VISHRANTHI HOME FOR AGED DESTITUTE WOMEN

Inauguration of Vishranthi in 1978 by
Honourable President of India Mr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and
Governer of Tamilnadu Late Shri. Prabudas Patwari

Our transformation over years
Vishranthi Main Building

NEED FOR OLD-AGE HOME

Today the social-economic scenario of the country, having changed drastically from joint-family to nuclear-family system, has forced both the spouses to seek employment to sustain the family. This has resulted in a new set of multi-fold problems faced by aged parents especially the women, which did not manifest in larger measure some decades ago. These problems range from lack of security at home, feeling of loneliness and unavailability of urgent help during medical emergency, etc.

VISION OF THE VISIONARY

As early as in the year 1978, when these problems existed sparsely but mostly in potential form, Late.Mrs. Savithri Vaithi had the forethought and a clear vision of the future needs of old-age women into a large-scale growth of these problems, especially that of old-age destitute women. Based on her intuitive urge to address these problems, she charted a clear and systematic road-map on an on-going basis for alleviating the distress of the aged women.

Mrs. Savithri Vaithi started, “Vishranthi”, the first Old Age Home for Destitute Women in Chennai with one inmate initially. Today, in 2021, this pioneer institution under the able administration and guidance of the trustees has grown in its strength meeting the basic physical, psychological and emotional needs of nearly most deserving 140+ women in “Vishranthi”, their Old Age Home at Palavakkam, Chennai.

PROVIDING DIGNITY WHILE LIVING AND AFTER.

Vishranthi ensures that legitimate and most deserving destitute women are admitted into the Home. The inmates get not only healthy food, decent clothing and comfortable shelter beside basic medical facilities but also dignified life during the stay. Those who need urgent medical help are provided such facilities immediately by the staff nurses to help them get back to normalcy and those who need long-term medical assistance are shifted to sick-room for exclusive attention.

HELP TO SICK AND TERMINALLY ILL

Bed-ridden and terminally ill women are given proper medical attention and care by trained nurses and assistants. Whenever the inevitable end happens to the inmates, they are given dignified last respects and the body is handed over to the relatives or well-wishers. Vishranthi has performed several hundreds of path-breaking last rites to the deceased inmates who do not have any near and dear ones

A UNIQUE WIN-WIN ACHIEVEMENT

Another noteworthy achievement is rehabilitation of nearly 15 women so far, who were once mentally-disturbed and were given necessary medical treatments to bring them into the mainstream of society. They are made employable and assisted to lead fairly independent life. They are given employment in various maintenance work of Vishranthi, such as house-keeping, washing clothes, cleaning bathrooms and toilets, assisting bed-ridden women, etc., This idea is the brain child of Late. Mrs. Savithri Vaithi, a unique and an exceptional achievement, resulting in a win-win situation of rehabilitation of the people belonging to the most vulnerable section of the society and thereby utilizing their skills at an affordable cost for the Home

REHABILITION OF TSUNAMI VICTIMS

Soon after the devastating tsunami in the December 2006, Mrs. Savithri Vaithi immediately rushed to Cuddalore and Nagappttinam along with many members of Vishranthi to provide immediate relief to the affected people. All the able-bodied women inmates of Vishranthi Home voluntarily came forward and actively participated in packing of the relief materials to the victims. Mrs. Savithri even adopted a few villages ravaged by tsunami for providing focused attention until the people returned to their normal routines.

“Direct Relief International” – an international philanthropic organization in USA choseMrs. Savithri Vaithi to oversee the work relating to their assistance for tsunami-relief through Vishranthi, thereby showing their confidence in the ability and sincerity of Mrs. Savithri Vaithi with regard to social work. Through this opportunity, Mrs. Savithri Vaithi organized to build and run a small clinic with maternity care, scores of toilets especially for women folks of the island at Pazhaverkadu hamlet near Ponneri. Until these facilities were provided, people living in 15 villages on this coastal area had to travel by boat to the Government hospital 35 Kms. away for their urgent medical attention. This travel sometimes had resulted in complications developed during journey by women who were in the advanced stages of pregnancy, critical illnesses, etc. and hence the need for ‘urgent medical care’ at the very door steps of these people was imminent. The entire population in Pazhaverkadu village expressed their gratitude profoundly to Mrs. Savithri Vaithi for providing the rudimentary facilities in their colonies for which they were longing for years.

Ms.Savithri vaithi
MS.SAVITHRI VAITHI
MS.SAVITHRI VAITHI

Founder and Chairperson (1930 to 2020)

MS.SAVITHRI VAITHI

BOOK BANK AND ASSISTANCE TO ELDERS OF FAMILIES

Another notable feature of Mrs. Savithri Vaithi is helping the children and elders of poor families just having hand-to-mouth existence and who were living just above poverty line. She has ensured that through their parent institution Monday Charity Club, various text books are given free to the children who pursue higher studies with the condition that they should promptly return after the year’s examination are over to enable future children to benefit.

Besides this, Mrs. Savithri Vaithi has envisaged a novel scheme by which a small group of 50-odd elders living in poor families, who are selected by the Committee of the Club, are provided individual packets every first Wednesday of the month which contain essential items like rice, Thoor dhall, Urid dhall, coriander, tamarind, rava, oil and soap, etc., besides small cash for their personal expenses, if any, so that it would reduce the burden on their families to that extent in maintaining these elders.

GROWING NEED OF ASSISTANCE FOR “VISHRANTHI” TO SUSTAIN THE ACTIVITIES.

The entire activities of“Vishranthi”are the brain-child of Mrs. Savithri Vaithi. This institution is run fully on donations from well-wishing public, institutions, etc. Being a Public Charitable Trust, the day-to-day affairs in running of the Old-Age Home due to rising costs of food grains, power, and office administration is becoming a strain on the finances. Nowadays, the increasing need for accommodating more and more people seeking admission into the Home is a big reality and therefore philanthropic participation by more and more people and institutions in larger measure is becoming highly essential.