Snehalaya women’s asylum to be inauguration

Snehalaya Psychosocial Rehabilitation Asylum for women and Snehalaya Chapel will be inaugurated as part of the Snehalaya Charitable Trust’s decennial celebrations at Manjeshwara in Kasargod, on January 26.

Briefing reporters, rehabilitation organiser Roy Castellino said that the new building would accommodate 150 women. It was built at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore.

Snehalaya Founder Br Joseph Crasta said that Mangaluru Diocese Bishop Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha would bless the women’s block. Bishop of Bareilly Diocese Rev Dr Ignatius D’Souza would bless the Grotto of Lady of Lourdes.

Rev Fr Joseph Dolphy Pais of Capuchin Provincial-Karnataka Province would release the decennial souvenir. UAE Exchange President Y Sudheer Kumar Shetty would inaugurate the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Asylum for women.

Kerala state Health Department helped establish the rehabilitation. Snehalaya Shanthi Dham, an old age home for women and a 4,000 sqft dining hall would also be inaugurated.

Snehalaya, led by founder and president Joseph Crasta has rescued over 700 destitutes from Mangaluru’s streets in 10 years. Among those rescued, 498 were reunited with their families after treatment.

Many came from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Assam, Andhra Pradesh. Crasta fed, sheltered and provided them medical care at the rehabilitation. The rehabilitation has 250 beds for men said Roy Castellino.

Snehalaya Charitable Trust also feeds lunch to 700 attendants of Wenlock Hospital patients daily. This service is called ‘Snehalaya Mannah.’

Snehalaya was launched on August 26, 2009, by admitting a teenager found loitering Mangaluru’s streets. Brother Crasta rescued him. He was treated at the Yenepoya Medical College Hospital. ‘Chotu’ as everyone fondly calls him, continues to stay at Snehalaya. He has no memory of his past.

Crasta was an interstate bus driver who met with an accident. His recovery from injuries was the turning point in his life. He was inspired by Mother Teresa.

While driving an autorickshaw for livelihood, he saw a mentally ill woman drinking water from a fish container. He rescued, fed and took her to the Maryhill old age home for women. “Thus began my mission,” he recollected.