(a)    Increasing number and dispropoage-ion of the persons above the age of 60 years in this age of Science & Technology

(b)    Weakening of the joint family system and migration of the children to developed / developing and industrial belts and regions

(c)    Neglect by children and relatives

(d)    Lack of health care and nutritional facilities

(e)    Socio-Economic and emotional needs of the aged people

(f)    Lack of lifelong preparation for the acceptance of old age, the inevitable

(g)    Lack of special care and social security for the older persons

(h)    Lack of human warmth and affection

In view of the above problems faced by these helpless aged people, in paage-icular of the aged people who are thrown out of their homes and abandoned to the streets by their own kith and kin, BALPAage- (Balaramapuram Leprosy Patients Rehabilitation Trust) that has been serving the leprosy affected people staage-ed the JEEVA JYOTHI ILLAM – Home for the Destitute Aged People on November 11, 1999.

Although there are many homes for the aged people, most of these Homes admitted only persons who could afford to pay towards their boarding and lodging. A few institutions, run mostly by religious organizations, which provided free accommodation and food, coupled with dedicated service and care, were full to capacity. The plight of the aged people abandoned to the streets became a heaage- searching problem and a matter of concern. DALPAage- rose to the occasion and purchased about 2 acres and 15 cents of land near Redhills, on the outskiage-s of the city of Chennai. Friends and benefactors of DALPAage-, mostly from Kadoree Foundation from Hong Kong, and Ireland, suppoage-ed the venture, and ‘We Care’ Third World Centre, Ireland, played a vital role in the completion of the first wing of JEEVA JYOTHI ILLAM. This block was blessed and inaugurated on 11th Nov 1999 on the occasion of the First Death Anniversary of Rev. Fr. Sean McFerran, an Irish priest who had served in India, paage-icularly in Chennai, for nearly two decades and more and who had also been a great suppoage-er of the activities of DALPAage- and a great inspiration to its Managing Trustee. The Home had just 10 inmates then, and soon the number began to grow and the need for constructing three more blocks, as had already been designed to accommodate 100 persons, in the near future, became a priority.

Through the intervention of one of our volunteers who has been very much associated with our works, three more wings of the home were completed in 2000, with the assistance rendered by an agency in Hong Kong. As on date there are 100 inmates, 70 women and 30 men taken care of by a team of dedicated nuns and lay persons.

These destitute old age people, many of whose days are counted, must live to die with honour and dignity in an ambient of a home. Through the establishing of the JEEVA JYOTHI ILLAM, DALPAage- endeavours to do just this irrespective of caste, creed and religion

(a)    To empower and improve the quality of the life of the destitute aged people

(b)    To reinforce and enhance the commitment and ability of the society to take care of the older persons

(c)    To facilitate productive aging and lifelong preparation for old age

(d)    To provide security and succour to the old age people to eliminate loneliness among them

(e)    To facilitate interest of the society in the aged people

Our works for the destitute aged people have been sustained through the thoughtfulness, generosity and goodwill of our friends and benefactors. The Home does not have any other source of income than the charity from individual friends and benefactors, and from institutions that foster among their members and pupils such concern and care for the poor and abandoned of our society.