Home of Hope

Home of Hope Event Details



Before I say anything I would like to thank aunt Lakshmi(Rekha's mother) who took the pain of going to avenue road and getting us good deals on the grocery items. So for the same amount of money we were able to give out more quantity. We collected quite a lot of items old cloths,50 kgs of rice,25 kgs of daal, 25 kgs of Sugar,. 25 ltrs of cooking oil..etc. Even though we were so happy that we collected so much, we were also worried about transportation as the items would have never fit into a car. But auto-raja was kind enough to send us a tempo in which we could load all the items along with ourselves. That was much required as i am sure u r aware by now how good my sense of directions :D. Nirmal and James who came to pick us up were quite helpful.

We were quite excited to be back in Home of Hope .Most of inmates recognized us from our last visit. They were very happy to see us and I really cannot explain the joy of spending a lovely sunday afternoon with them. They were quite eager to click photographs and when we showed them the photos , they were very excited. It was a very hot afternoon. We had brought some curds with us which we requested the authorities to make butter milk for the inmates. That was an instant hit item. Everyone thronged for the butter milk. Auto raja thanked us for arranging so much of provisions and i cannot wait to pass on that thanks to you :)

Overall the event was a grand success. And i cannot thank you enough for making this possible. Thanks so much for being a grant a wish angel and bringing sunshine to so many people's lives.

Our experience at Home of Hope(Auto Raja Ashram)
                                                                            -Rekha Prasad


I came to know about Mr. Raja for the first time while watching a popular local reality show on TV. He is popularly known as Auto Raja.

It was a case where the anchor introduced to us a good-looking boy in his late twenties. It was a simple case of the boy staying away from home for unknown reasons. As they showed on TV, the boy had married, the girl was pregnant, and he had approached the show hoping they will help in uniting him with his parents. His requirements were very minimal, blessings from his parents for him and his family.

The boy then started relating his story. He left home, used to work in construction sites and move from site to site wherever work was available. In one of the sites, he accidentally fell from the first floor and became unconscious. Nobody helped him and nobody noticed his absence or came looking for him. He was hurt in the head, lying unconscious and it was a while before anyone found him and attended to him. They showed a video clipping of his having a wound in his head behind his ear. There was a hole in his head nearly 2 inches deep, and 3 inches in diameter, a man's fingers could easily go into the wound since it was infected with flesh-eating maggots.

The video clip showed a man cleaning the wound with his hands without the slightest display of discomfort in his face. And that man was none other than Auto Raja. Somehow, Auto Raja found him, took him to his shelter (Home of Hope) and cleaned his wound, treated him and nursed him to health.

The boy then started serving in the ashram and married an inmate of the ashram. Well, there doesn't seem to be anything great about it, does it? Yes. The boy has married an unwed mother who was rescued like himself and he is fathering someone else's child.

The case on TV ended sadly with his parents not ready to accept the girl as their daughter-in-law. The parents think the son to have brought shame to their family and would accept him only if he leaves the girl. The boy stood his ground and returned to the ashram with his wife and plans to continue to live and serve in the ashram.

But it also brought to light the amazing work done by Auto Raja, who empathizes with the homeless and treats them as his own. He has been running the ashram for 14 years and considers himself to be an instrument of God. He requested us to remember him in our prayers everyday in order to give him strength to do what he is doing even better. Every person's story touches us in the ashram. Take the case of Mr. Gopinath Rao, who feels happy to be known as the assistant manager of the ashram and takes care of the day-to-day stuff in there. He was a homeless destitute rescued by Raja 14 years ago and the transformation in him is amazing. Raja has many such success stories to his credit. But he tells us, not all cases are rosy. There have been times when a homeless is rescued and bathed and given a change of clothes and then he/she passes away in an hour's time. Some others in a few hours or a day or a week's time.

We saw a 90+ year old lady with wounds all over her hands and head. When asked, they related that she used to beg and live on streets. And one night, she was attacked by street dogs and finally rescued. Now, Auto Raja's ashram is the chosen place for even the police to drop off homeless junkies to be rehabilitated.

