Shyama Dasi Vriddhashram in Vrindavan — a home to over 150 elderly widows, many battling illness and loneliness. This is a story from one of its ward.
76-year-old Smt. Jharna Banerjee, lovingly called Jharna Maa, has spent the last ten years of her life in Shyama Didi Vriddhashram. Before finding shelter here, she spent six long years living on the platform of Mathura Railway Station, surviving each day with the help of kind railway staff. When the COVID lockdown struck, she was left with nowhere to go — until destiny brought her to the ashram, her true home.
Once, Jharna Maa had a comfortable life. Her husband was a Railway Station Master at Bali Station in Howrah district, and together they lived peacefully. But after his passing, her world turned upside down. Her daughter-in-law began mistreating her, taunting and humiliating her over the smallest things. One day, the cruelty went too far — she was thrown out of her own home. Alone and heartbroken, she found herself at Mathura Station, with no one to look back for her.
Today, despite her battles with arthritis, hypertension, and diabetes, Jharna Maa feels cared for and loved again. At the ashram, she receives proper medical attention, nutritious food, and most importantly — respect, compassion, and emotional warmth.
She spends her mornings chanting her japa mala, finding peace and strength in her prayers. “What my own children couldn’t do for me,” she says with a gentle smile, “Joy Story Foundation is doing with love and sincerity.”
Shyama Dasi Vriddhashram in Vrindavan — a home to over 150 elderly widows, many battling illness and loneliness. This is a story from one of its ward.
76-year-old Smt. Jharna Banerjee, lovingly called Jharna Maa, has spent the last ten years of her life in Shyama Didi Vriddhashram. Before finding shelter here, she spent six long years living on the platform of Mathura Railway Station, surviving each day with the help of kind railway staff. When the COVID lockdown struck, she was left with nowhere to go — until destiny brought her to the ashram, her true home.
Once, Jharna Maa had a comfortable life. Her husband was a Railway Station Master at Bali Station in Howrah district, and together they lived peacefully. But after his passing, her world turned upside down. Her daughter-in-law began mistreating her, taunting and humiliating her over the smallest things. One day, the cruelty went too far — she was thrown out of her own home. Alone and heartbroken, she found herself at Mathura Station, with no one to look back for her.
Today, despite her battles with arthritis, hypertension, and diabetes, Jharna Maa feels cared for and loved again. At the ashram, she receives proper medical attention, nutritious food, and most importantly — respect, compassion, and emotional warmth.
She spends her mornings chanting her japa mala, finding peace and strength in her prayers. “What my own children couldn’t do for me,” she says with a gentle smile, “Joy Story Foundation is doing with love and sincerity.”
For the past 35 years, Nupur has called Mayapuri slum her home. Originally from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, she endured a difficult life with her husband, who worked as a laborer. His severe addiction to alcohol led to damaged lungs, multiple surgeries, and eventually left him unable to work. The weight of the entire household fell on Nupur’s shoulders.
But instead of breaking down, she chose resilience. Skilled in stitching, Nupur found new hope when Joy Story Foundation opened a stitching center in Mayapuri in 2022. She was appointed as a sewing instructor, teaching women of the community how to stitch and helping them create a livelihood of their own.
Nupur became more than just a teacher—she became a guide, a mentor, and a source of hope for other women struggling to find their footing.
Yet life tested her once again. A devastating diagnosis of breast cancer shook her world. The news pushed her into depression, and for a moment, it seemed as though her spirit would finally break.
But Joy Story Foundation stood firmly by her side. The team encouraged her, initiated her treatment, and became her pillar of strength. Despite the grueling rounds of chemotherapy, Nupur refused to surrender. She would return from treatment, smile through her pain, and continue teaching women and children at the stitching center.
Today, she is not just fighting her illness—she is also actively working with Saksham, contributing to her family’s finances while uplifting her community. Her relentless determination, even in the face of pain, has earned her immense respect. Women across the slum affectionately call her “Sahas Ki Didi”, saluting her courage and spirit.
Living in the Mayapuri slum, Baby's life was once confined entirely within the four walls of her home. She never had the opportunity to earn, and the family’s financial needs relied solely on her husband’s income.
Often, it became difficult to manage household expenses. Baby was not allowed to step outside for work, yet she always wished to contribute from home.
The tailoring skill learned from SUIDHAGA skill centre run by JOYSTORYFOUNDATION gave Baby the pathway she had been waiting for. But there were more roadblocks.
Even after learning the skill, she struggled to find consistent work because she did not own a sewing machine. She had to borrow machines from others, since having a large family to care for and many other expenses, buying her own machine was not possible.
Baby still works on borrowed machines, saying, “I will keep working hard and save money and one day I will buy my own sewing machine.”
Her life took a positive turn when she joined Joy Story Foundation’s #Saksham Employment initiative. She began receiving tailoring assignments from home, slowly gaining confidence and income. Though much of what she earns goes back into household needs but she is delighted to share equal responsibility in running her family.
Now that’s a true example of empowerment and Joy Story Foundation is proud to bring about that reality.
