Rotary Club Jowai donates blankets to Halfway Home inmates

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 27, 2023

Rotary Club, Jowai, handed over blankets to the inmates of Halfway Home located at Sabah Muswang, West Jaintia Hills. The Halfway Home, a rehabilitation center for persons living with mental illness, is run by the Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE) at Sabahmuswang.

The handover ceremony took place at the Halfway Home on December 26, in the presence of the president and the vice president of the Rotary Club, Jowai.

During the ceremony, Dr. HH Mohrmen, secretary SURE, gave a brief description of the organization SURE and the various projects it is implementing. He also stated that of the six projects the organization is implementing, the Halfway Home is the most challenging. Mohrmen also mentioned that the two organizations, SURE and Rotary Club, share a common goal of serving those in need.

Niwanka Shylla, Project Coordinator of Halfway Home Sabah Muswang, informed that the Hon’ble Supreme Court, in the matter of Writ Petition (Civil) No.412/2016, in the matter of Shri. Gaurav Kumar Bansal Vs State of UP and others, has directed the Central Government to frame guidelines for the rehabilitation of persons with mental illness who have recovered but continue to remain in various mental hospitals. She also informed that although the Home has a capacity for 25 inmates, currently, they can accommodate only 12.

In his speech, Rotarian S.K. Lato, vice president of the Rotary Club, lauded SURE for its service towards people living with mental illness and expressed his pleasure that he, personally, and the club could extend their helping hands to the inmates. He also lauded the NGO for its many service towards the betterment of the society. The president of the Club, Rotarian Deibormi Toi, in his speech, expressed concern about the growing number of people suffering from mental illness. He also expressed gratitude to SURE for allowing the Rotary Club to render its helping hands to those in need. He said the Rotary club as much as it can will provide help to those in need of their help.

Rotarian EF Gatphoh, Charter President of the Club, inspired the staff of the home to give their all-out service towards serving the inmates of the home. She acknowledged the challenges of working with mentally ill patients but urged them to be patient and serve with love. Contributed