Best Out of Waste

Theruvoram NGO has been working towards the betterment of the people who find themselves on the street. These people are offered a shelter home at the NGO’s centre and taken care of by the officials of the organisation. This includes food provided to them all the time, a place to sleep, hygienic requirements, etc – basically anything and everything required by a person to live a good life. The NGO gets its funding by generous donors as well as an amount allocated by the government for this project. Although it is not enough to sustain for a whole year, the NGO has found its own ways to use the resources, which are often considered to be waste by the others.

Interns and inmates helping out at Theruvoram NGO

Kerala is well known for its tropical climate and unbearable heat during the months of April and May. In a state, with its abundance of coconut trees, people find solace by drinking coconut water, which is the most affordable resource to cool down the body after a long day in the sun. The NGO has asked a local coconut water seller to give the organisation the waste generated in the form of coconut shells, which will then be used as a fuel resource for the organisation. Not only coconut shells, but materials like sugarcane waste as well as dry, waste wood from the furniture stores are given to the organisation. This waste is used as fuel for the kitchen, in which the food is prepared for all the inmates there. This way of using the resources has helped the organisation save a lot of money which would otherwise be used up as ‘gas money’.

The front yard of Theruvoram NGO  

Taking coconut shells in Kochi.

The organisation is trying their level best to recycle as much as possible. The founder of the NGO, Murugan S says that, “These materials are often thrown away by the people and not looked back upon. We on the other hand are using them up like this and I am sure we are ending up saving a lot of money as well as resources. Today, when the world is getting devoid of its resources, it is important to notice one’s day to day waste and its potential. I believe we are contributing towards the environment in a good way by continuing this.”

Not only that, the volunteers in the organisation are also giving their hand to serve these inmates. This fuel waste was cleaned up by the volunteers as well as the inmates, which was then used as fuel for the kitchen. The officials themselves indulged in the cooking of food for all these people and everybody enjoyed a hearty meal together. The NGO is trying its best to sustain with whatever resources are available to them and has been successfully doing so for six years now.

Awards and Achievements

Theruvoram NGO has been working for more than twenty years now. Working to save the destitute in and around the state of Kerala, this post is dedicated towards the recognition received by the organisation from across the country.

Theruvoram NGO founder, Murugan S receiving the National Award for the welfare of street children from the then President of India, Shri. Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. He was the first person to receive the award from Kerala.

Receiving the "Amazing Indian" Award presented the
Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi,
awarded by Times Now Network. 

Sri Sri Ravishankarji recognises the services of Murugan S to the welfare
 of street children by giving him the award in 2013. 

A P Aslam Pratibha Puraskaram, 2016 was presented by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan at Muscat Hotel, Thiruvanathapuram.

Government of Kerala, Department of Social Justice awarded Shri. Murugan with the Special Appreciation for Social Service 2012 Award in recognition of the valuable services he has done for the community in the field of Social Services. The award was presented by the then Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri. Oommen Chandy.

Murugan S was presented with the Hope Award award for his outstanding work for underprivileged orphans and women at the Theruvora Pravarthaka Association.

Murugan was awarded with the Limca Book of Records.

A Second Chance to Live

"She was infested with worms from her head to toe and she reeked of blood", said Theruvoram NGO founder Murugan S when she rescued an orphan old woman from the Kathrikadavu railway track. 
A railway employee informed Murugan about this lady and he had decided to act upon the situation sooner. But he wasn't going to think that the case was so severe that he had to stop breathing for intervals of time in order to not vomit due to the smell evolving from her body.

When Theruvoram Murugan reached the railway track, he spotted the woman, covering herself with a towel and she was severely bruised as there were blood stains all over her body. She was malnourished as only her teeth were visible and she was offered water and bananas.  On enquiring about her to the localities, it was confirmed that she was being pushed by somebody from the train causing her the injuries. That was not all, Murugan was in for another shock as when he approached her, her body was found to be semi rotten as worms were eating on her flesh. Her brain was half eaten and she suffers from mental illness too. 
Theruvoram Murugan with a help of a social worker, admitted her to the hospital where the doctors washed out more than 400 worms out of her body.  Her recovery was at stake but slowly she came back to life.  
"Myself and my organisation feels extremely honoured to save lives of people who never thought there was still a chance to survive."

Properties only Matter? - Theruvoram Murugan Saves Another Life.

Kochi: Mary would have never thought in her wildest dreams that she would be suffering a life of a dying animal or much worse.  Mary was an native of Molanthuraty and owned 17 cents of land which she dreamed once of building a house.  All her dreams came shattering down when the contractor cheated her of her money and land and when her second daughter left the home due to disputes. Mary's first daughter was married off and for past seven years she stayed along in a three walled room.  She was unable to earn for herself and she usually crawls her way into the neighbour's homes for the meal of the day. 

As days passed by she fell sick and was unable to make a move and for weeks she lay on her bed without food and water.  Mary turned to bones and worms started feasting on her flesh. It is only one day when she screamed out of pain, the neighbours noticed her condition and called up the Theruvoram NGO members and explained the situation.  Murugan S the founder of Theruvoram NGO came to her rescue immediately while the members of the Kudumba Shree provided the primary healthcare for Mary.  After which Murugan S took her in his auto to the hospital for further medical treatment.  The contractor that cheated claims to be guilty and wrote of 10 cents in Mary's name.  

