THE BANYAN

The planters of The Banyan

Battered, bruised, brutally abused, both physically and sexually, ignored by everybody, eating out of garbage bins and with no place to call home. This was the situation of Chennai’s homeless women with mental illness even just a decade ago. They were an invisible minority, and would have stayed invisible had it not been for two young women who put them firmly back on Chennai’s social agenda.

Vandana Gopikumar, then still a Master’s student of Social Work, came across a half-naked, mentally ill homeless woman in absolute distress on the road in front of her college. Nobody else seemed even to notice her. With the help of a close friend, Vaishnavi Jayakumar, she tried to find shelter for the woman. Mental health institutions and NGOs were reluctant to admit the woman in desperate need of medical and psychiatric attention. Several more such encounters over the next few months left the idealistic duo disillusioned and the idea was born that they should do something about the problem themselves.


The girls started growing the seeds of The Banyan in 1993, after Vandana finished her Master’s in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work and Vaishnavi dropped out of her MBA to join her. They were 22 then. The Banyan started off as a shelter and transit home for homeless women for mental illness who had wandered from their homes across the country and ended up in the streets of Chennai. One of the duo’s core beliefs was that the women needed to receive timely treatment and to be rehabilitated in mainstream society. Twelve years later, after reaching out to over 1500 women, and successfully rehabilitating over 700, their beliefs have been vindicated.


Growing up


With little more than the firm belief that nothing is impossible and that every human being on this planet is entitled to a life of dignity, The Banyan was registered as a Trust in 1993. Adaikalam (Tamil for ‘home’), a rented three-bedroom building, became a care and rehabilitation centre. Eventually over 100 women would call Adaikalam home, finding it a safe, comforting place where their wounds would be healed. Days of no money and hungry mouths to feed were not uncommon. As desperate as was the struggle was the importance of the work. 1994 saw The Banyan’s first rehabilitation, the beginning of more happy reunions and fairy tale endings than anyone could ever imagine.

An Appeal

Since its inception, The Banyan has reached out to over 1500 women in need and rehabilitated over 850 wandering individuals struggling with mental illness. The road to success has not been plain sailing, challenged by constant financial struggle to cover the average monthly expenses of Rs. 15 lakhs to run the organisation. We are infinitely grateful to the countless warm-hearted people that have supported us throughout our journey and made our dream come true - making it possible for us to provide refuge to wandering mentally ill women and to advocate their legitimate right to exist in society. However, to be able to maintain an equally high quality service and special care for all our residents, we will continue to rely on the support from donors and dedicated individuals. With almost 400 women being housed at our shelter, the increasing need for mental health care is hitting our financial, spatial and manpower resources. We will need more help than ever in making a difference to the lives of women who until recently had less than nothing.

Please join us in our mission to generate wellbeing in one of the most marginalised sections of society.



Would you like to help?

There are several ways in which you can help The Banyan:
1) Make a donation in cash
2) Make a donation in kind
3) Volunteer with The Banyan
4) Visit The Banyan and spend some time with our residents
5) Organise some informal entertainment for our residents
6) Tell your friends, relatives and acquaintances about the work of The Banyan
7) Spread awareness on mental health issues at your school, college or workplace
8) Accept the mentally ill as individuals and as members of our society


“Volunteers are not paid; not because they are worthless but because they are priceless.”

~Sherry Anderson


Or simply donate some time - come and spend time with our residents or organise some informal entertainment for them.The possibilities are as endless as your creativity and generosity.

Get inspired by some of our current volunteers.

Local volunteers,
International or out of state volunteers,
Careers at The Banyan,

http://www.thebanyan.org/html/vacancies.html

http://www.thebanyan.org/html/volunteers.html
http://www.thebanyan.org/html/help.html

Adaikalam - a therapeutic community in a homely environment

Adaikalam became the new Transit Home in 2001, providing 24,000 square feet of fully equipped, comfortable living space for those who until recently had less than nothing to call their own. Designed in two blocks, residential and therapeutic, the new building has many useful facilities, such as:


10 airy dormitories
Consulting rooms
Sick bays
An auditorium
A vocational training unit
A dining hall
A recreational therapy unit


The Banyan currently houses over 380 residents at Adaikalam and The Long Stay Home in Otteri and employs around 90 members of staff, including trained social workers, doctors, psychiatrists, nursing aides, and other categories of staff that contribute to the smooth running at the centre.


Contact Details



THE BANYAN
6th Main Road, Mugappair Eri Scheme
Mugappair west, Chennai-600037
Phone Numbers: 044 – 26530504 / 45548350 / 51 / 52
Fax: 044 - 26530105


THE BANYAN CENTRE,
18/55 Vinobaji Street, opp Kamaraj 4th Street,
Gandhi Salai, Choolaimedu.
(Take road opposite Bata Showroom on Nelson Manickam Road, adjacent to Pantaloons.
5th right, 1st left, 1st right)
Phone Number: 42233666


BALM
Banyan Health Centre,
2/242, Pillayar Koil Street,
Kovalam Village,
Kancheepuram – 603112