The poverty here is agonising to think of — because it seems so longterm hope-less. it is not that the people do not care — they simply have No Money (barely afford to eat at all, despite working, aged seventy, for hours and hours and hours a day, and literally have No Home ...just a patch of pavement, familiar enough to call home; not a single thing in the world; no hope of a future any different for themselves). This grandmother was not abusing or neglecting her dearly-loved and cared-for-as-best-as-she-could orphaned and severely disabled grandson [unable to care for himself, unable to work when he grows up, unable to provide for himself, unlikely to attract a mate he cannot provide for or one who will provide for him]. In Britain people would say that this was abuse & neglect. In Mumbai, India, she was being as loving and caring as was humanly possible for him, and there were no options. She is an elderly woman and there is no assistance for herself either. Only charity could help her. The kindness of others. (but when people have Nothing themselves, it is hard to make everything go round; hard to share what you physically do not have to give; no money, no food; no homes, no hospitality to share.) In tying him to a pole while she went off to work each day, she was caring for him compassionately without any other resource to call upon; she was doing all she could, the only thing she could, to keep him safe while she had no choice but to be parted from him. His father has been dead for four years and he has no other family. Now he is in a residential childrens home, but it is not a care home: it cannot give him the care he needs for his severe disabilities. It says there is only one such institute in Mumbai and it does not have room. At least he is currently living somewhere now which is more than an exposed and dirty pavement, and the burden of care has been removed from his elderly and poverty-stricken grandmother. It says there are 28 million disabled people in India. Disability in any country where there is no social support available for persons who cannot work to provide for themselves and their dependent children is a serious impediment to survival. No health or able-bodiedness, no work, no money, no food, no home, no medicines, and vulnerable to all disease and sickness. They are such beautiful people. I wish I had money to give — they truly need money. It pains me that I cannot send them any money. Anything at all would be something and would be helpful. edition.cnn/2014/06/23/world/asia/india-disabled-boy-bus-stop/?hpt=hp_t2
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:45:36 +0000
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