So many people do so many things in this world. Almost all are concerned with their own lives, their own future,the welfare of their own family, and accumulate wealth for themselves and for their future generations.
To look after the interests of ourselves and our kin is a natural instinct. There is nothing to feel proud about it. Even the idea of achieving greater things in life and achieving them and then posing as great achievers are not things that are worth being praised-if we compare them with the deeds of certain people who are not just human beings, but true representatives of God. For these people, the world is one family. Everyone around them is their own family member. They cannot tolerate the sufferings of any human beings, be they in their neighborhood or far away from where they live.
Jesus Christ lived for the whole world. Goudama Buddha abdicated his throne and became a recluse and did penance in search of an answer to the sufferings of the entire mankind. Gandhi, who went to South Africa to do business as a professional lawyer gave himself up for the cause of the poor Indians over there, and on coming back to India, offered the whole of himself for the society. Mother Theresa who was born in Austria in a well-to-do family came down to India to serve the poor and did it for the whole of her life. Such are not just human beings. They are embodiments of heavenly love which alone is conducting the world since the start of civilisation on earth. But for them, the lives of many poor and disabled children would have perished just at the beginning of their life. But for their selfless deeds, many innocent people and incapable ones would have been lost in the dark of utter negligence. And with their presence alone in the world, the very philosophy of creation is sustained in the world.
Just here, in Chennai, there does exit such a person for whom the world is a home and all the inhabitants are brothers and sisters. There is no one who can be left uncared for and there is no one in this world who can be called as orphans. The name of such a noble soul is Santhosh Mary. A woman of about forty years, who has sacrificed her all for the sake of children who are deprived of everything in this life except for their bare physical presence. She scoops away such disadvantaged children from wherever she finds them, keeps them in an abode which she has christened as Annai Arakkattalai, and which place she has converted into a home for the so-called orphans and lives among them as their Amma(mother).
Annai AraKkattalai is a charity institution with a difference. The inmates of Annai Arakattalai are not only provided with food and lodging but also showered with rains of love by the Founder-Director of the institution, Santhosh mary. It is no exaggeration to describe Santhosh Mary as an embodiment of the loving spirit of Mother Therasa. Helping the needy and destitute children is a quality bestowed upon her by God. That is why the institution, which she started with just three orphan children in 1996, has grown to accommodate a hundred in 2007.
How did the idea of starting an orphanage dawn on her? It all started with a spark she got within her family circle. Her widow aunt, burdened with 5 children and unable to feed them had to consign two of them to an orphanage. Moved by this pathetic state of poor children, she decided to patronize such helpless children at least around the locality where she lives.
To this effect she made an announcement in a marriage hall during the marriage of one of the relatives at Gummudipoondi where she resides. The same day three children were brought to her house by some un known persons and handed over to her. Her mission to offer new life to such orphan children started at this moment. The house where she and her husband were living, thus turned out to be the home for orphans.
Santhosh Mary, like all fellow human beings, was born and brought up without any idea of her parents training her to either adopt or look after the poor children. She grew as a normal child, got educated, employed and married off. But suddenly somewhere something triggered a spark in her which brightened into a great light under whose rays of unlimited love, about a hundred neglected children now are able to eat three times a day, get a good education and grow in an atmosphere which offers them hopes to have a future, which assured them a life where there is not an iota of insecurity, but only an assurance for a flawless future.
The orphanage, Annai Arakkattalai, run by Santhosh Mary is situated in Gummudipoondy, about 45 km north of chennai en route to New Delhi. A small place, yet accommodating 100 children who share almost everything like food and clothes among themselves under the motherly care of Santhosh Mary. The trials and tribulations Santosh Marry in underwent for fostering the children and her success to some extent in her attempt to feed them three square meals a day are narrated in the pages that follow...
Santhosh Mary is so fond of social services. Besides running the orphanage, she has also started a forum my name 'Annai Pothu Nala Sangam' through which she has been doing many social works such as cleaning the streets, gifting sarees to the very old women and taking them to the home to provide them food and shelter.
She often conducts "Health Camps" and "Eye Camps" in association with Vinoth Health Centre and Little Blossom.
Her mission of helping the poor keeps going inspite of the ordeals she is facing off and on.
The sufferings Santhosh Mary underwent for years since she started the orphanage and the opposition she faced from her own family members, and the humiliation she was put to when she approached people for help and the setbacks she suffered while developing the institution and the hardship she had to face in feeding the children daily for three times-ha!- they are tales soaked in blood and tears!
Santhish Mary, a B.Lit graduate by qualification, is working as a teacher in a government primary school in Gumudipoondi itself. But, the income she gets as a teacher has been hardly adequate to cater to the growing needs of children whose number was swelling month after month. So she had to supplement her income by doing some part time job and resorted to selling saris in the neighborhood on installments.
There have been times when she, along with the children, had to eat the poorest of the poor food she managed to arrange with her meager income. There have been instances when she had to convince her husband about her determination to carry on the mission despite the heavy odds involved in it. Her family peace, many a time, had to pass through rough weather due to this.
When help started dripping in from the sympathetic neighbours, her morale was boosted and she was reassured that God would not forsake her. Amidst her intense work pressure at the workplace as well as at home, she took time off to go and meet the VIPs and prospective donors irrespective of the distance and was literally begging for help- all this, quite an unimaginable task for an ordinary woman which she is not. Her self-will to achieve what she was determined to and her perseverance coupled with optimism did start bringing in fruits of success little by little.
