Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 19: White Doves, a charitable organization, successfully reunited a destitute woman, missing since 2012, with her family in Maddur. This marks the 441st reunion facilitated by the organization.
On August 9, 2012, White Doves received a call from a local resident about a severely emaciated woman who had been living outside a closed shop for four days. The White Doves team rescued the mentally disturbed woman, who identified herself as Farzana from Maddur, but she could not recall further details.
Corrine Rasquinha, founder of White Doves, shared that Farzana often expressed her desire to return home, mentioning her son Asif and daughter Sumaiyya, and that her house was near a meat shop in Maddur. However, Farzana couldn't remember which Maddur she was referring to, as several places by that name exist near Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Chikkamagaluru. Due to her mental health struggles and communication barriers, hopes of finding her family dwindled.
Three weeks ago, the police brought another mentally disturbed woman, Sarojamma, to White Doves for admission. After successfully reuniting Sarojamma with her son, Jerald, White Doves’ manager, asked the family, who were from Maddur in Mandya, to share Farzana’s details with any local Muslim butcher’s shop. The butcher passed on the information, and Asif, Farzana’s son, who was eight when his mother disappeared, received the message and contacted White Doves in Mangaluru.
Against all odds, the impossible became possible. Farzana's son, now married with two children, and her daughter Sumaiyya, who was adopted as a baby, were finally reunited with their mother. Both children had longed to find their mother after discovering each other’s existence. Asif had been told about his sister during his marriage, and Sumaiyya learned of her brother’s existence through family members. Despite searching in Mysuru and Kerala, they had been unable to locate her.
Farzana’s tragic story unfolded further. She was the second wife of a wealthy man whose first wife had passed away. Her husband’s elder brother and business partner, with the help of Farzana's stepson, turned her husband into an alcoholic, leading to domestic abuse. The mistreatment eventually left Farzana mentally unstable, and she began wandering the streets. Her baby girl was given up for adoption, and Farzana was abandoned in Mangaluru by her stepson and her husband’s elder brother. After her husband succumbed to alcoholism, Asif was given away to a family in Bengaluru, while the family business was taken over by Farzana’s stepson and brother-in-law.
The reunion brought tears to everyone’s eyes as Farzana, overwhelmed with emotion, clung to her grandson, mistaking him for Asif. She was in disbelief that her son was now grown and married with children.
Corrine Rasquinha, reflecting on the ordeal, said, “Greed tore this family apart. Farzana’s children grew up as orphans, and she was left to suffer on the streets. For most, a mentally unsound person on the street may seem beyond help, but each has a heart-breaking story. We thank God for allowing us to help those in need.”
White Doves continues to serve as a beacon of hope for the destitute, proving that even the most impossible reunions can happen with compassion and persistence.