Month: September 2013

Categories
Achieve

Love by candle light

This visually-challenged man won over a sighted woman and together, they run a candle-making business that employs other blind people.
by Vrushali Lad

They met over 10 years ago, when he was peddling scented candles that he made himself, in a corner of the market at Mahabaleshwar. A Mumbaikar on holiday to the tourist spot, she promised that she would come to help him sell candles while she was still there. Eight days later, she asked him to marry her.

“I was stunned,” says Bhavesh Bhatia (43), founder and proprietor of Sunrise Candles, an enterprise that began in a small room in Mahabaleshwar and is today headquartered in the same town in a professional manufacturing setup. “Several sighted people would come and help me out of sympathy, but this brave girl wanted to spend her life with me because she believed in me.”

The girl in question – Neeta (40), a Bhayander resident who had to work on convincing her family to let her marry Bhavesh – is today the backbone of a flourishing candle business and wax museum that employs 85 visually-challenged persons from the State and outside. “It was hard work at first, but I never lost sight of the fact that this was a man who was making a living despite his disability. He wanted to reach out to others like him, and I wanted to share that dream,” she smiles.

Small beginnings

Bhavesh BhatiaBhavesh was not born blind, but lost his eyesight gradually after a childhood illness. Not one to sit and lament his fate, he worked odd jobs to make money, but it was his stint at the National Association for the Blind’s (NAB) candle-making course in 1999 that changed his life.

“I learnt how to make plain white candles at NAB. Dyes and scents were extremely expensive,” Bhavesh remembers, revealing that in those days, he didn’t even have the money to buy himself a pair of slippers. “I saved Rs 25 every day from selling candles. I had a small board on which I set up candles and sold them at the market every day.”

This was how he met Neeta, and after their wedding, the couple lived in his small home in the hill station town. “We took a Rs 15,000 loan from Satara Bank, where NAB had a special scheme for blind people,” Neeta says. “From this, we purchased 15 kilos of wax, two dyes and a hand cart for Rs 50.”

Bhavesh would make candles all day, and there weren’t enough utensils to even melt the wax in. “I began to worry that the same vessels I cooked food in were used for candle-making,” Neeta laughs. Ever the optimist, she procured a two-wheeler to ferry her husband and his wares across town. Bhavesh first set up a table, then a larger stall. She later learnt to drive a van, which made things much easier.

World of light

Today, Sunrise Candles purchases wax from the UK, and has developed over 9,000 designs of plain, scented and aromatherapy candles. “We train blind people so that they can understand the work and not just help us at our unit, but some day go back home to set up their own business,” Bhavesh explains. “Neeta trains a lot of blind girls, and does all the work for the enterprise such as banking, handling the paperwork and managing our workshops and demonstrations.” With his team of helpers and volunteers, Bhavesh travels across India for exhibitions, delivering motivational talks, taking candle-making workshops and even imparting free training in places such as colleges and cancer associations. The couple has also set up a wax museum and a gymnasium for blind people at Mahabaleshwar.

From the days when Bhavesh didn’t have the money to purchase wax and dyes, to today, when “even 25 tonnes of wax is consumed in a day,” Sunrise Candles has indeed come a long Sunrise Candlesway. “It has been a wonderful journey with Neeta at my side,” Bhavesh says. “I wanted to prove that being blind is not the end of the world. It is not just about being employed – it is about having a sense of achievement through one’s work.”

Bhavesh is now working on creating the world’s tallest, unbreakable candle – to stand at 45 feet – for a world record. “The current record is for a 22-feet high candle made by a sighted person in the West. Our candle will be made entirely by my visually-challenged brothers and sisters. There is no question of whether we can do it – the question is, how are we going to do it the best possible way?” he grins.

If you want to order candles, or learn candle making, or wish to invite Bhavesh Bhatia for a motivation talk, contact Sunrise Candles at +91-98506 00634/94220 34729. You can also look up the company at www.sunrisecandles.in or write to them at info@sunrisecandles.in.

Categories
Campaign

Losing a grandmother to ‘that’ disease

Rachel Tseng describes the agony and helplessness of watching a beloved relative succumb to the ravages of Alzheimer’s Disorder (AD).

