A home that promises hope
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
| John Nash may have recovered from schizophrenia and been awarded a Nobel Prize in economics, but the lives of many others suffering from this illness are still bleak. What's worse, the condition is further aggravated by a lack of facilities or medical intervention to rehabilitate those with this disorder. |
| Which is why an organisation called the Richmond Fellowship Society, that runs halfway homes and long stay homes in India, has stepped in. An offshoot of a UK body, this NGO was set up in the late '50s. |
| Having created halfway homes in south India, the NGO is building its first such home in Greater Noida on a 2,000 sq yard plot. Says V S Mathur, member of the governing council, "We have been functioning out of a rented space which didn't suit our specifications. There was a need for building our own facility." |
| The home has been designed with three different types of accommodation (two-three- and four-bedded rooms) for short stays up to 18 months. There are no single rooms as it interferes in the treatment of schizophrenics. |
| Given the nature of the illness, architect Debashish Majumdar factored safety into the design especially as residents suffering from the disease can be suicidal. |
| "We wanted the place to be cheerful and not feel like an institution. So we created two courtyards and wrapped the building around them," he says. The courtyards will play an important role as a space to allow interaction between patients in a protected environment. |
| Majumdar has also designed an amphitheatre in the complex "for amateur productions" and other such activities. |
| The architect has also utilised abundant area at his disposal by designing walks, a badminton court and spaces in a way that would lead to maximum interaction at all times. The dining area, for instance, has an adjoining washing area so that everyone there is encouraged to wash utensils they use after each meal. |
| While the halfway home in Greater Noida is part of the first phase of the project, there is also hope that in the second and third phase there will be a long-stay home and a day-care centre as well. |
| "Though the NGO is passionate about the centre, there is a certain reticence to go out asking for money. That's why building work stops when the money dries up," says Majumdar. |
| And even though Majumdar quoted a fee for the project, he is contributing personally and roping in clients to donate to the project too. "People do want to come forward to contribute to such a good cause," he adds. |
| There is also hope that at a later date to add to the existing vocational training hall, there will be a computer room which will be staffed with a trainer who will teach the inmates softwares of their choice. |
| India has come a long way since the time when any mental ailment was dismissed as "madness". Though schizophrenia is no longer simplified as that, there are still very few facilities that cater to the patients' care and long-term recovery. |
| With buildings like halfway homes it is an affirmation that even those suffering from mental ailments deserve well-designed spaces to be able to reach a level of recovery that would enable them to lead a normal life. |
| For that reason alone halfway homes, like the one in Greater Noida, are important milestones in destigmatising mental ailment in this country. And that in itself is something to cheer about. |