For the students of Malabar Christian College who have volunteered to be teachers in the literacy class at the Government Mental Health Centre at Kuthiravattam, cleaning the centre premises was like cleaning their own home.
“The literacy class is like our second family that misses us in our absence, and becomes anxious if we failed to turn up one day,” said one of the volunteers who have been appointed by the Kerala Literacy Mission to update the current affairs knowledge of the inmates at the centre.
Around 35 National Service Scheme volunteers had cleaned and whitewashed the classroom at their own expense on Saturday. They also cleaned the garden next to the rehabilitation centre.
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It has only been weeks since the Literacy Mission took up the task of updating the inmates with the help of the students. “We have many inmates who are quite normal, but have no place to go. There are many who are about to be discharged. We don’t want them to feel awkward when they go out to the outside world and suddenly realise that they have missed many important events in the last few years,” said Dr. N. Rajendran, Medical Superintendent.
As for the inmates, who have been deemed fit to be discharged, the weekly literacy classes are where they rediscover themselves. Many of them have missed significant events that happened in the world outside over the last few years.
Students of Malabar Christian College update current affairs knowledge of mental health centre inmates