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Bibianna, around sixty, hails from a tribal district of Jharkhand bordering Bihar. Her father was a marginal farmer who could hardly make both ends meet with his six children, three daughters and equal number of sons. All of them other than Bibianna died early She was married to a gentleman who lived in a tribal village in Orissa. He sired a son but abandoned her after she became hunched after some ailment on her back. A practicing devout Christian, she came back to her mother’s home and lived there for good 14 years. The son grew up, left her and started trading on fish. Her health specially her back started giving her goose bumps with no one to care for her. She shifted to her sister’s home and stayed there for about a year. She does not remember what happened afterwards. She landed up by train in Guwahati. She had no food for 5 days till a kind old man spotted her sleeping on the platform, bought two loaves of bread and gave her. After her hunger pangs were partially satisfied she took stock of her situation, found out, where she landed up and decided to beg in the station. She desperately wanted some money and hence started to collect empty plastic water bottles from the platform and the bogies. She stored the bottles in a corner under the Railway over bridge.

But after she collected reasonably large numbers of the bottles and decided to sell them and scouted a buyer, she found that all her treasures were stolen away by some drug addicted urchins, all platform dwellers. The haven fell on her. She remembers crying loud and some other platform dwellers trying to console her. Then for the second time she blacked out. Once again she does not remember how she landed up in a remote lonely newly laid hill road that connects south Guwahati with central part of the city. Someyoung all members of a NGO, spotted her and informed the police who brought her to “Seneh” , our home for destitute old women. We found the hunched woman otherwise very active with a somewhat disturbed mind. She gets into a tranche whenever she hears devotional songs specially Christian hymns. Although the language is the barrier , she jells well with others who mostly speak Assamese. She is a very quick learner and is busy in her spare time to hand knit foot mats from torn Saries. We consulted the psychiatrist who did not find anything wrong in her.

We have informed the Police about her past and requested them to locate her son in Bihar as per the address given by her. We are yet to hear from them.

Alas ! In all likelihood, her days are numbered. A very senior doctor has, recently opined, after examining her and going through her blood, ecg, sonography and scan reports that he feels it is a fallacy she still is alive. She has a third stage psoriasis of lever, a failing heart and kidney, acute thyroiditis and probable TB. But she is still able to move about and gradually regaining her appetite. Few days back her BP fell to 55/38, pulse rate feeble and was on delirium. Our stuff and above all the compassion, love and care of Jutika, our unbelievingly dedicated associate, made her stand again. We know she cannot be saved. But she will certainly die satisfied, she had people who certainly cared and loved her.

Basanti came to Seneh a year and a half back. A diminutive ,quiet sixty plus, who speaks only when spoken to , is satisfied with whatever is offered and never even once complained of any discomfort or suffering. A wry smile never left her small lips. She was brought to Seneh by a compassionate lady who informed us, she begged near a temple , slept on the veranda of nearby shops , ate very little. But of late, she was so sick she could hardly walk even to sit for begging and hence slept often empty stomach.

We were told b y Basanti, she had a loving husband and two sons. All three died of some illness living her alone with no roof or means of sustenance. She lived in a rented sack and was forced to beg. But with failing health she could not earn enough to eat and pay for the rent. Thus ultimately she became roofless.

A routine examination revealed she was highly anaemic. The doctors suggested immediate blood transfusion. Three volunteers came forward to donate blood and three bottles units was transfused. Initially she regained her strength and appetite. But within a month her stomach and feet got swollen. With that her blood level again came down very low. The attending doctor suggested, we take her to a lever specialist. We took her to the best in town, an expensive proposition. And he told us after a number of investigations and tests, she has a third degree lever psoriasis . The blood was oozing out from one of her exposed throat vein explaining the blood loss. On his advise a bending operation was conducted in a private hospital. Initially for a couple of months , she regained her health. But then it gradually deteriorated till our nursing has revived her again. It was an amazing turn around but according to doctors, it is temporary.

Let us all pray a miracle happens and she survives.

