A mother of Autistic children

I have been asked to visit a family in village B, because I was working on a rehabilitation project

I parked my car at the side road, and walked down the hill. Where there was a young lady, thin, tall, wearing long colored dress, blue eyes. Round white face. She was waving with her hand to us and shouting: ”Nariman I am here, here”. We shake hands with her and she led us to her house. We entered from a big gate where a smell of a barn all over the place, we followed her up stairs she opened the locked door and she welcomed us. The house was upside down. twin girls were moving around the house and producing sounds, their age nearly 11 years, and they dragged the mother towards the kitchen, they were starving.

The mother said: “excuse me! The girls are hungry I have to give them something to eat otherwise we cannot sit for moments to fill-in the survey, my daughters have been diagnosed with Autistic. As you see I live in difficult situation no one to help me in caring with them, their father disappeared he knew nothing about us , and we do not know where is he, I can’t go outside the house, and I have no income, the neighbors help us sometimes”

 I asked:” why you didn’t send them to a rehabilitation center to help you in taking care of them?

The mother replied:” the government center refused them because my daughters are severe cases, and the private centers are very expensive and I can’t feed them”.

I explained to the mother the reason behind our visit and asked how we can help her? and how can she try take care of herself too.

She looked at me, with tears formed in her eyes, she put her hands on her head and said:” I have no time to take shower or to comb my hair either. Please tell me what shall I do, where to go?”

This time I felt dumb, and disable, I couldn't find a way to help. I left the house, but kept thinking of the mother. I am trying to find a way to help, but do not know how?

Nari June 18,2019