An Appeal for support to a truly deserving NGO - ADHAR

Appeal for support to a truly deserving NGO - ADHAR ( www.adhar.org) that works 24x7x365 days a year, in providing life time shelters to the severely mentally challenged adults.

Mental health is a major concern worldwide and India is no different. Dr. Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1954, had presciently declared that “without mental health there can be no true physical health”. More than 6 decades later, the scenario has not altered substantially. The situation is more serious for the severely mentally challenged, and their family and care givers, who may mandatorily be needing residential shelters for life.

Unfortunately there are very few institutions who work in this most neglected area. Adhar is perhaps a lone shining star, that has been providing life time shelter to the severely mentally challenged for more than two decades. Adhar - an organisation of the association of parents of the mentally retarded adults - was founded by the visionary, Mr Prabhakar Gore, with support from few hapless parents, in the year 1993. Ever since Adhar has toiled hard, and continues to do so, often times struggling to meet both ends, to provide respite to the the 300 plus severely mentally challenged adults and to their care givers.

Adhar, now in its silver jubilee, has witnessed triumphs and tribulations and its management was and is a continuous challenge, struggle and often times mere hysterical, yet the institution has moved on undeterred and now boasts of housing 300 inmates (both male and female)in their 2 residential shelters one in the outskirts of Badlapur and the second in the outskirts of Nashik. Under its current dynamic leader, Mr Vishwas Gore, the son of the founder, Adhar has dared to dream big and to befittingly celebrate its silver jubilee, it has tasked itself to reach out to every benevolent individual and corporate houses and the society at large through friends, stakeholders, and well wishers to continue to help and patronise Adhar and also for creating an awareness on the dying needs of life time residential shelter for the severely mentally challenged among the society.

Among the unending challenges that Adhar faces is its constant struggle with its finances specially the mandatorily required recurring expenses that come with managing the 300 plus residents 24x7x365 days a year. The parents of the inmates of Adhar are unable to cope up with the ever increasing expenses leading to a huge widening gap in the budget, which can only be bridged from benevolent contributions from individuals, well wishers, and from corporate houses.

The Chairperson and members of the Adhar have some how managed to keep Adhar afloat out of sheer madness in the compassion and commitment that they have for the cause. Even the staff of Adhar who look after the inmates like their own wards, have been working passionately with commitment and have also made sacrifices by not demanding the salary that they deserve. Although Adhar has been lauded and has won national and international awards and recognition yet financial debts have continued to increase year after year and the struggle to keep this great institution continues.

Through this post, I am appealing to all my friends and contacts to please join in this noble task of spreading awareness about the needs of Adhar and join me in contributing to the Adhar in any which way either through donations or promoting Adhar by creating awareness about Adhar. Every single act of benevolence and contribution howsoever small it may be will immensely help in benefitting this great institution which is badly in need of continues support. Your benevolent contribution and creating awareness about the institution among your friends, relatives and contacts will go a long way in continuing to bring smiles on the faces of the residents and their caregivers.