be cooked.”
From sowing seeds to taking care of the plants, the inmates of the house have been ardently engaged in gardening. The trees are planted in sand-filled bags and the inmates, with the assistance of the caretakers, prepare manure for the plants.
Impressed by their efforts, Mohamad Rafi, Anbagam founder, says, “It turns out to be a routine for the inmates after a point. The gardening keeps them active. We have a poultry farm which is maintained by them. They are interested in being part of the whole process and they share smiles at the dining table while consuming what they sow.”
Research shows us exposure to greenery and gardening contributes immensely to the well-being of intellectually disabled persons, doctors say. Sathish, a doctor who stays with patients at Thirunilai, observes, “While medicines contribute to the improvement of health, social and personal development are significant factors. The patients develop camaraderie while interacting with one another. It influences them positively. Gardening enhances their concentration span and helps them be physically active.” They talk to us about the growth of plants and even give us suggestions. It is also a way to explore their hidden talents, he adds.
‘Greenery aids mental health’
Research shows exposure to greenery and gardening contributes immensely to the well-being of intellectually disabled persons, doctors say. Sathish, a doctor at Thirunilai centre, adds, “Gardening enhances concentration span and helps them be physically active.”