Mother Teresa's Home cont.

Today was my last day at Mother Teresa's home and I have to admit I was a bit sorry to leave. It has been a tough but great learning experience in so many ways. The cleaning and laundry was hard work and we went through lots of elbow grease. Carrying buckets of laundry up three flights of stair to the roof top line was my favourite chore! (not to self, if you ever open up a home put the laundry room on the top floor). Something about cleaning though; it does feel good when at is all done. It is funny how at those cleaning moments of utter satisfaction at a job well done I must be channelling my Granny Ellis. Her mantra/ catch phrase "fine and fresh" rings happily in my memory when ever I get the chance to take down clean clothes from the drying line on a sunny day.

Shanti  with her ladies

Anyway being with the residents in the home was really great! Every day as we drew, danced or played games I slowly got to know them and learn of there story from the sisters or other volunteers. Shanti, from France has been volunteering for 10 years. She come for about 4 months every year and is a real work horse and gets the ladies involved in doing laundry, dusting and sweeping. She is a real gem with a heart of gold. The sister have told me that they have more women residents than men, not because more women are born with mental disabilities but that due to domestic abuse, rape and overall mistreatment from in-laws any women have mental breakdowns. They explained that in comparison to South India, North India male dominated culture view women as second class citizens and possessions to be exploited. I have never really noticed this before but the sister are so very right on with that.  What a horrid truth !

The ladies

Copying chalk drawings

wearing her newly made necklace

Morning tea time

In the home the residents call all the volunteers either Aunti or Uncle. Uncle Micheal has been a donor to Mother Teresa in Varanasi for many years and when in Varanasi he assists with the men. A truly nice men with a very loving heat.
The residents are of course n some for of medication and are monitored by a doctor regularly. Many of the ladies were either violent of completely withdraw and catatonic on arrival  but to look at them today you would never guess that. There are only two ladies who were bed ridden due to sever mental problems, and another two due to mainly old age. Every day though these ladies would be washed and dressed and carried out into the courtyard where they could at least feel part of a community. The sister tell me that slowly with routine, love and medication they begin to come around again; but they will never be what they were before.

Doris assisting art class

Me and  some of the men

Uncle Micheal's birthday,  with residents, sisters and volunteers

Mia the scribbler

It was also so very interesting to see some residence just shine  at different activities. One lady could look at a chalk drawing, memories it, turn the board over and draw exactly from memory. Another girl maybe in her 20's who could barely focus would take up beads and string, thread the beads with great focus and make necklaces. Mia was an amazing scribbler and would get completely immersed, in the zone, when she is creating. She scribbles in all kinds of shapes and colours and when you hold the paper from a distance it appears three dimensional; she is a real artist. One women who is especially disturbed with tendency's to hit or grab and shake herself as well as other women became a different person when you held her and danced. She would smile, swing her arms, attempt to sing and her tremors would melt away. Sometimes all I could do for a resident was to hold them, gently wipe away spital, rub shoulders or just give a smile from my heart. It was really quite interesting to see how simple but genuine human kindness and concern alone could bring peace to a disturbed mind.

I think that the full effects of what I have seen and done at Mother Teresa's will not hit me for a while yet because it is was both very satisfying to help but deeply troubling to  become aware of how disturbed the human mind can be. It is especially difficult ton think that due to violence and neglect a person's mind can become horrifically disturbed.
When I left the sisters thanks me and asked me to come back again; Thank me ! for what?  It was them I had to thank for giving me the opportunity to learn and interact with the residents. I am sure this is one of those life changing experiences I just can't fully apprecaite it yet.