Running for: The Banyan

Poor people living literally on the streets of our cities are such a common sight in India that we rarely even give them a second glance as we drive or walk past them.  I have to admit that I am no different from most people, however, as the father of a 9 year old boy, I find my eyes well up with tears when I see very young children living, playing and sleeping on the streets. We cannot call ourselves successful as a nation when this continues to happen in large numbers. These children have a right to a full life as much as my child does and I feel that it is our obligation both as a country and as individuals to give it to them. But even here, in most cases, I feel somewhat comforted when I see that the child is happy to have her family around her, which gives her some sense of identity.  

Far more disturbing to me is the sight of a seriously mentally ill homeless woman who has completely lost her sense of identity and belongingness.  She is drifting from one street to another, sometimes from city to city, searching for the most basic form of meaning: a discovery of who she is as a person, where she came from and where her roots are. She, for reasons unknown even to her, has surrendered herself completely into our care as a society and I feel a direct sense of responsibility to do something about it and be worthy of that trust and that surrender.  

While searching for a partner to help me in this effort I discovered The Banyan.  In them I found an organisation that actually takes responsibility for these homeless women, medically treats them, stays with them through a long and hard journey for both the giver and the recipient of the care and then, what is most remarkable to me, finds a way to reunite them with their loved ones no matter how far they live and no matter how long (some times over a decade) the separation has been.  I understand that in a population of over a billion people there could be as many as 10 million people who find themselves in this serious a state of mental ill health.  The demands on the Banyan far exceed what their current resources can help them meet.  A fiercely dedicated group runs the Banyan and I am reaching out to you to help them touch as many of these people as they can.  

The Banyan has set a goal of raising Rs250 million ($5 million) to strengthen the core of the organisation so that they can plan ahead and focus on a long-term vision instead of worrying about finances on a day-to-day basis.