He says few people on their death-bed ask for pepsi or biryani as their last wish. And Auto Raja says, "Sister, I run to get them whatever they want sister. I do anything to get them what they ask". His eyes sparkle as he tells us, "In fourteen years, we have not gone hungry even for a single meal sister. God is kind enough to provide for us through you." Raja tells us, "I have studied only till 3rd standard. I dont know to read and write. Somehow, I have learnt to speak english." Yet, he operates the computer with ease and is eager to show us some video clips of his work.

He lives in the same premises with his wife and 3 children and does not see the environment hampering his children's growth and future. It was a very humbling experience to us indeed.


HOME OF HOPE  A Personal experience
                                                                    -By Alphonse Kurian


I visited Home of Hope for the first time on 14th Sep 2008   and seeing the place was an experience I can never forget. I had heard earlier of this place run by Auto Raja but never imagined how big the place was as also the conditions of the types of cases he takes with so much love and care.

We had a briefing of the house which then housed about 280 persons. They take destitutes and persons without anyone. It was a sight to see the old ladies and gents who were staying there. Some were crippled while others seated with blank looks, a few showing warm smiles on their faces but most of them seemed to be so helpless. The photographs they kept which were taken on admission as also after they gave them a bath, shave, change of clothes and also after treatment made it difficult to believe the transformation. While most had memory loss and were in their own world, they were getting food, clothing and shelter. They were picked up from streets and who have not had  food for days. There were persons admitted with wounds, dog bites, infections etc It was also learned that some who were getting brought were in such a starved and dehyderated condition that there were cases where they passed away in a few hours time also. Monthly they have a few deaths and all of them are given a decent last rites.

About 25 children were also there. Some are very normal children with ambitions to do well in life and attend school in the neighbourhood.

The staff who were all mostly rehabilitated inmates  were really just wonderful in how they were showing their care and affection. We were told that the place with building was donated by Campus Crusade to Auto Raja who had started the place in his small house earlier and was getting more persons that his place could take. The institution which is running for past 11 years is from what I have seen just wonderful doing service which we cant think of.

They manage on donations and with the large number of inmates, the space is now insufficient. The open area has trees giving shade where most of the inmates are seated in the day getting a bit of fresh air and sun. They are trying to expand and accept donations in cash or kind including old usable clothes. Requirments of provisions, soaps, phenoyl, clothes, bed sheets, mattresses etc is defiinitley there. Feeding the large number of persons and keeping the place which is over crowded is no joke as a visit could show. A number of elderly persons had no control on bowel movement and so keeping the place clean is a real task and a job most of us would not like to do but this was being done by others who stay there. Rehabilitation of few have taken place as also reuniting with lost family members. Any small amount is welcomed by them.

I have no words to describe their service-Just Touching. While I was not fortunate to meet Auto Raja on that day as he had gone out but HATS OFF to him and the staff there. I did meet him thereafter on a few occasions and each time felt humbled seeing his care for these persons with no one. He stays with his family in same building and when he comes out of the office we can see him so lovingly touching these persons and giving love. If one has a strong heart there is a video of a few cases who had come in with worms in their bodies which had deep wounds and we could see Auto Raja cleaning these wounds and dressing them. I have later had few friends, members of Lions Club of Bangalore Sanjaynagar joining me as also going separately and helping out with contributions like a evening snack, dinner, cash, old clothes, used furniture etc all of which were accepted with gratitude. Meeting Auto Raja when ever he is there at such visits have kept on inspiring. The simplicity of this great person and his request for any small help depending on our ability is touching.

A visit to that place is worth to see the really homeless getting a home. At least now if we see some such case, we know we can do something and as we cant provide the home why not support such a place with any small amounts or even old usable clothes? We plan to keep in touch with them and help in any small way possible. Those interested to help may contact me/them direct.

Their address/contact nos are given below:

Home of Hope,
New Ark Mission of India,
Doddagubbi Village, KRC Road,
Bangalore 562 149
Tel 28445509/65997274


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