For most people Kolkata is a place synonymous to rasagollas and puchkas but for me it is a place reminiscent of my childhood vacations spent with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, their grandparents and the whole jing-bang of distant relatives and family friends.

Once during a head count, I was included as a grandchild by my cousin brother’s paternal grandmother. Since I was staying over at my cousin’s home, his grandmother very generously christened me as one of her grandchildren. Predictable as it sounds, I grew very fond of her and was completely drawn to her very generous and loving personality.

alzheimer's careOver the years during every visit to Kolkata I would actually look forward to meeting her. But on one particular visit, she failed to recognise me and it was then that my cousins told me that she was suffering from Alzheimer’s. I knew about Alzheimer’s, the symptoms and what it does to you but it was the first time in my life that the Alzheimer disease struck someone I knew and admired. It was a heart wrenching experience watching her lose herself to the disease. There was nothing that we could do except be patient and be there for her.

The pain that she went through is something that nobody can comprehend. She rarely had memory of her present. Sometimes she had a perfect memory of her childhood and would wonder what she is doing amongst strangers who were actually her children and grandchildren. She would cry out like a child in distress and demand to be taken back to her childhood home, recounting her maiden address and the identity of her parents. In response, we pacified her like a child, promising to take her to her parents in the hope that she would snap out of it soon.

On another occasion, she refused to recognise her grandchildren and even called them untouchables and thieves. She would hide anything and everything, including food, in cupboards and draws in the fear that ‘the thieves’ who had invaded her home would steal her belongings.

Once she even ran away from home, hopped into a cycle-rickshaw and asked the driver to take her to her son’s home in America. The rickshaw driver was initially shocked and thought that he probably hadn’t understood the address and requested her to give directions. As soon as he started off, my uncle who was in his car spotted her sitting in the open cycle rickshaw like a queen on her throne. My uncle immediately intervened, explained about her condition to the rickshaw driver and drove her home, much to her annoyance.

During the last few days of my stay in Kolkata, one afternoon she came up to me, called me by my name and commented on how I had grown to be a replica of my mother. We spoke alzheimer's memory gapsabout my cousins and she even expressed her love for her daughter-in-law (who is my aunt) and appreciated everything that the family had done for her. She spoke in the most normal way, just like the way she spoke to me during my earlier visits and before Alzheimer’s.

At that moment, although she was in the present and everything she said made perfect sense, I could see it in her eyes that she had no idea of what she had been suffering from and how it had worn her out.

This went on for about 12 years before she faced her end.

The degree of pain and suffering an Alzheimer’s patient goes through is something I am unable to understand or express. But one thing for sure, the family of an Alzheimer’s patient suffers in silence with immense grief and anguish. It takes a lot of patience and endless love to live with and care for a family member with Alzheimer’s.

This is the last of the series of articles that we featured on Alzheimer’s awareness as part of our campaign to focus the spotlight on dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, we are committed to the cause and welcome news of new developments in the field of elder care and positive ageing. If you have something to share, do write to us at editor@themetrognome.in or tweet to us @MetrognomeIndia.

(Pictures courtesy trialx.com, io9.com, www.smallfootprintfamily.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Campaign

Snapshots: Posters on Alzheimer’s

Students of SVT College of Home Science displayed interesting posters explaining how Alzheimer’s happens and what to do about it.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Students of SVT College of Home Science, SNDT University put up an array of informative posters about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, how it affects the sufferer and how to deal with it at an event on Saturday. The event, a sensitisation seminar, was titled ‘Understanding and respective individuals with Alzheimer’s’ and was held in association with Lions Club of JB Nagar, Andheri, our campaign partners Silver Innings Foundation and ARDSI Greater Mumbai Chapter. It was held yesterday at SNDT University, Juhu campus.

A total of 150 people participated. These included students, senior citizens and family caregivers. Hearteningly, 90 per cent were youth. As part of the event, five skits were performed and there was a poster exhibition, which explained the various stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and the Dos and don’ts to be followed by caregivers as part of their daily interactions with those afflicted. See a few of the posters below:

What causes Alzheimers’:

Age (those at risk are people over 65 years old. More than 50 per cent of those afflicted are over 85 years old), family history, vascular diseases (high BP, high cholesterol), stroke, faulty lifestyle, obesity, habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, chewing tobacco, drinking excess coffee, those suffering a head injury, toxins such as aluminium, infections and viruses, deficiency of Vitamin A, C, E, B6, B12, carotenoids, zinc, selenium and being socially inactive.

