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Recipients' Stories

"Amma is Divine." Laila lives with her daughter, Suhara, aged eight. She is a Muslim. Her husband abandoned her seven years ago. She was forced to return to her mother's house, where life was very difficult. When Laila heard about the housing project, she visited the local Seva Samiti and asked if they thought they would give a house to a divorced Muslim woman. They explained that there is no discrimination on religious grounds. Laila got a house.

She helped as much as she could. She also helped another recipient to build her house. Laila's mother, Pathumabeevi, describes how terrible it was living together with Laila, and how they used to fight all the time. She says that since Laila has met Amma, she has changed radically. "She was like a rowdy - so terrible was her anger! Now she's 75% changed", with much laughter she adds, "Now only 25% is left." Laila says, "Amma is Divine." Laila's sincerity and devotion to Amma impressed people. She has visited Amma three times, taking twenty women from her neighbourhood with her.

"Dumbfounded." Dasan is crippled and cannot do any physical work. He lives with his wife, baby and mother, Kurumbakutti. He keeps a betel nut stand where he rolls cigarettes and sells betel nuts. Dasan's old house stood out among his neighbour's concrete houses. It was a rickety thatched leaking shed. When he first made his application, he never in his wildest dreams imagined he would get a house. Dasan says he was dumbfounded that someone would help him like this. He feels very grateful to Amma and would like to meet Her. His brother and neighbours helped in the construction work.

"We are much happier now." This mother said: "We were staying in my father's house before. We had no space. My husband goes every day to look for work. We have a few problems. Our little girl was born with her eyes half shut so she doesn't see well. My left arm is paralysed. I cannot work but we are much happier now.

Kumareshwaran, a father of two said: 'I am a gardener on the local teak plantation. I originally come from a village near Kanyakumari. I had an accident while I was working at a construction site. A wall fell across me. The bones were broken but not set properly. I'm wearing this clamp to straighten the bones and make them knit together. My wife makes bidis (cigarettes made from tobacco rolled up in dried leaves). Our new house is very nice and my family is very happy now.
Kumareshwaran volunteers for odd jobs around the estate while his leg is recovering.

"Now we can live in dignity." Swarnam, 75 years old, has been lame for six years. She had been living in a rented house in a village nearby. Her daughter's family had no home and lived with her. She relies on them for support.

Pitchai, her son-in-law, is a day labourer. He said: "We can be free of rent here. I've stopped drinking. I feel more confident now that we can live in dignity. We can leave our old habits behind. "In the slum my children played in the mud. Here they can play in a neat area and easily come back to me."

Laksmanamma lived in the slum under the bridge. She said, “We had no bathroom and dug pits for water. We washed our clothes on the ground and cooked food on stones. Then the fire came. Five people died and fifteen were badly injured.

“We lost all our belongings in the fire, all our clothes, our cooking pots, all. The government gave us Rs. 10,000 each. They brought us here and we built new huts and made this colony. My husband and I work as labourers. We are happy we can stay here. Before we had no water, no bathroom, no electricity.

“Now we have everything for the first time. We have a fan and a kitchen and bathroom. It’s really good. The flat is very big. Down in the huts it’s very congested: up here it’s very spacious and comfortable. I’m very relieved.

“My children are studying. In the slum they played in the mud. Here they can play in a neat area and easily come back to me. When Amma came she gave everyone a chocolate. She is like our mother.”

"Since moving in I feel more positive about life." Paneerselram lives with his wife and son. He was an electrician until he contracted leprosy. The disease started in his hands but for two years he did not realize what was wrong. Now he takes medication, but cannot work because of the pain. To make matters even worse, one day while packing boxes in a carton factory he had an accident and lost his thumb and finger. His hands are now badly crippled.

He said, “I applied for a house because I heard that Amma was giving houses to handicapped people. I’m very happy here. Since moving in I feel more positive about life.

I’ve even managed to help the organizers and have done the electrical wiring in my own and two other houses. I met Amma in Madras and She Herself gave me the keys to this house Herself. It was a moment I treasure and I keep Her photo with me always."