This 75 year old (approx) was born in a remote village in Nepal. She had two brothers and one sister. Both brothers died, one with TB and the other for excessive drinking. She does not know where her married younger sister is. She was married to a carpenter in Nepal. The family migrated to a village named Bholatal in Assam Bhutan Border. They joined the house hold of a rich farmer, she as the house maid and he to work in the fields. Her memory is cloudy. She remembers a daughter was born to her at the landlord’s house but when we ask her the daughter’s whereabouts she gives a blank look. They left the landlord and settled in a small village nearby. She says that her daughter died in this village, but the villagers say that she is alive and married with kids. Her tale of woes started when she lost her husband at the tender age of 21. With her blurred memory she once told that she came back to her parents living in a village called Belkhuti located in Baksha district of Assam. Her mother died when she was 26 and the father remarried. The stepmother started ill treating her and she left her fathers home to walk alone in life. Probably that is the time she lost her mental balance and started loitering on the streets. Inspite of our best efforts we could not ascertain about her life in the intervening 40 years period. We heard about her when a lady of the locality narrated to us about an old woman who the villagers believed to be a haunted witch who becomes violent on full moon days. She lived in the nearby jungles and would come out sporadically begging for food. We found her living on a hay stack in a winter month. The villagers advised us not to approach her since she may turn violent but she was as tame as a rabbit. Her long hairs were knotted; she was wearing a loin cloth. One of her hollowed eyes was injured. Seeing us she tried to run away but we caught hold of her, forcibly brought her to a well, gave her two consecutive baths with soap and water and wrapped her with a clean old sari given by a villager. Initially, she was a big challenge to us since she would not know when to stop eating. And if we tried to control, she turned violent throwing things and hitting her head with whatever she could lay her hands on. Today, Devi is calm and composed, we consider her as the biggest tribute to our efforts. Both her eyes were operated and she is on psychiatric treatment that will continue for the rest of her life. She is hunched but otherwise most radiant of all the residents of Seneh and always ready for a jig whenever we request her to dance!

Devi the sole surviving member of four siblings hail from a remote village in Nepal. She was married to a carpenter in Nepal. The family migrated to a village on the Assam-Bhutan Border and worked for a farmer, she as the house maid and he to work in the fields. Her memory is cloudy. She remembers a daughter was born to her but when we ask her the daughter whereabouts she gives a blank look. They left the landlord and settled in a small village nearby. She says that her daughter died in this village, but the villagers say that she is alive and married with kids. Her tale of woes started when she lost her husband at the tender age 21. With her blurred memory she said she came back to her parents. Her mother died and the father remarried. The stepmother started ill-treating her and she left home to walk alone in life. Probably that is the time she lost her mental balance and started loitering on the streets. In spite of our best efforts we could not ascertain about her life in the intervening 40 years period We heard about her when a lady of the locality narrated to us about an old woman who the villagers believed to be a haunted witch who becomes violent on full moon days. She lived in the nearby jungles and would come out sporadically begging for food. We found her living on a haystack in a winter month. Her long hair was knotted; she was wearing a loin cloth. One of her hollowed eyes was injured. Seeing us she tried to run away but we caught hold of her, forcibly brought her to a well, gave her two consecutive baths with soap and water and wrapped her with a clean old sari given by a villager. Initially, she was a big challenge to us since she would not know when to stop eating. And if we try to control, she turned violent throwing things and hitting her head. Once she hit her head with a brick. The wound required 3 stitches. Today Devi is calm and composed, we consider her as the biggest tribute to our efforts. Both her eyes were operated and she is on psychiatric treatment that will continue for the rest of her life. She is hunched but otherwise most radiant of all the residents of Seneh. She dances and plays the Frisbee with other inmates and helps in cleaning the house. She considers the physical work in the kitchen garden her exclusive right.

This 65 yr old was picked up from a thatched hamlet on top of a wooded hilltop. She was living alone , dependent on some nearby villagers who would frequently give her food. Because of a road accident, she had multiple fractures on her limbs which although joined was very painful to her. She would walk with the support of a wooden stick, limping in pain.

