Vishranthi was quiet in the afternoon as all the inmates were having a nap after lunch as I had a chat with Savithri Vaithi, the woman who is instrumental for starting this retreat for senior citizens and its continued services for the last three decades. She gave a detailed explanation of how Vishranthi came into being and its sustenance.
“In the year 1970, we started a club called Monday Charity Club with about 20 members and we met often to get to know the happenings around us. We started helping people and slowly people in need started approaching us. Every month we invited a guest to give us a lecture on different topics and on one such occasion Tara Cherian, the then mayor of Chennai came and addressed us. She suggested that we could start a crèche for children, a women’s hostel or an old age home and this idea triggered us into forming ‘Vishranthi’ in the year 1978. We received help from Helpage India and AVM Rajeswari Trust and bought land and over the years we have built several blocks with continued support from a lot of individuals, trusts and corporates.
People who are here are regularized to maintain very healthy, simple and punctual time schedules. Healthy food is prepared in the kitchen here. We have bhajans, entertainment and also a lot of them are encouraged to do handwork as a hobby. We have doctors visiting hours to address health issues and there are a lot of artists who come here and provide entertainment. ”
Vishranthi has a children’s ward that houses children who are homeless and with single parents. They have a separate block for people who are mentally ill and an intermediary block for taking care of recovering patients. They have a staff of 27 people which includes helpers, maids and cooks to take care of their inmates. Some of them are patients who have recovered from any form of mental illness and have no homes to turn to. Today, Vishranthi helps other social organizations which approach them and has taken the responsibility to recreate Payaverkadu, an area in Tamil Nadu that was affected by Tsunami, even building a hospital for the locals.
Vishranthi accepts help in cash and kind for all their needs. There are 9 dedicated women trustees who have split all the responsibilities among themselves so that the place functions in a very orderly and efficient fashion. It is heartwarming to see the commitment of these people who are working towards the cause of providing a better life to human beings, by creating an atmosphere of calmness, tranquility and peace.
Contact Details
Vishranthi Charitable Trust,
4/227, AVM Rajeswari Gardens, MGR Salai, Palavakkam, Chennai - 600 041,
Phone +91 44 2449 0972, Mobile 99413 72838, E- mail vishranthi_trust@yahoo.com
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