Brother James writes...

Reaching the Unreached has a large extension programme in addition to our own very large outreach work.  This we call our Satellite Programme.  When we come across a trustworthy group who wish to help those in the greatest need but who do not have access to the necessary finance or planning facilities then RTU will step in and help them substantially in whatever way is needed from purchase of land to planning the necessary lay-out and with finding initial finance to start and to continue, sometimes for several years.  Once this group has settled down and can stand on its own we will withdraw but sustain a good and interested relationship with them.  We are aware that this is part of the ripple effect of RTU’s expertise that enables other worthy organizations to reach out themselves to those in need.  The very name of our group is Reaching the Unreached and we wish to do this in any and every way needed.

A typical example of this is a centre for physically and mentally handicapped children in the large town Theni, some 30km south west of our base at Kallupatti.  I know that there are more than 200 such children presently cared for by a group called RUADT, run by a Mr. Murugan in this town and the areas around.   The conditions in which they were trying to help these families was really shocking.   Every day the care-takers worked in two very small rooms in a narrow lane.  There was no running water, one small toilet, no cooking facilities, no play space.  In fact no space at all, but it was the only available place for rent in the centre of the town.  I was shocked by such conditions for such children; many very small and very handicapped indeed; most of them totally dependent on the mother.  There and then I decided that something much more appropriate must be done without delay.  Our associated charity in Britain together with a few others provided the necessary finance amounting to £52,000.

And now, the new centre for these most needy of children is complete.  It is called Pushparani Children’s Centre.  “Pushpa” is Tamil for flowers and “rani” means Queen, so Queen of Flowers: a much loved name in Tamil Nadu with many connotations.  The 1½ acre site is in a forest reserve where peacocks are abundant and other small animals are safe. A large river runs around two sides of the property and it is always full.  It is on a hillside and so overlooks much of Theni town four kilometres away.  It is an ideal and idyllic property for the children and their caretakers. 

I am happy to say that the new buildings are beautiful, functional and well built, keeping in mind the children who now have a purpose-built place to spend their days, while they receive physiotherapy medical care, nutrition and so much else.  There are two physiotherapy halls delightfully cheerful, airy, with wide verandas all round.  There are five smaller rooms for special care and training and two large halls for a multiplicity of purposes, and there is an abundance of good equipment.  The kitchen is very well appointed using only steam for cooking from a large boiler which burns only waste materials, no other fuel, no firewood, no electricity in this kitchen.  A delightful open-sided auditorium has polished coconut trunks resting on carved granite bases as pillars and a large picture of Radha and Krishna on the back gaily tiled wall.  This also serves as a dining area.

There is a playground of swings and other equipment suitable for these children.  And nearby cottages for the staff – all in keeping with the overall appearance: terracotta roof tiles dominate everywhere and give it all its special ambience and beauty. What an enormous contrast it is to the previous slum-like conditions.  There are two minibuses bringing the children and their carers in the morning and taking them home in the evening because it is a day-care centre.  It is a delight to see all the children arriving each morning.  You can hear the peacocks calling to each other and if you are lucky witness a peacock dance in all its glory. Food and water is left out for them each day! The large site is proving an ideal place for this centre.