The document is a request for donations from Iswar Sankalpa, an organization that helps homeless people suffering from mental illness in Kolkata. It provides details on how donations can support rehabilitation costs and treatment for patients. It describes the vulnerable situation of homeless mentally ill individuals, who are often ignored and face abuse. Iswar Sankalpa works to provide medical treatment and help reintegrate patients with their families or communities. It shares the story of one patient named Manasi who recovered with their assistance. The request is for donations to continue helping other homeless mentally ill individuals.

1. Yes I want to help
I am enclosing a cheque
payable to Iswar Sankalpa amounting to:
Just a modest contribution
from you
will make a big
difference in the life
Don’t
• Rs 2,000 for the repatriation of one
patient
of a mentally ill
homeless person go home
Donations are exempt from tax under Section 80G of
• Rs 3,000 for community based treatment
the Income Tax Act, 1962
of one patient for one month
• Rs 7,500 for institution based treatment
Please forward your donation
of one patient for one month
to
• Rs. 35,000 Rehabilitation costs for a year The Secretary,
Iswar Sankalpa
• Any amount.................................................. 138, S. P. Mukherjee Road,
Kolkata 700026
Cheque No ....................................................
Drawn on ..................................................
Dated ..................................................... Phone 033 24197451 / 52
Mobile 98302 60089
My Details
Name ......................................................
Email: isankalpa@gmail.com
without helping
www.isankalpa.org
Address ....................................................
.........................................................................
someone who has
Phones: .............................................................
Support for the mind
no home

2. Iswar Sankalpa looks after the homeless mentally ill -
a segment of society that Kolkata has forsaken for far too long Support for the mind
Facts about the homeless mentally ill
Our team of psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists and
The most stigmatized, marginalized and vulnerable of all homeless persons living on the streets are those suffering from
activists work with the communities, hospitals, homes and
mental disorders. The homeless mentally ill are a population in need of urgent medical treatment, yet remain ignored and
shelters to bring acutely needed medical treatment to
uncared for by a society that behaves as if they don't exist.
homeless people suffering from psychological disorders on
the streets of Kolkata.
A large number of them have some form of psychosis and paranoia which makes them distrust others, and they wander
from place to place in a state of constant hyper-vigilance. Some have depression or other mood disorders, yet have no one
Apart from our own surveillance teams, the Kolkata police and
to help them deal with their mental agony. The mental illness leaves them incapable of even foraging for a meal, keeping
concerned citizens help us find homeless persons who need
themselves clean, and protecting themselves from a hostile environment.
psychiatric treatment. Many of them need urgent physical
care as well, and are first treated for their physical ailments.
Mentally disabled women and children on the streets are especially vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse. With the
Those requiring hospitalization for serious mental diseases
mental disease having taken away all physical and mental coping mechanisms, they are totally defenseless against
are transferred to state and private hospitals
violence and rape.
In many cases, patients do not need hospitalization - all they
Four out of five mentally ill homeless persons also have significant physical health problems. Unable to take care of
need is regular medication and some help in caring for
themselves, they suffer from physical problems ranging from open lesions, rabies, AIDS and wounds and are especially
themselves. We mobilize people from the community to
vulnerable to communicable diseases.
regularly give them their medicines, take them for a hair cut or
a bath, and ensure that they are protected from abuse and
other crimes.
9 out of 10 mentally ill persons are homeless because they can’t remember where
Because of the debilating effect that schizophrenia and other They’ve come from. With treatment, they recover their memories, and have no reason to be
mental diseases have on the brain, many mentally ill people homeless anymore
are on the streets simply because they are lost - they've
forgotten their own names, cannot remember their families. In
such cases, as patients recover their memories and
remember their homes, Iswar Sankalpa makes all efforts to re- The metamorphosis of Manasi
unite them with their families.
When we first saw her, Manasi was a deranged, terrified woman lying semi-
conscoius near a garbage heap. She was suffering from schizophrenia, had festering
lesions on her leg and could barely speak.
Two months of care from Iswar Sankalpa and its partners turned Manasi into a
smiling, sindoor adorned lady who returned home to her husband and children.
Today our team regularly visits to her home to replenish her medicines and make sure
that she stays well.
There are countless others
like Manasi on the streets of your city.
Can you help Iswar Sankalpa help them?