Age is just a number for these two proud sisters, owners of old age homes

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: At 82 and 79, sisters Charla Vidula Kumari and Mrudula Kumari follow a daily routine that they have not missed in the last two decades. They visit old age homes run by them in Mallavaram and Nidadavole every morning to check on the residents.  One may want a TV in his room, others may seek a doctor’s appointment while some may have issues with their roommates. The sisters patiently attend to them before proceeding to the next routine: inspecting the kitchens and gardens. 

While Vidula looks after the Mallavaram retirement home, her sister tends the one in Nidadavole of East Godavari. One can understand their determination to help the elderly when they say that they have arranged for the retirement homes functioning even after their death.    The two are the proud daughters of a well-known freedom fighter, ‘Kalaprapurna’ Charla Ganapathi Sastry. Both PhD scholars in Hindi, they retired as teachers in Visakhapatnam. Having witnessed several instances of domestic violence, they decided to remain unmarried. 

After their retirement, people in Mallavaram requested them to serve the society just like their father did when he established Gandhi Memorial Centre and Santinikentan School here. A philanthropist, L Gangaraju, donated an acre land for the memorial at Mallavaram in 1929. Mahatma Gandhi had not only visited the village in April of the same year, but also awarded `10,000 to Sastry for his contribution to the centre. However, `7,000 from that amount was unspent and returned to Gandhiji. 

That Sastry rejected a government offer of a ten acre land and a monthly pension for freedom fighters speaks highly of his integrity. His wife Suseela ran the Kasturbha Women’s Welfare Society in Nidadavole 60 years ago.As the sisters were interested in running an old age home, an influential family in the region offered to part with its one acre land. One Burugupalli Surya Prakasa Rao took the responsibility of the construction, for which the two women spent `10 lakh from their retirement benefits. 

From their began their mission of helping the elderly after which they set up more such establishments in Bobbarlanka, Rajamahendravaram, Timmarajupalem and Ramachandrapuram. While the one at Mallavaram is home to 50 senior citizens, the combined strength of all the retirement homes is 300. “Life after 60 proves to be very difficult for many. It is challenging,” said Vidula. 

“The concept of joint family is crumbling as more people want to live an isolated life. This is why many senior citizens find themselves alone and move into an old age home. Here, they spend time meditating. Only vegetarian food is served and there is no preference on the basis of caste, colour or religion,” she said. “Our doors are always open to everyone. Those who can afford pay `2,000 a month can live here.  We don’t ask money from people who are from poor financial backgrounds,” Mrudula added.

Coming out of the veil and how! 
The two are the daughters of a freedom fighter, ‘Kalaprapurna’ Charla Ganapathi Sastry. Both PhD scholars in Hindi, they retired as teachers in Visakhapatnam. Having witnessed several instances of domestic violence, they decided to remain unmarried