Sulochana Beru and her husband built shelter home for 500 disabled patients as their son was mentally impaired
Sulochana and her husband Niraj Beru built a shelter home in Pune for children suffering from mental disabilities. The couple formed Beru Matimand Pratishthana after watching their own son suffer because of a broken system. Sulochana and Niraj Beru first encountered the trials of parenting when their son was diagnosed with an intellectual impairment in 1969. Sulochana recalls a time when the stigma around mental health was even more intense. In India, at least 20 million mentally challenged people do not have access to a house or secure shelter. Around 10% of the total are children. Government-established institutes' inadequate infrastructure and unsanitary environment fail to meet their needs and provide effective care. Sulochana claims she attempted to enrol her son in a special education school. However, the institutes either said no or the administration asked him to leave after a few months, she continues. "He would frequently destroy his f...