A Guardian for the Elderly
At an age when children feel their parents are nothing more than a liability, there is no option left for old people. Here is a man who cares them like his own parents. S Chandrasekhar, who has been running an old age home as well as an orphanage to taking care of the destitute.
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Inspiration
So, when did Chandrashekar start his philanthropy? He says that his heart changed when he lost his eldest son Lohit in a freak incident. He had scolded his son for damaging his Maruti car and the latter took it seriously and ended his life. This incident has changed Chandrashekar so much that he started taking care of the old people with the help from his wife. His first guest was an old lady abandoned by her family. He brought her house, now Brahmana Sevashrama Sangha, and since then she has become a part of the family. Soon, she was joined by many more. His only motto in life is- “I am son to those abandoned by their children and a parent those who don't have one to give shelter.”
Initiative
Chandrashekar stays in a small rented house built in area of 30 feet X 50 feet along with his wife Bhagyamma BK, son Raghavendra and aged mother at Madavara, off Tumakuru road, Bengaluru. He also takes care of ten abandoned senior citizens and six orphan kids. Though old age home is open only for Brahmins, the children from any caste can join orphanage. Interestingly, two Christian children have taken shelter in his orphanage and are getting free formal education from Madavara Government School. While there are nominal charges for old age home, the orphanage is free for destitute children.
Impact
Unlike many other old age homes or orphanages that are richly supported by non-governmental organisations, the Brahmana Sevashrama Sangha runs purely on Chandrashekar’s earnings and occasional donations. “However, there are philanthropists who walk into my house to spend time with my family members (read senior citizens and children). They offer groceries or cash at times. Many a times, I wonder how I can take care of these people with my meagre earnings.
“However, I have also learnt a hard lesson in my life. When you open your heart for others, even the God opens his heart of kindness towards us,” he says. His house has opened the doors for the last four years and since then it has been witnessing a steady rise in the number of inmates. Today, it has become a custom in the neighbourhood to spend their birthdays or wedding days with ‘Chandrashekar’s broad family’.
—Guru Prasad
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