#HumansCare | Sailaja

Five years ago, Hanumantha, from a village in Andhra Pradesh, was involved in a serious road traffic accident on his bike which left him paralysed from the chest down. His family sold two acres of their land to meet the costs of his treatment in hospital but he returned to his village bed-bound.

His wife Sailaja became his carer, responsible for meeting all of his daily needs, as well as continuing to raise their two children. The physical demands of caring were hard on Sailaja and she also experienced great emotional stress.

Sailaja was invited to join her local carers group, established by our partner SACRED, where she discussed her experiences of caring and the challenges she faced. The group provided Sailaja with social and emotional support and she started to feel a weight lifting.

Sailaja shared with the group that she had tailoring skills and as a result she was provided with a sewing machine through one of our livelihoods programmes. She is now able to work from home and is earning a steady monthly income which is relieving the financial pressures of the household.

As well as supporting Sailaja, the SACRED team have helped Hanumantha. He has received physiotherapy, a water bed and a wheel chair. Having a wheelchair means that Hanumantha can now go out into his community and meet with friends again.

The whole family are thankful for the support they have received through the carers group, from SACRED and from Carers Worldwide. The family are very happy to see the improvement to Hanumantha’s social life and ability to get around independently. Sailaja is grateful to have the connections she has made as part of the carers group and for having the chance to earn an income for her family.

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