NGO helps reunite man with his family

When White Doves, an NGO that takes care of destitutes, picked up this man (in the picture) from Hampankatta signal point on January 25, 2010, neither did he know his name or whereabouts.

However, under the tender care and treatment provided at the White Doves and its team of doctors, the man was not only revived but also united with his family at Magadi in Bangalore Rural area.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, White Doves Founder President Corrine Rasquinha recalled the day the man was found and picked up from streets. “He was found near the traffic signal and looked depressed. All we could tell us was that he was a mason,” she said.

After the treatment at the NGO, he has been able to recall his name and his village.  It was a day of dramatic turn on Christmas Day, when he seemed happy and wore new dress provided to all inmates at the organisation.

“He suddenly said that his kids would love to see him in new dress. Later, he recalled names of his parents, of his wife and brother. He also told us the name of the place where he hails from,” said Jerald, a staff at the White Doves.

Soon Sub-Inspector (Barke jurisdiction) Shivprakash contacted the Magadi police and finally succeeded in the tracing the man’s family at Turumale village in Magadi. There was no bounds to the happiness of the family members, when they learnt that Jairam was alive. His brother Marilingaiah and uncle Shankarlingaiah rushed to Mangalore and after completing the formalities left to Magadi with Jairam, on Saturday.

Predictions proven wrong

Marilingaiah recalled how his family had lost hopes after all their efforts to trace Jairam were dashed.

“We searched for him in several places including Ramanagar, Chitradurga and Kunigal but in vain,” he said. As a last resort, they approached an astrologer who predicted that Jairam was dead and also suggested them to perform his last rites. Believing the astrologer’s words, Jairam’s wife left to her mother’s place, along with her two daughters aged eight and 10.

Uniting families

The White Doves has reunited more than 60 destitutes with their families, so far. “Most of the inhabitants of the centres come from places as distant as Bhopal, Meghalaya, Nepal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, who have ended up on Mangalore streets in dire straits for several reasons. The inmates who are under tremendous shock when they are rescued from streets decline to open up or reveal their personal information. As the days pass by they begin to talk about their personal information, after a bond of trust and affection is established between the inmates and the staff. The reuniting process begins soon after adequate information is gathered from them,” explained Corrine.

Apart from meeting the daily needs of the inmates, the White Dove also provides education to those who are keen on learning.One of the residents has completed his post graduate studies in social work and has found a job. Moreover, several residents of the White Dove are pursuing various courses like BBM and diploma in numerous fields.