When I arrived in Muttom, I was met by Sister Selvi and her brother Nazarene. On reaching her small rented house, I was humbled by the fact that she had given up her bedroom for me and was sleeping on a camp bed in the main room used for eating, with Shanti, the servant.
Sister Selvi had left the convent she was in and her post as headmistress in the school nearby after the Tsunami, as she was inspired to help her people in Muttom, and has opened the St Adrian’s Reachout Centre in a small house. Everyday, straight after school, 25 badly affected children from a local camp go to the house, first to have a snack and chat, tben receive help with their studies, pray and have a nutritious supper that their parents cannot provide. Sister Selvi provides solace for them, somebody to talk to who can understand their personal problems. Each and everyone of them has different circumstances. Over the past month, Sister Selvi has instilled a sense a morality, manners and honesty in them that their parents do not. Their schoolwork has improved and they leave very reluctantly at 8pm, in high spirits. The children range from 6 to 16 years and the local girl that is paid to help supervise is 18 and also from a local camp. Saturday is enjoyed the most, as they get to spend all day at the house and tire out Sister until Monday when the week starts all over again.
Unfortunately, in such a small house, she cannot accommodate any more children, despite mothers coming to her door in tears begging on a regular basis (I saw two mothers do this). Hence she is gathering money to build a new day care centre that was instigated by herself and Jill here in Selling. With the centre, more children can be invited along to be supervised and fed on a daily basis, but more importantly, to experience the personal growth and recovery that the present children have, in just one month.
The elderly population is also suffering as the traditional Indian values of looking after the grandparents have seemed to diminish, and so Selvi will accommodate these people during the day. Also, mothers do not carry out paid work generally in rural India, but they now seriously, feel they need to do something, as many of their husbands are not fishing for many boats were destroyed, and fishing is seasonal anyway.
These mothers visited the house for a meeting on Saturday evening, and they have asked Sister to set up some sewing machines for them so that they may contribute that way. We are also thinking of ways the old folks can help out. We are planning for the women to prepare food to sell or at least teach some of the children to cook.
I saw and experienced a great deal in just a week and am so grateful for the chance of going. The display of dancing and singing that the children performed to thank 'aunty' for coming and spending time with them, made the trip for me.
If anybody is interested in going to teach the children and visit the camps, they receive a lot of comfort from it. Sister Selvi will look after you like your own mother and feed you up with delicious and copious meals of fish masala, idli, samba and mango juice, to name but a few.
In November, providing the funds are completely raised, there will be accommodation for visitors in the centre, but until then she is putting people up one at a time, or arranging local lodgings for more than one at a time.
I left happy that the land for the building has been cleared, and men are starting to make a road and dig a bore well today.
Rachel Evans
NOTE: This entry was originally published in the Selling Parish magazine.
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