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Meenatai is like any other 70 year old. She keeps a small footlocker with all her bare essentials in it...

Meenatai (name changed),is like any other 70 year old. She keeps a small footlocker with all her bare essentials in it,prays regularly and also bickers with her fellow roomies over the colours of saris that are given to them. This year,however,life is changing in more ways than one for her as well as her roomies and friends,as the old chawls where they used to stay in the Nivara old age home,have given way to a sparkling white,one-storey complex that will cater to the needs of people like Meenatai and her friends.

P R Kulkarni,one of the members of the executive committee that manages the Nivara Home says,The old chawls where all the old men and women used to live were in bad shape and dilapidated. They did not provide adequate insulation during the winters and during rains,the roof used to leak,which was a huge health hazard for them. Also,owing to the old architecture,the walls had all become musty and the rooms were not properly ventilated. As a result,we decided to construct new houses for them. While the accommodation for the men was completed last year,the dorms for women have just been completed recently.

Elaborating about the place,Sadashiv Malshe (also known as Hari Om),a volunteer says,The new dorms have been made keeping in mind the special needs of the people. While the ground floor has six dorms that can house eight women each,the first floor has eight dorms. Another reason why these new dorms have been constructed is because they will help us increase the number of people staying here.

About the construction of the building,Kulkarni says,Both the buildings were made by us at a total cost of Rs three crore. There was no external funding and the money came from all that we had accumulated over the years. In addition,there were small donations but no one sponsored us as such. A unique feature of the new houses is the fact that they have ramped stairways,so that the risk of old people falling on the steps is minimised. The most important fact,however,still remains that they will now have a bigger,brighter and cleaner place to live in.

At Nivara,we believe that there’s no point ruing over the past,whatever it may be. It’s best to live in a happy present and be cheerful always,no matter what. This is what we keep telling all the people who stay with us,and those who wish to join us in the future, says Malshe with a smile.

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