The mentally – ill at

Freedom Home Needs You!

by Saybhan Samat

(January, 07, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Oswald Gomis Mawatha is a winding lane close to the Rajamaha Viharaya in a residential area in Kelaniya. The residents living there appear to be well – to – do judging from the very smart houses that are located on both sides of the lane. The locality is very clean and tidy. When one approaches towards the end of the lane the residence on the right is “ Freedom Home” a sanctuary for inmates who have been discharged from our premier mental hospitals at Angoda and Mulleriyawa presumably because they were deemed to be over the worst of their mental condition, though they are still in need of long term on – going medication.

Perhaps there is probably no worse calamity that can befall anyone than being mentally ill. Mentally ill patients mostly suffer on account marginalization, stigmatization, depression and deep – seated pessimism. Samanthi Sagarika Perera having first hand knowledge of the excruciating agony and pain of mental patients in 2003 launched Freedom Home with just three patients. Today there are 25 men and 20 women ranging from 15 to 50 years, with one 70 year old. They are all crowded. in this home; one of the few places that welcome them with love, understanding and affection, in spite of being rejected by their own families.

Sagarika Perera, the founder of the blessed Freedom Home is the living angel that the inmates adore. She radiates kindness, understanding, love, concern, and rare affection towards the residents. The other quality that I noticed of Sagarika is her enduring patience. Mental patients are generally demanding, troublesome and worrisome. Sagarika is quite adept to handle all types of patients with loving tender care.

I inquired how she ventured to this noble social work of caring for mentally ill persons. She told me that since she was a child her father instilled into her that her life would be useless unless she alleviated the less fortunate members of society. At first Sagarika wanted to start a home for the elders or an orphanage, she however found there were many such institutions in Sri Lanka. Hence she said she opted to start a care centre.

for mentally ill persons. Sagarika‘s husband is a police – officer and she has a son who helps her at Freedom Home and is also involved with computers and computer sales.

Sagarika told me that what is positive at Freedom Home was that there was security there. The patients were weekly taken by her for their medicines to the Kiribathgoda Hospital. The pastor at the Red Church Peliyagoda in his weekly sermons urges the congregation to help the inmates at Freedom Home and Lions Club of Enderamulla monthly supplies dry rations to the value of Rs 10,000/=.

All this is insufficient to keep the inmates well and happy. The diet is very basic, rice with pol – sambol, rice with dhal or rice with soya curry. They yearn for rice with chicken or fish with a couple of vegetables. They also yearn for biscuits, cakes, ice – creams, pancakes and chocolates. . They have minimal clothes and under – wear and they need even soap and hair oil. The home is desperately short of mattresses, pillows, sheets towels and kitchen equipment.

Most of all, they need people to visit them talk and show an interest in them, so that they don’t feel they have been rejected not only by their families but by society itself. They also dream of the day that a live musical band will come and entertain them; they are indeed yearning to sing with a band.

This writer hopes to fulfil this wish of their’s by taking a band of musicians to accompany the inmates in a sing song. In conclusion it is not an exaggeration to say that to most of them the affection shown by Sagarika is probably the only affection they have ever experienced.

As Sagarika’s heart, is in the noble project of alleviating the darkness surrounding mentally ill persons and also because she is talented to do this, an appeal is made to all Sri – Lankan’s for help. She and Freedom Home deserves your help and goodwill. Sagarika Perera can be contact on 094112914633 or 00940716008632.