People who viewed her efforts with sceptism and those who laughed at her and criticized her acts as a futile exercise, now began to admire and appreciate her and even started supporting her through whatever means possible. Mary is accepting help from whichever source it comes from and whatever form it comes in. Help in the form of left-over food during marriages in the nearby localities, old clothes from those who discard them as unwanted, books and notebooks from the people who want to see the children get educated and so on...
Certain voluntary organisations, on hearing her selfless service, came forward to adore her with awards and certificates thereby spreading the news that such an orphanage is existing and is in need of support for its sustenance.
Among the persons who offer regular patronage to the orphanage, special mention has to be made about Manikavassakam, an Asst. Commissioner of Police and Augustin and John, both working in MRF. Mr.Joseph Thimothi, working as a Manager in a Pvt. Concern regularly donates money to the orphanage.
She was awarded the "Protector of the Poor" Award (Karunai Kavalar Award) by a voluntary organization.
Jain College, Minjur awarded her a certificate commending her exemplary service.
Makkal Kural, a prominent Tamil evening newspaper gave her a certificate in appreciation of her noble mission.
A social service organization run by the fans of the Matinee idol Kamalahasan (Kamal Narpani Mandram) distributes food to the children on the birthday of the Kamalahasan.
Besides Santhosh Marry , now Annai Arakatalai is staffed by a woman warden by name Vairam, a helper, Ananthan, five part time tuition masters and a lady helper.
The orphanage is a home in its true literal sense. The children of Annai ArakKattalai never feel that they belong to an orphanage. From the movement they join, they start feeling at home. They consider Shantosh Mary not just as their custodian. They regard her as their own mother, a natural involuntary feeling they develop due to the motherly care and affection they receive from her.
They address her as 'Amma'. They take all privilege to demand their needs in a rightful way. Shantosh Mary has nurtured a feeling in them that it is very much their own home and all the inmates are one family. In turn, the children help one another in the household chores, the older children looking after the younger ones thereby sharing the duties of their godsend mother.
The children go about all the routines at the Home, as if it were their own home and Santhosh Mary as their natural mother. The day starts with morning prayer. After the morning routines, all of them take food as a family and start for the school. After they return home from the school they are given snacks. Then the teachers come to take evening tuition class. The day ends with their regular night time studies and meals.
As the children grow in age, the problems grow alongside. Girls and boys, on attaining marriageable age are married off by their mother. Satish and Amudha thus have become a newly married couple recently. Satish is working in a grocery shop nearby and takes care of his wife with his own income. Both of them, who came to the home as orphans, have now been paired to look after each other's interests as wife and husband and have been housed separately in a home closer to the orphanage.
Santosh Mary is aware of the abominable days ahead. She is now well prepared to handle the growing needs of the children as a dutiful mother. Her motherly spirit, determination to carry forward her mission and courage to face challenges of any kind keeps directing her to keep going on a path she has selflessly ushered herself on to.
Now the Home is spending Rs.450/- for a child on the average. Administration expenses amount to Rupees 10 to 15 thousand per month. The children are provided with school uniform and normal dress and are given nutritious food.
The home solicits help in any form. Good- hearted people can support the home in whichever way they feel they can. They can send money, clothes or food items. The money received by the home will be deposited in the home's account and will be audited annually.
Those who have well-knit social contacts can arrange for programmes to raise funds for the home. Institutions can send in furniture and computers for the children. Donations can be sent for purchase of land and construction of new building for the home. Because, presently Santhosh Marry is utilising her own home as the orphanage. Because the number of children are growing as years go on, she now finds it difficult to accomodate all of them in a small place. Her arms are always stretched out to take in more and more destitute children and offer them a new lease of life. So, large hearted people are invited to join her in her pursuit to develop the institution to accomodate more and more discarded and disadvantage children and share with her the joy of helping the poor and the destitutes.
Swathi was born in Tirupathi. She was abducted at the age of five and sold to a woman in Kerala. She worked as a servant in that woman's house and was tortured by her in many cruel ways. Somehow she escaped from there and came to Manali,Chennai. She was engaged to sell food ,and here too she underwent terrific torture at the hands of her boss. Feeling pity for her, a gentleman brought her to Annai Arakatalai.
Kumar was suffering from severe brain retardation when he came here. The whereabouts of his parents are not known . He is homebound always.
Father is alive. Tortured by stepmother. Brought here as a child.
Father no more. Mother's second husband killed his mother. He is from Manaparai.
No parents.Very abstinent. Now 18 yrs. Has attained maturity.
No parents. Uncle and Aunty visit now and then. The child does not want to leave the home.
No father. Mother was allegedly killed by her second husband.
Belongs to Tirunelvelli. No parents. Brought here by the villagers.
Tortured and raped by different people. Brought by some strangers.
Found on railway platform. Brought by some strangers.
Brain retarded. Was rejected by parents.
No father. Mother brought him at age 4. Then she died of Aids.
No parents. Brought by the relatives. Studying in 9th std.
No parents. Grandma brought him. Now in 9th std.
No parents. Studying in 4th std.
No father. Brought by his own mother. His elder brother was sold by his own mother to someone. The child has been adopted by Santhosh Mary.
Food Expense For Children
Food Expense For Citizens
Education, Medical, Festival Expense For Children
$50
Education, Medical, Festival Expense For Citizens
$50
