Amma Gives Wheelchairs to Kerala's Poorest
4 May 2004 — Trissur, Kerala
During Amma's programme in Trissur, Amma gave wheelchairs—or
rather, hand-propelled adult-sized tricycles—to
10 poor handicapped people. Wheelchairs are rarely
seen in India's streets—even though so many are handicapped
due to polio or birth defects. Wheelchairs like these
cost around 5,000 rupees [roughly $115 U.S.D.]. That
might not seem like a lot of money, but for many of
India's poor, it is half a year's income. After Amma
presented them with their wheelchairs, Amritapuri.org
spoke to the recipients.
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Devadas is a 28-year-old young man with a
bright smile on his face. When we speak to him,
his eyes are still glowing from his first-ever
meeting with Amma. "I feel joy," he
says. Devadas contracted polio when he was just
three years old. His legs never fully grew, and
his back is deformed. "I can crawl a little…
but not too far," he says, smiling shyly.
He is just over three-feet tall. "But now
with the wheelchair, I can get around on my own.
It is Amma's grace that I got this. I live with
my mother in a little house in Trissur's outskirts,
and now I can ride without anybody helping." |
Devadas and his mother live on a government pension
that he receives due to his handicap. It is only 110
rupees [$2.50] a month—enough for one good meal
a day. "My younger brother drives a lorry," he
explains, "and he tries to give whatever money he can
spare, but he has a family of his own to support."
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Rajeev is 45 years old. Despite his handicap
he is married and has two children—two
boys of eight and nine. His wife is also slightly
handicapped. "I think very well of Amma," he
says. "But it is mostly my wife. She does puja for
Amma every day. We met Amma in Vallikkavu one
time before." When asked about his income,
Rajeev is reluctant to answer. "We live
on the mercy of the people," he says. He
means they have no choice but to beg. It is his
hope that Amma's wheelchair will help him find
employment. |
Sumesh is a 16-year-old boy. When he was very
young, he had a strange accident, wherein a hard
fall on his elbow paralysed the right side of
his body. After that, Sumesh had no choice but
to drop out of school. He lives with his parents
and is the oldest of their three children. "I
earn a little money selling lottery tickets," he
says. In the morning his brothers sit him down
in a street corner. In the evening, they pick
him up again. "I feel very happy now," he
says, after meeting Amma. "Maybe I can earn
some more now because now I can go to different
places in the wheelchair." |
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Girija is 23. She was born handicapped—both
her legs are not fully grown. She acts shy when
asked about Amma, finally saying, "I feel
happy. Amma is... love!" She says
that due to her inability to transport herself,
she spends most of her days sitting at home. "I
hope I can learn something now so I can find
a job." It is her wish to make some money
with which to start an STD/ISD telephone booth. "I
am very grateful that Amma gave me the wheelchair," she
says.
—Tulasi
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