Florne Roche
Daijiworld Media Network

Mangaluru, Nov 13: There is a lot of difference when people love to work in areas in which they feel strongly about as compared to when they are compelled to work. When young couple Rohit Salctus and his wife Suneetha started Paschim Rehabilitation centre in Ullal 5 years back they knew it calls for lifelong commitment and hard work. But that did not deter them from going ahead with their mission because they did it with a purpose and with a commitment to do something to the needy. It has been a struggle since then and though wiser by a decade long experience of running a rehabilitation centre having over 35 inmates the couple is happy with the path they have chosen.

Paschim Rehabilitation centre is in fact an old house converted into a rehabilitation centre located in the tranquil vicinity of Ullal. The house located in 16 cents of land belongs to Rohit’s aunt (mother’s sister) a spinster who has been staying with the family. The house has been modified to suit the needs of a rehabilitation centre. Though the number keeps varying at present there are about 35 inmates of diverse age groups who have found a roof over their head at Paschim Rehabilitation. While the oldest inmate Agnes Castelino is 93 years old and the youngest one Sumayya, a differently-abled young girl is just 19. Between these two age groups there are other inmates belonging to diverse backgrounds, belonging to different regions and religions. Agnes with her trimmed grey hair and pink nighty looks quite jovial and she loves singing vovyos (Konkani marriage songs). She often entertains other inmates by singing vovyos when they pester her to sing to beat boredom.

For those who believe that one should have a career and make the future secure when young, this couple is certainly an exception. Having worked in Link De-addiction centre for about 9 years Rohit had the experience of dealing with a heterogeneous crowd. In fact the idea of starting a rehabilitation centre germinated when those coming to the Link de-addiction centre were asking whether there is any institution that can take care of rehabilitated people who need constant supervision for a longer period of time. Having taken care of his bed-ridden mother for almost ten years Rohit knew what it entails to take care of the old, the bed-ridden and the physically and mentally challenged people. “When a family approached me asking whether I can take care of a bed-ridden patient I agreed and began to look after him at my residence and slowly the home got converted into a rehabilitation centre. The first inmate was 64 year old bed-ridden man who has shown considerable improvement since then. Starting with one inmate today we have 35 inmates and we charge a nominal amount from them. Though the demand is on the rise we are not admitting more people as we have neither enough space nor necessary infrastructure to accommodate them”, says Rohit. He started the centre in 2009 after the death of his mother.

Initially his wife Suneetha used to help him in taking care of the inmates. But with the number increasing the support staff has been appointed. There is a doctor, a nurse and a few able-bodied among the inmates who help in taking care of the members and looking after their needs. For example Wilfred Serrao, 30, a recovered alcoholic has been given independent responsibility at the centre and Rohit did not have any reason to regret his decision.
Wilfred proved to be an asset to the centre and is quite popular among the inmates. “I am 30 and there is no chance of my getting gainful employment elsewhere. Rohit is taking care of me and working here gives me a satisfaction that I cannot get elsewhere. I want to continue working here and give meaning to my existence”, declares a grateful Wilfred.

Similarly, there is Nethra a young girl whom Rohit and his team picked up from the Railway station where she was found unconscious. After the death of her mother her relatives who were eyeing for her property wanted to get rid of her. Responding to a call Rohit and his team went to the Railway station to find a badly bruised Nethra. It was her good fortune that she fell into good hands at Paschim Rehabilitation Trust and has recovered since then with counselling and love and care she received at the centre. She has been of enormous help in taking care of the female staff.
“Nethra is blessed with good voice and she takes the lead in singing Bhajans and also teaching others to sing. We are keeping her salary in the bank because our final goal is to see that she gets married. We feel it is our responsibility to find a suitable boy and ensure that she gets settled well”, Rohit points out.

The inmates are kept busy as the able ones do their own chores of washing their clothes, keeping their place clean, singing Bhajans, saying prayers etc. “Maintaining cleanliness is the biggest challenge as most of the inmates are old and therefore need constant attention and guidance”, says a diminutive Suneetha whose boisterous persona has a positive impact on the inmates and the caretakers alike.

Rohit and Suneetha who stay in the same premises with their four year old son say working among the old and the differently-abled gives them lot of satisfaction though it has been quite a challenging one. As most inmates are old they need constant medical supervision and sometimes they need to be taken to the hospital. “Dealing with people with diverse backgrounds and making them come to the reality of living under one roof is the single most difficult task we have been facing. Many of them constantly complaint of old-age related pains and problems and some of them want to go home. It calls for tremendous patience and persuasive skills to calm them down”.

The couple feels bad to send those who come there seeking admission due to lack of space. They are in fact scouting for a new place and Rohit feels that it would be a great help if some kind hearted people come forward to help them buy a small piece of land or even give their bungalow or home to run the rehabilitation centre. “If we find some land we want to start piggery or poultry so that we can generate some income to run the institution”, says Suneetha.
It is good to see that the couple share the passion for the kind of service they have been doing. It requires tremendous courage, conviction and large-heartedness for a young couple like Rohit and Suneetha to dedicate their lives in the service of the needy people. They surely need a pat on the back and also our constant support. While many of us may not be able to help them directly some generous financial help from likeminded people would go a long way in providing shelter and care to those who need them.

Rohit can be contacted on mobile number: 09945990755

Bank account details:
Corporation Bank, Thokkottu
A/C : Paschim Trust
A/c number: 114900101009607
IFSC code: 0001149.