We’re not unaware of the existence of mentally challenged people around us. But not many of us have a desire to personally extend a helping hand towards the ones that have been less fortunate. There are a finger-count of people amidst us who go above and beyond to their bit to give something back to the society. Meet Usha Kamath from Nitte, who is a beautiful dancer and a breast cancer survivor. At 67, this wonder woman has the energy of a little girl and the heart of a mother that has been through the thick and thin of life.
She has lately been working with patients suffering from mental ill-health and contributing most of her time towards making their lives better. It is undoubtedly a difficult task to work with people having mental health issues. What is more difficult than treating them with medicines is living with them every day, trying to give them a sense of purpose, and making their lives seem more meaningful in their own eyes. Usha Kamath has been actively doing this and more since the past few years.
Service To The Society
Social work has always been my area of interest. I have always had an urge to do something good towards people and society. People do good deeds, no doubt, but sometimes it troubles me to see that they do it only to gain name, fame or some other benefits. I’ve wanted to serve in a place where my service would truly make a difference and all that I seek is a feeling of accomplishment that I’m doing my bit for the society.
I chose Psycho Social Rehabilitation (PSR) because I truly felt that my service could be of use here. I have been a jack of all trades – dance, art & craft, yoga, gardening, cooking and such interesting hobbies. All those are the very things that we try to involve our patients in and that’s why my service does count here.
Challenges & Merits Working At A PSR
The biggest challenge is the patient themselves. Each patient is different and each one needs to be handled differently. More often than not, they end up disobeying, breaking free or even offending us. That has happened a lot of times and there are also times when they have pushed me to tears. But at the end of the day we need to understand that they aren’t doing it intentionally and we are here to change that very attitude of theirs. This belief keeps me going, even though handling patients gets difficult at times.
The merit is definitely watching them get better every passing day. We’ve had extreme cases that have come under control after they joined rehabilitation. Watching them find a meaning to their life motivates me, and makes me happy that we are doing something good.
The Struggle With Breast Cancer
I did have to undergo a struggle with breast cancer about 18 years ago. Cancer is not easy for anyone; it wasn’t easy for me either. But I am thankful for all the support and strength I received during the time. My husband himself was a specialist surgeon in the area and that was a huge pillar of support throughout my struggle. I had always been a brave individual and all these positive factors helped me to fight the disease with strength. I was back to pursuing my hobbies and interests on the 10th day of my treatment!
Dance Is My Gift – Usha Kamath
Dance came to me like it was meant for me. I learned classical dance at a very young age. Dedication towards whatever I do comes naturally to me and hence pursuing dance seriously became my passion, which I accomplished. I have given performances country-wide and even abroad. I have also taught classical dance to a number of students and it is my pleasure to teach the same to my patients at the rehab, whenever they are in a mood to dance. At the age of 67, dancing is still the love of my life and I’m preparing one for a big wedding in the family that is due soon!
Eliminating Social Stigma
There is still a long way for PSR to grow in India. Firstly, the social stigma associated with mental patients must be removed so that the patients and their family members can easily gain access to what can make them better. Also, it is a difficult task to handle patients who can sometimes get moody and impulsive.
However, I am proud of the work that we’re doing in that direction; here at Nitte. What I mainly hope for is dedication on the part of PSR workers and formation of strong teams that can work to eliminate social stigma and make patients’ lives better.
Usha Kamath is a voluntary worker at the PSR at Nitte, whose only earning from the venture is the sense of accomplishment she gets from her work. She urges women like her to also take part in the endeavor, as she feels that this is one of the best ways to pay it back to the society. Mr & Mrs Kamath are a couple full of gratitude towards all that their life has been and they do their best to be of help to anyone they can. We wish them all the happiness in the world!