Gharkul - home for mentally challenged adults

Last Sunday me and Vasudha with her bank colleagues went to Gharkul at village Khoni near Dombivli. Vasudha's colleagues were coming to Gharkul for the first time and even we were going there after long time. My illness, operation and COVID epidemic and my laziness increased the gap in my visit to Gharkul. Otherwise, my Sunday morning was always in Gharkul for almost 10 to 15 years.

Gharkul is home for mentally challenged adults. Mentally challenged adults is a typical and generally ignored problem. We all know about special schools for mentally challenged children. Teaching staff here is trained to handle these special children and try to teach the children day today chores and simple skills to become independent. Very few children develop the skills, learn to become independent and go in main stream. But, for most children the issue persists and as  problems grow with the age. Once the child becomes 18 years of age, school can not accommodate him/her; parents are growing old and siblings have their family, their life to live. For special child, mental age does not grow but physical age goes up so the physical needs also. Such child is normally ignored and isolated in the family due to social stigma. Child becomes attention seeker and develops aggressive behavior. And, as parents grow old or are no more, managing such people becomes very difficult. Yesterday, in a joint family managing a mentally adult person was possible but today in nuclear family managing mentally challenged adult is nearly impossible. The problem is grave due to its magnitude also. Data says, nearly 1% people are severly mentally challenged and need the help. Homes like Gharkul is today's need to manage them.

 Let us come back to Gharkul. Few of the parents, whose mentally challenged children were in on such school in Dombivli, came together, formed a NGO Ámeya Palak Sanghatana'. They contributed funds and managed to purchase land at Khoni near Dombivli. Mr. Barve, a highschool teacher and one of the parents took lead and Gharkul came to existence in the year 1995. Starting with a small building and home for 2, today Gharkul is grown to be a home for 50 people with all the required facilities for such mentally challenged special adults. Dedicated full time sevaks take all the care of these children (aged from 20 years to 75 years), right from morning chores, breakfast, meals as well as exercise to keep them fit. More than 100 volunteers support these sevaks to run Gharkul efficiently. 

Gharkul motto is Ónce the mentally challenged person is admitted in Gharkul, we will take his/her care till last breathe'. Started by parents, today,  Gharkul has connected many volunteers other than parents and that may be one of the reason of Gharkul success. Gharkul runs its operations with pubblic support and donations.

Homes like Gharkul is the need of society and we as responsible citizen should encourage and support them.

Gharkul team invites you to visit, spend time with children and be their friends and then support them.

                                    So Let Us Become Friends