Born to a daily wage earners family, she had 5 brothers. Four of them died very early in life. Father also died when she was 8 years old. The mother brought her up by doing house hold chores in the neighborhood but she also expired when Priyabala was 18. Within a couple of days even her only surviving brother was drowned in a river leaving Priyabala all alone. A relative brought her to Guwahati and gave her to a renowned singer’s family to work as a housemaid. Within 2 years she ran away for reasons she would never divulge. She started working as a construction worker. There she met a mason and married him. Her husband turned out to be a confirmed alcoholic. They lived together for 12 years but did not have any children. One evening she came to know her husband’s dead body was lying by the side of a busy road. She ran to the site, but as the fate may have it, a speeding car hit her and left her with multiple fractures in all the four limbs. She does not know who cremated her husband. She was admitted to a hospital. Some passerby helped her to file a suit and she got a compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh. Out of this amount, the pleader took his lions share of 50,000, the witnesses took 50,000, and the remaining 50,000/ was paid towards her hospital bills. She came out of the hospital crippled and broke, sold off her small plot of unregistered occupied Government land for a paltry eight thousand rupees with a proviso that she will be allowed to stay in the thatched hut built on a corner of the plot as long as she desires. She lived with that money for about a year till she had nothing left other than despair and suffering.

She was the first to make Seneh her home. Today, thanks to the efforts of Seneh, Priyabala not only walks without a stick but also cooks for the entire residents by turn. Seneh organized her cataract operations of both eyes, is treating her high blood pressure with regular medication , persuaded her to give up smoking bidi and chewing tobacco. Her health improved tremendously. You visit Seneh, and be sure, within a couple of minutes, Priyabala will appear beaming with a hot cup of tea.

Urmila was picked up from a village near Tongla of Sonitpur district of Assam. We were informed of Urmila by a young man of the area who took pity on this blind woman who lived on a hutment and survived on alms given by villagers. He came to know about Seneh because of a piece of news about us broadcasted by a local T V channel.

Urmila has nobody in the World whom she can claim as her relation. Born in a poor villagers family, she had three other siblings. All of them died in their prime. She lost her mother when she was eight and father when she was fourteen. The villagers got her married to a small time contractor. They had a son out of this wedlock. With a modest earning , a caring husband , and an intelligent son, for 22 years Urmila had a satisfying life till tragedy stuck. Her husband died in Guwahati Medical College hospital because of acute pneumonia. She started living with her son as the only hope with the modest savings her husband left in a hired accommodation. She would augment her finances working as part time maid. The son was quite intelligent, topped in his class, represented the school in football. He turned 17 and appeared in the matriculation examination. Urmila was happy, satisfied and a proud mother But cruel destiny once again played havoc on her. Her son contacted pneumonia and died in the same hospital where she lost her husband on the day when his matriculation results were announced. Urmila was left all alone in life.

This tiny brave woman did not loose her cool. She had no money since all she had was spent on the treatment of her husband and son. She started working hard as part time maid to earn her living, spend her spare time visiting different households and taking part in all festivities in these houses. But God would not allow her peace. Gradually she lost her vision and ultimately was not able to go out without help. A good Samaritan in the locality took her to his home and gave her food and clothes to wear. She lived with him for a year when we got her to Seneh.

Thanks to the efforts of the ophthalmologists of Sankardeva Netralaya, Guwahati and our team of dedicated employees, Urmila today is no longer blind. It was a lovely sight to see Urmila walk in, dancing in glee, after the bandage of the eye operated first was opened. Today this diminutive beautiful woman in her early seventies is a mine of energy and the centre of inspiration for all. She always wears the most beautiful toothless smile in the World. You visit Seneh and you will find Urmila appearing within minutes with a cup of tea beaming with her beautiful smile.

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INLAND REMITTANCE BANK


Beneficiary Name :	Bhavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust
Bank Account Number :	78670100005969
IFSC Code :	BARB0VJRGBR
Bank Name :	Bank of Baroda, Guwahati 781021

FOREIGN (FCRA) BANK


Beneficiary Name :	Bhavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust
Bank Account Number :	00000040019083229
IFSC Code :	SBIN0000691
Bank Name :	State Bank of India

Helpline No : +918753908043/9810791818

Email Us : bdmpt.seneh12@gmail.com/acbarua@gmail.com

Bhavada devi memorial philanthropic trust 'SENEH'

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DONATE NOW

INLAND REMITTANCE BANK

FOREIGN (FCRA) BANK