“Be kind, especially with the infirm. Love them well ... Oh yes! Be kind. It is a great grace God is giving you. In serving the aged, it is He Himself whom you are serving.”
-Blessed Jeanne Jugan
These were the exact words of Jeanne Jugan, the founder and first Little Sister of the Poor, a humble woman from Cancale, a small fishing village in Brittany, France in 1839. Jeane Jugan dedicated her life for the happiness of the poor at the Home. Beyond just meeting their needs for shelter, food and medical attention, she was concerned that they had ample reason to smile. For her selfless attitude and sincere dedication she will be canonized a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI On October 11, 2009.
The Little Sisters of the Poor is now an International Missionary Institution with nearly 4,000 sisters continuing the vision of Jeanne Jugan by serving more than 22,000 elderly in over 206 Homes for the Aged in 34 Countries across 5 continents around the world.
One such home is located very close to the LIBA campus at #11, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai-600031 and on the second of August 2009, we the members of LIBA Radius, a committee dedicated to social welfare, decided to visit the home and give the elderly a reason to smile, a value that was put forward by its own founder.
As for us, the first years of LIBA PGDM batch, it was the first time we got the opportunity to get together as a group and contribute something to the society. For many of us it was the first time that an event was about to take place outside the regular campus. Everyone including the seniors assembled early in the morning and was very eager to take part in the initiative.
Quite a few were on time and as we waited for others we spent some time among ourselves wishing each other on Friendship Day. As soon as everyone had arrived the Off-campus Head of LIBA Radius was more than happy to show us around the place. It was a pretty spacious place and I must say that the needs of each and every individual was met with utmost satisfaction with facilities like dormitory rooms, beds, sanitation facilities, meals and proper tables and chairs.
The first task at hand was to interact with the people there whom we fulfilled with ease without even considering it a task and in return we were greeted warmly and with cheerful blessings. Then we took them on wheel chairs to the auditorium where the seniors had planned some entertainment programs for them.
Each and every member of the home was presented with a flower on Friendship day and when the program started we could see the child within them beaming with joy. Then began the cultural session where a number of songs were played to which the audience clapped their hands, the first years did their bit as well by mimicking renounced personalities and authors. Then the floor was made open to the members and to our surprise we found amazing talent in the crowd.
Just like a child looking to its loved ones for appreciation for its accomplishments, we could see the child within every single person who went on stage yearning for the love and recognition that each of us could offer. We could see the members calling out the names of their peers requesting them to sing songs of their choice and I must say (giving due credit to the students for their effort) that the members of the place outperformed us students.
Fun and enjoyment became the flavor of the hour. Carols were sung and then came the instruction from the Head of the Home to wind up the program as the elderly needed some rest was well. But we just couldn’t leave them without paying back for the time we spent there. All of us pooled in significant amounts of cash and donated it to the home. Our joy was complete when we heard from the Sisters that the fund collected was used for providing them supper for the night.
As I ponder over the time spent there I am reminded of a saying that I came across during my readings and found it apt for the occasion which goes like this
“I do not wish to grow old, to outlive my illusions. Only a short respite from cares and sorrow, a brief time of flowers, and music, and love, and laughter, and ecstatic tears.”
-Anonymous
Abdul Basheer Khan
PR, LIBA Radius
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