Beggary Mafia - Theruvoram NGO Saves a Family

Kochi: We often see children begging on the streets and also sympathise with them and offer them alms and food. But what we don't realise is that, there is a big scam behind these begging children and that all these children are a part of a big beggary Mafia.  The children and family are forced into beggary and so is the case of this family who are natives of Maharashtra.

This family suffers from a disease named Psoriasis, which doesn't make them to work under the sun as the skin forms boils and the skin peels off. The children when found on the streets by Theruvoram NGO founder Murugan S near Menaka road couldn't barely open their eyes because of the sunlight.  Murugan S while rescuing them, got to know that this family was forced into beggary by mafia and that they had no  choice other than to obey the rules put forward by them. 

Even after the rescue of the family by Theruvoram NGO, the family was seen again on streets which makes us question our law and judiciary.  How efficient is our law making in these cases.  Who rules the judicial system.  All these questions ponder in our minds while we still let beggary Mafia control others lives.

A painful Memory - Narayani Teacher

When Theruvoram NGO Founder Murugan found Narayani amma on the streets of Kochi, he was devastated to see her condition.  She was suffering from a skin disease which forms boils on her skin which later pops and blood oozes out. She often cries out in pain,  but all her screams go in vain. She often used to ask the onlookers for alcohol as that was the only way to subside her physical pain.  

The passengers and commuters usually find her on the unpaid tracks of the railway station and they get terrified by her physical appearance, which makes them feel disgusted to even offer her a meal or a helping hand. 

Murugan S was informed about her by the shop keepers near the railway station and on spot without any hesitation he was ready to save this ailing Teacher.  He confirmed with the doctor that the skin disease doesn't spread through contact with the skin . A social worker from heart,  Murugan picked up Narayani amma and took her to the hospital for further medical treatment.  Narayani amma was adamant not to move from her space at the beginning but then she bulged in. Murugan shares a very special bond with her as her last words still tingle in his ears making him to become more of a human every day. 

"Nobody, no other human has ever touched me in the past 25 years other than you my son," said Narayani Amma during her last stages of her life. She passed away few weeks after the treatment.

Six Years of Theruvu Velicham

Theruvoram NGO founder Murugan S, after rescuing children off the street.

Theruvoram NGO has been working towards rescuing the people thriving on the street for more than ten years now. Today, that is 16th May 2019, marks a very important day for the organisation – it was six years today on 16th May 2013, that the organisation started its effective project “Theruvu Velicham”, along with the support of the government. ‘Theruvu Velicham’ as a project aims at saving people from the street – mentally challenged, old, abandoned, everybody finds a home at this project centre.

         

Another rescue operation by Theruvoram NGO.

Located in Kakkanad, the techpark of Ernakulam, the centre of ‘Theruvu Velicham’ has been able to house more than ten thousand inmates till date. This blog features the experiences and challenges faced by the founder of the project and the NGO, Murugan S, in the form of an exclusive interview.

Q: How and why did you start an organisation like this?

Murugan: As a child, I would say that I did not have a proper childhood that a child deserves. My family was poverty stricken, there was a point where my parents could not afford my education as well. I have spent most of my life at orphanages and it was only after the age of 18 that I was exposed towards child help centres – where I found my calling. I was sure I had to do my best to help these people – the people who found themselves on the streets after harrowing experiences, I just wanted to provide them with opportunities to help them and grow. I had the support of many people to do the same. I will never forget the help I received from all of them and will be forever grateful to them.

              

Murugan S on duty.

Q: Can you share some of your experiences with the people who are reading the blog?

The man with the steel wire rescued by Theruvoram.

Murugan: As a team, we have encountered many experiences. I would never forget a few of them. Like once, we found a man near the railway station who did not have a home. He was fully clothed but there was an unpleasant smell emanating from him, nobody dared to go near him because of the smell. Our team was called and we realised that there was a metal wire which had been wound around his arm, and because of the untreated wound caused by it there was the smell which could not be ignored. We took him to the doctor and got him treated. Currently he is in the rehabilitation centre. One other case like that is about a person suffering from leprosy. The person, who cannot be named because of confidentiality, didn’t have fingers and could not even clean himself after going to the loo. Nobody came forward to help him and our organisation was contacted. This was about five years ago. Our team rescued him, cleaned him, and currently he is in the rehab getting treated.

Murugan also adds, “As an organisation we try our best to help the people in need while trying to make the best out of what we have. We have cultivated various types of plants in the space provided to us and also indulge in bird rearing, especially pigeons. Currently we house around 25 people, especially old people. The NGO does not have the license to house children yet. But we try to make the best out of whatever we can. We face a lot of challenges in the process – even though many people provide us with all sorts of material support, the NGO primarily requires monetary support from the helpers.

Just some farming by the founder of Theruvoram NGO.

This post will also serve as a big thank you post to all the people who have helped reach the NGO to where we are today. To all the help that we received from the police department as well as the government, it is only because of them that we have been able to pursue this noble cause. And a final thanks to all those who are reading this post, to take their time and read our experiences. Together, let us try to make this world a better place for everybody.”