Ashram in Kalasa, a ray of hope for abandoned

At a time when people don’t have time to look after their parents (and children too), a Good Samaritan in Kalasa finds enough time to take care of homeless, abandoned, challenged and differently abled among others.

In fact, Jerusalem Divyakarunya Prarthanalaya (Ashram), a home run by Jose K Matthew, at Kalasa in Chikmangalur district, has been a ray of hope for many. The home accomodates around 31 people, including 20 adults and 11 children, who have either been picked up from the streets or have been abandoned by loved ones to the mercy of God. “Right from infants who were left in a miserable state to the aged, we have people of all ages,” he said and added that he nurses them, treats them and provides them with basic needs.

Explaining the beginning of his journey of 22 years as the managing director of the ashram, Mathew said that in the year 1993, he started bringing people who were lying on the streets on the verge of death due to hunger and other ailments to help them till they got better and were able to stand on their own feet. “I didn’t do this for any personal benefit.

I just followed what the Lord has said in the Bible about helping other people,” he said. In 2000, when the then Minister of Women and Child Welfare Motamma visited the ashram, she said that the work he is doing is commendable and he should make people know about it. “We recieved a lot of support from her and hence in 2001, on her recommendation, I officially registered the ashram,” he added.

The ashram also provides education to the children staying there. They are being sent to school and the older people either go to work or help out in the chores of the ashram itself. 

Currently, the ashram is being renovated because the home is nothing but a small hut with no light, ventilation and cement floor. “While everyone admires the service being rendered, the bad state of the home is always spoken of,” he said adding that, with some financial support recieved from some donors, a proper structure is under construction to accomodate more people.

Recently a group of people collected around Rs 1 lakh and put it in the bank, the interest of which is being made use of by the ashram to bring ration and other basic things. “We have more plans for the people living here and hence all the support we can get from people is well appreciated and will be considered as blessings from above,” he said.