Symptoms:

Repeating statements over and over again; misplacing items; having trouble recalling familiar names or familiar objects; getting lost on familiar routes; personality changes; losing interest in things previously enjoyed; difficulty performing tasks that take some thought but which used to come easily (like balancing a checkbook, playing complex games such as bridge and learning new information or routines).

Understanding Alzheimer’s:

– Alzheimer’s can cause a person to show behaviour that they normally wouldn’t. This means that you, as a caregiver, will be faced with many challenges as you try to give your the best care that you can.

– Some of the challenges that you may face include physical aggression, verbal aggression, mood swings, wandering, repetition of words, and combativeness.

– All of these changes in behaviour can lead to a great deal of tension and frustrations for both you and your patient. The most important thing that you need to remember is that your Alzheimer’s parent isn’t behaving this way on purpose. Their behaviour is simply the result of their disease so you need to avoid analysing the situation and looking for solutions when there are none.

What you can do:

– Make them as independent as possible.

– Give them medicines on time.

– Develop proper timetable for daily chores.

– Keep the house clean and maintain hygiene.

– Educate your neighbours and relatives.

– Don’t be rigid, be flexible with rules and behavioural changes.

– Share responsibility of care taking or appoint a professional caretaker.

– See that the professional caretakers are not given other household work.

– Avoid sharp edges in the house.

– Install a good security system for the house.

– Give the sufferer an ID card or a monitoring device.

– Don’t change their living environment

– Respect them.

(Pictures courtesy Sailesh Mishra, Silver Innings)
Categories
Campaign

‘Political involvement translates to advocacy and awareness’

Our campaign partner, Silver Innings Foundation, was thrilled to host a local municipal councillor at their Alzheimer’s Day event yesterday.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in
Yesterday, on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day (observed globally every year on September 29), the Silver Innings Foundation celebrated a few events at their newly-opened indept attentionassisted elder care facility at Nala Sopara. The facility, A1 Snehanjali, held an interactive talk and play, played an interactive PPT and showed an inspiring video.
“A total of 55 people participated from various churches, senior citizens associations, women’s NGO Sakhaya, students from Nirmala Niketan College of Social work and residents and staff of A1 Snehanjali. Interestingly, the programme was inaugurated by chief guest corporator Rajan Nayak of Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation,” said Sailesh Mishra, Founder, Silver Innings.
He added, “It is important for persons from the political sphere to associate with activities pertaining to elder care and disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Their participation becomes an important support for any advocacy and public awareness campaigns. If we can sensitise elected public representatives and politicians, the awareness movement can easily penetrate at the grass root level.”
Local churches in the Nala Sopara (west) area also participated by sending two representatives each.
(Pictures courtesy Silver Innings Foundation)
Categories
Event

Largest ever auction of princely jewellery to take place in Mumbai

A sneak peek into the biggest-ever auction of royal Indian jewellery and other valuables to be auctioned at Taj tomorrow.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The biggest-ever auction of royal princely jewellery and other valuables of historical interest in the country will happen in Mumbai tomorrow, on Sunday, September 29, 2013. On auction will be paintings, sculptures, gems, jewellery, and coins, which the auctioneers, Rajgor’s, have sourced from collectors in Mumbai.

Dilip RajgorSpeaking to The Metrognome, Dr Dilip Rajgor (in pic on left), CEO, Rajgor’s explained, “It took about six months to put the entire collection together, after we had purchased it from collectors in the city. There are several wealthy collectors who have precious historical objects in their collections. Most of them are not interested in selling, but we convince them.”

Interestingly, a lot of people who have these historical treasures in their private collections are neither aware of the objects’ value nor are interested in getting a valuation done. “They sell off the pieces when they need money, but they may not get the items valued through the proper channels. An ordinary goldsmith will value a historical gold coin on par with today’s market rates for gold. But the true value is a 100 times more, owing to their rarity and historical significance.”

