Peals of laughter is not what you expect at a Pakalveedu, but walking into the geriatric daycare at Kadappakkada, you are often treated to it.
Filling the space with happy vibes are a bunch of elderly women, most of them retired professionals. But what sets the institution apart is its upper floor, a place where they offer speech therapy for children. There you find small children gathered around a table, their lips sputtering to form words — a skill stolen from them owing to different hearing disorders. “Their speech is underdeveloped in the absence of proper hearing. Even if they are fitted with cochlear implants, they need professional help to articulate what they hear,” says Mothy Prathap, director of the school and member of the Sree Narayayana Vanitha Samiti, which runs both the daycare and school.
The Samiti, totally autonomous and not affiliated to any organisation, was launched in 1990 through crowdfunding. “In Kollam, there are hardly any speech therapy centres that are affordable to all. So we started this school with a single child eight years ago and the sessions are free for underprivileged children. It’s a collaborative effort that demands equal dedication from the teacher and the parent. So far we have trained over 100 children, including seven-month-old babies. Most of them have now joined normal schools,” says Shylaja Rajagopal, founder-convener and current president.
Since they maintain a good teacher-student ratio, it’s not easy maintaining the school, ensuring adequate number of therapists and helpers. And that’s when the grannys down-floor chip in.
A second home
“We raise funds by conducting exhibitions, all the elderly women partake while we make pickles, jams, and marmalade to sell. And some of them also come forward to sponsor students,”says Mothy. For the dayhome members, it is how they brighten their twilight years by doing something meaningful. They all agree it is a second home, a huge, happy family taking care of each other.
Since operated by a women’s collective, the institutions also boast of an all-women crew, including the driver, who picks the senior women every morning. “It’s where we unwind, indulge in dance, music, yoga, films, and what not. We also get weekly health talks by Radha, a doctor among us. It’s just like home,” they say in unison.
