Summer has come early and Viji tells me the residents like to sit outside where they hang the washing, under the banana leaf roof in the shade. She has put some beds outside so they can rest. It is very hot, up to 40 degrees, and most days there is a power cut, sometimes all day.
It was Nagammal's birthday recently so the cook made sweets and Nagammal handed them out to everyone. She, like most of the other residents, doesn't know when her real birthday is, but they are all allocated a day which is their special day so everyone can make a fuss of them. It is squite endearing that all their lives they never knew about birthdays but now they all look forward to 'their' day!
Recently an old man who lives locally came to Jacob's to ask Viji if she would help him. He told her he had a wife and five daughters who were all married and happily settled. She asked him how she could help him as he seemed to have a good situation. He told her that all the time he thinks of committing suicide, he thinks of hanging himself or lying under the train. He told Viji no-one cares for him and he is very unhappy. He said he had recently had an operation and is taking medication but when he is feeling confused he doesn't know which medication he should take. Viji took his tablets and divided them into envelopes for him, writing the instructions on the envelopes. We have asked him to come in every day and spend his time at Jacob's with our residents. We will ask Dr Sekar to see him and find out what exactly his physical and mental state is, and hope that we will be able to help. It is good to be a small charity and to be flexible in the ways we can help; depression is a universal illness - I hope we will be able to help this poor man.