Mumbai boasts several private collectors, he says, as do other cities in the country. “Most of the collections comprise objects that are purchased from other collectors, while some were purchased directly from Kings. Collectors sell when they get old, if they are not handing rajgors2the collection down to the next generation,” Dr Dilip explains.

The auction

There will be four categories at the auction – coins, antiques, paintings and royal jewellery (this last is divided into 13 sub-categories). “We had an auction for the other items even last year, but the really interesting element this time is the jewellery,” Dr Dilip says. “There are so many beautiful surviving examples of historical jewellery, which give us a glimpse into making styles and design elements of the time. For example, when we speak of the Mughal period in history, we merely think of that era in terms of paintings. But there are so many beautiful items of kundan jewellery to be found in that period.”

The auction includes items right from the time of Alexander the Great to contemporary times. “We have tried to give continuity – there are all ranges, all eras. There are several collectors from outside who have already expressed an interest in buying tomorrow,” he says.

View some of the objects that will go under the hammer tomorrow:

If you want to be present at the Heritage of India Auction 10, register in person at 6th floor, Majestic Shopping Centre, Near Central Plaza, 144 JSS Road, Opera House, Mumbai 400004. Call 022 23820647 for details.

(Pictures courtesy Rajgor’s)

Categories
Enough said

When scenes of strife sicken

Images of riots make us yearn for human suffering to stop. But what about those who actively manufacture that suffering?
Humra QuraishiHumra  Quraishi

I realise that I am talking about the Muzzaffarnagar riots for the third consecutive week through this column. And I also realise that it is futile to keep harping on the patterns of riot and how similar they were to those witnessed during the Partition.

In this connection, I remember interviewing Sunil Dutt soon after the Mumbai riots of the 90s. I asked him if there was any solution to the civil strife and the rioting. And he’d nodded and said, “Yes, there can be a solution. Last night I was going through the latest issue of Time magazine, and the horrifying photographs of war-ridden Somalia shocked me so much that I couldn’t eat. It was dinner time but I couldn’t touch a morsel. Those pictures of people dying, injured and ill, rendered so helpless that most couldn’t even walk.

“And now I am going to suggest that those pictures and others be displayed all over our towns and cities, at all public places and sunil_dutteducational institutions of our country. They should be displayed with this caption, ‘See what war can do to you, your country, your fellow human beings.’”

I had probed him on allegations that he was working only for the minorities during the Hindu-Muslim riots. Looking suitably pained, he’d said, “These are filthy allegations. These are things I can’t even dream of – like people calling me a Pakistani agent or a desh drohi married to a Muslim! Why this propaganda that I’ve worked only for Muslims? When I undertook a padyatra from Mumbai to Amritsar, it was for no Muslim cause, it was for Hindus and Sikhs!

“Even during the Bombay riots, I helped whoever was affected. Obviously I couldn’t first ask them their religion and then help them. Though I have been a victim of the Partition myself, I have suffered tremendously, but my mother taught us never to hate another human being. I have passed this on to my children. It’s important to spread this message because once there is anarchy, it ruins everything.”

And while the tension abates somewhat over Muzaffarnagar (or that is what we believe, safe in our homes elsewhere), I am wondering about former army chief General VK Singh’s recent revelations. Sitting on his safe perch, assured of a strong political career with Narendra Modi as his chief, with an adequate monthly pension to boot, the General has only now spoken about money being given to certain politicians in the Kashmir Valley.

VK singhTwo things: one, if General VK Singh was aware of this, why didn’t he speak out earlier? Why now? Also, if what he is saying is true, is it really as shocking as all that? Don’t we all know that it is an ongoing trend to have money pumped from one location to another – to silence many voices and to keep one’s rule intact?

Little wonder, then, that in each and every conflict zone of this country, a certain section of society thrives. It’s this section – comprising politicians, informers, suppliers, sometimes even the police – that gets rich and flourishes. No wonder, also, that so many conflicts take place in the country fairly regularly.

Humra Quraishi is a senior political journalist based in Gurgaon. She is the author of Kashmir: The Untold Story and co-author of Simply Khushwant.

(Pictures courtesy www.the-south-asian.com, www.firstpost.com, www.topnews.in)

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