Letter from India – Thanal House

We have had a great update from Salini, full of news about what has been happening at Thanal House. Salini and her family run Thanal House, a refuge for destitute women, many of whom have pschiatric or other problems. She writes:

Dear Eddy

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We have good news – we received Orphanage Control Board Licence. Our some ladies are not in good health, they are under treatment.

Elizabeth:- She got swelling on her left leg, we went near health centre, doctor prescribed 2 week medicine, but it is not become normal so we take in to the General Hospital Trivandrum 30 km far away from Thanal home. We take her to general medicine OP, they gave 2 week medicine and they refer her to surgery OP. Did the test for Filaria, LFT, RFT, RBS, ESR, etc…it is all normal, now she under treatment.

Devi:- She got lump on her neck, we went General Hospital, and after treatment now she is feeling better.

Musaliya:- She got abscess on her buttock. We went health centre, after treatment now she is better.

Nadiya: – She got sprain on her left leg. We take her in to the health centre, now she is under treatment.

Kamala Devi:- She got fits, it is first time now she is not much well.

Nagamma: – She already has fits problem weekly 2 or 3 times getting. We would like her to go into the general hospital.

1. January: 2019 (Pillows)We brought 30 pillows and made Rexin cover for pillows

2. March: 2019 (Drinking Boiled Water) Kept pipe fixed kettle in ladies dining hall to get boiled water for drinking every time.

3. April: 2019 (New Admission)
Bro: Tom gave new lady for Thanal, Her name is Baby.
She is malayali. She is not psychiatric patient, she have relative, no one taking responsibility for her, and she get operation on her leg, so without help she can’t do anything. So Bro: Tom brings her from general Hospital. But after couple of weeks Baby difficult to stay in Thanal, on her wish she left Thanal, return to General Hospital. After discharge now she is in her relative’s home.

4. April: 2019 (Picnic)
We did not take out ladies all together for picnic, so we planned to take 4 to 6 ladies at a time by in our Omni van.

5. June: 2019 (Rehabilitation)
By the Grace of God we have to Rehabilitated one more lady from Thanal home. Her name is Kusumam from Uthar Pradesh (UP). Distance from Kerala to UP in Train 5 days’ journey.
For the last 7 years she is a member of Thanal Family. 7 km from Thanal one of a small village called Panniyodu, she wandering in the street, some local people inform to police, they took her in to Thanal. At that time she is fully psychiatric patient. After treatment, a couple of months back she become 85% normal. She gave her address. Fr: George Joshua (Sneha Veedu, Trivandrum) introduce a social worker that he know all language in India, his name is Maneesh from Bihar; he working an organisation called Pratheesha (meaning Hope) – their mission is help to finding their relatives. With the help of Maneesh find out her native place, police station. From there we collect her village, panchayath officer contact number, for the help of the officer find out Kusuman’s husband and we got his contact number. We sent her photo by WhatsApp, he recognise his wife Kusumam and then they talk each other, they were very happy. Her husband said that her name is not ‘Kusumam’ but the real name is “Lakshmi”. After one week he come in Thanal home, that time we prepare a small farewell function and handover to her husband with the presence of Fr: George Joshua (Dept. of Social Justice), Our Local Police Officers and the social worker Maneesh .Now she is safe in her home.

Kusumam’s (Lakshmi’s) story.
Kusumam has four children, two boys and two girls. Ten year back her elder son got some police case, in that time she started to change her character. Eight years back, one day no other person look after kusumam that’s why her daughter take her to market to buy vegetables, in railway station she get missing, the whole family search some months, they thought she is no more.

6. July 2019

HHI given Rs. 40,000/- (£450). We brought 30-coats and Rexin sheet. With the help of a tailoring shop, make cover for each 30-Coats. With the left over money we brought 35-Plates, 35-Glass, 35-Spoons and kettle for our ladies.

7. 2019 (Hospital Visit)
Mental Hospital, our OP day on every Monday. Before we hire a 22 seat van to take all ladies to consult, but vehicle charge is very expensive that’s why we are taking by our Omni van 4 to 6 ladies each Monday to see doctor.

8. October 2019
One of our friends (social worker) saw a lady in Trivandrum bus stand around night 11.30, her clothes were very dirty she talking along, wandering here and there. He inform near police station but they not willing to take her. So that friend call us and he sent us her photo. We went that night and we found her around 12.30 . The journey between Thanal to Trivandrum bus stand take 1 hour. We take her in Thanal, her name is Jennifer. She is from Tamil Nadu, about 26 years old. She is a psychiatric patient.

9. 2019
One day we got a call from local police station they inform us one of a lady wandering in the street undressed. They took her in Thanal, she is about 50 years old, she fully mentally challenge, she not talking to anybody. She made too much violence. She not opening eyes whole day. At evening her son and relatives are came with ID proof. They took her back. Now she is in the hospital.

10. 2019
Sunday worship
All Sunday we have worship. Those who know to read, we give Bible to read in each Sunday .First we read a chapter all together by standing, after each lady read same chapter. We have in Malayalam, Bengali, Hindi and Tamil languages are use to read.

11. September 2019
Couple of years back we got a lady from street. She is from Tamil Nadu, her name is Ezhil. She is fully physiatrics patient. After two month we recognised she is pregnant. So we ask her about her pregnancy, but she does not know how it’s happen. So we must to find out her parents, that is why every day we started to ask her home place. One day she gave her school address and home details. Finally we found her home, we met her father and younger brother. she have mother, two sisters and one brother. Except younger brother and father other three are psychiatric patients. Her mother wandering in the street and she back home every day night to sleep and again next day same happen. Her two sisters are staying two orphanage. Because this reasons her father do not like to take Ezhil to home. Here in Thanal no facility to keep pregnant lady. That is why we contact other rehabilitation centres, one centre they accept her. They already have same cases. Ezhil delivered a baby girl, now she is five year old. Baby name is Aksa. That baby staying in another institute. Ezhil staying were we admitted. In the 2019 September we got a Phyco Social Association meeting in that Rehabilitation centre. We met Ezhil. She is very happy and healthy.

Next Projects
1. We would like to buy 2 wheelchairs.
2. Horticulture Therapy (Agriculture)