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Saviour of destitute women

Rama Patra of Nimapara waiting to receive his grand daughter Gita at a function organised by Mission ASHRA in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

BHUBANESWAR: Thirty-five-year old Soma from neighbouring Jharkhand does mushroom cultivation, kitchen gardening and domestic works like just any other normal woman here. She is shy and hardly gets into quarrel with others.

Where was she three years ago? Soma without a single piece of cloth to wrap her body was devouring on waste foods at Cuttack Railway Station.

Her one-year-old son was crying in vain for milk. Life could not be imagined in such condition.

Then came the rescue team of Mission Ashra, a programme for destitute mentally ill women, initiated by People’s Forum, a non-government organisation, to take her to its unique rehabilitation centre at Janala on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

After three years of dedicated efforts, Soma was no more violent. She is now returning to her normal life.

She is not a lone case. Similarly, Geeta was rescued by the Ashra team while she was wandering on road. Geeta had lost her mental balance after being tortured by her stepmother and cousin sister and brothers who were living in Kolkata.

Geeta seemed be starved of affections. She was passionately requesting her grandfather from Nimpada of Puri district to take her to the village.

It was an occasion on Friday when as many as 21 deserted girls and women who returned to their normalcy were present at Jayadev Bhawan to meet their dear ones.

"This is the only institute of entire eastern zone that has rescued 310 women so far and out of which presently 127 are under treatment and care," Mission ASHRA Director Gobinda Pattnaik said. At any given time the rehabilitation centre houses more than 150 women.

He said the mission strived to make a difference through providing treatment and rehabilitation and helping residents reunite with their families over the past four years.

The team celebrated its 100 successful attempts to bring destitute and mentally ill women back to normalcy.

Soma with her three year old son was excited to meet her husband and other four children. The ASHRA team is now getting ready to accompany her to Jharkahnd.

NSS volunteers, women activists and intellectuals witnessed the reunion on Friday here.

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