Aswathy Nair’s NGO, ‘Jwala’, supports the homeless and the aged.

She tells
Sooraj Rajmohan that better support systems are required to look after their
needs
Medical representative by day, law student by night and social worker at heart, Aswathy Nair
juggles many roles with one purpose: to do some good. Founder of Jwala Foundation, an
NGO that provides food and shelter to the displaced and elderly, Aswathy says it was the
struggle for a square meal in her childhood that was the spark that has now grown into a
flame. “When my siblings and I were younger, our mother Vijayakumari used to do multiple
jobs to raise us. She used to bring the three of us a few handfuls of rice in a milk packet. That
is when the importance of food registered in my mind,” she says, before insisting on talking
about her work rather than focus on herself.
Still in her late twenties, Aswathy has been zipping about the city on her scooter and
delivering packets of food to the economically disadvantaged for three years. After first
attempting to help feed the needy at the ninth ward of the Thiruvananthapuram General
Hospital and finding herself hampered by red tape, she decided to take matters into her own
hands and feed the people she saw on the roads. “About two weeks into my activities, I gave
a packet of food to an old lady outside a hotel near Pazhavangadi temple. As I moved on I
heard a commotion behind me and saw a homeless old man attempting to steal the food from
her, while she fended him off with a stick. All this while others sat inside the hotel, and ate
their fill.”
This incident prompted her to take up her idea in earnest and increase the number of people
she took under her wing, eventually providing assistance like purchasing medicines and
working with authorities on rehabilitation of the homeless. “There are instances when people
may have property in their name but with no one to manage it they find themselves on the
streets. Unmarried people whose parents have passed away and divorcees with children are
also seen in such situations. However, there have been times when we have managed to help
them get back into their households,” says Aswathy, who currently looks after the needs of
more than 35 people.
Aswathy started out with the ambition of becoming a nurse, but went on to do her B.Com
when that plan did not bear fruit. Now, she says her soft, caring side is much less forgiving.
“A lot of people have asked me why I have chosen ‘Jwala’ as a name for a charitable venture,
but I feel this is right. Our generation needs to take action and make a difference, however
small,” she says, adding that since she started Jwala officially in January, donations and
support have been pouring in from all quarters, particularly on social media. However,
Aswathy wants to keep her work in a manageable sphere of influence instead of appointing
members and giving them designations. Volunteers, however, are welcome.
Aside from her work as a medical representative, she is also a third year law student at the
Kerala Law Academy, where she attends evening classes. She hopes to someday use her legal
knowledge in her work as well, “I am already helped a lot by other students who study with
me, and I always wonder about the legal aspects in many of the situations I face so this
should help me take my work forward.”
The support she has received from home and the community near her house at Muttathara has
been overwhelming, with neighbours frequently dropping in with supplies. “My mother
raised three children on her own, so she always encourages me and has never questioned what
I do. In fact, on the days that I am unable to make my rounds, she hires an autorickshaw and
delivers the supplies. People in my locality also support me, and some even joke that I should
have a bed ready for them when they become aged.”
The numerous accolades and awards Aswathy has received have not shaken her belief that
enough is not being done for the needy, a fact that is evident from her expression when she
says she distributes food only once a day. She believes that the problem should be tackled at
the point of origin. “If people are not homeless or hungry in the first place, such measures
will not be required. There are people who have reached a state where they cannot consume
food even when it is provided. People have died on the streets in Thiruvananthapuram with
no one to give them a decent funeral. That must change.” And she is making a difference by
being the change herself. Contact: 9496001098

Being the change

Aswathy covers a 15 km route seven days a week, starting from Vanchiyoor, and passing
through the General Hospital, Kaithamukku, Sreekanteswaram, Pazhavangadi, West Fort and
Swati Nagar areas. The food is prepared by Aswathy’s mother and grandmother at Jwala’s
Vanchiyoor office. The Jwala office can provide temporary accommodation for the homeless
or the sick until alternate arrangements are found. Aswathy’s plans include coordinating with
other social workers across the State and starting a home for the destitute where all inmates
can have an inclusive lifestyle and keep themselves occupied at all times.