By Sr. Ching Madduma, ICM
A Filipino Sister working in India

Hidden in Backrooms
Sudha and Kavita are two Indian women- bright, intelligent and ambitious. They are members of a high caste family in India but they are forced to live in the world “world of shadows” because they have a brother and two sisters who were handicapped. Their family is oppressed in silence and sadness. Inside and outside of their home there are no voices to be heard from the intellectually handicapped members of their family. They are voiceless people “without minds”. They are mere shadow hidden in the backrooms!

Caged and Chained
There are too many cases of such “normal persons who happens to be slow” being caged, chained, hidden, abused, rejected, ignored and even killed.
Poor people are those who are the poorest of the poor, who have no food to eat. We do give food to the hungry people. Poor people are persons who have no clothing or insufficient clothing. We do “cloth the naked”. Poor people are those who have no place for proper shelter. We do give these poor persons a place to rest their head. Poor people are those lacking of human dignity, human rights interpersonal relationship. We do speak out, advocate, conscienticize society concerning such people. Bu what of those persons who live in the “world of shadow”…what an existence have we relegated them to? These persons, by the million in nations of the world, may or may not received food. These intellectually handicapped persons may or may not have clothing. These “normal persons who happen to be slow” may or may not have shelter. But for certain they have advocacy, respect, due justice, recognized rights, and most of all, tragically, they so very few people who are their voice. They have NO ONE to express their personal thoughts. This makes the intellectually handicapped persons truly the “poorest of the poor people”.

Unchained, Uncaged
To reach out to unreached mass of intellectual handicapped persons in the world, I have followed in my work here in Varanasi (Northern India) an approach that is different. It is non- institutional, non- professional, and low cost, in order to bring light, justice and a voice to so –called “shadow people”. My work has resulted in these people being unchained, uncaged entering into local society, being integrated into schools and being given an avenue to express their human aspirations as “normal persons who happen to be slow”. I have, over the past nine years initiated here at Sarnath education programs for intellectually handicapped people and at present I conduct a model special education unit and have established six pedagogic units in government and semi- government schools.

No Longer Poor
As a Missionary Sisters of Immaculate of Mary, I am alone in this effort. There are over one hundred and thirty children who have come from a shadow existence into the light of normal society, and they feel “they are no longer poor!” In collaboration with an international organization known as INTER- AID, I have fortunately been able to present about 50 special educational programs (one week; 40 hours of lectures and class demonstrations) for people “who care for and educate persons with mental handicapped”, in 18 countries of Asia, Africa, and South Pacific area. Written evaluations received from all of the participants in this program have revealed to me the full impact of the necessity of such apostolate to the world of people living in shadows.

The Shadow People Need You
The intellectually handicapped are in all nations on this globe called Earth. They are truly the poorest of the poor who are waiting in a shadow of existence for those who have a mission to be their voice and to express their thoughts. The international character of any congregation or society challenges all of us as members to respond in mission to this need in all shadow corners of the world…Let’s our heart be like His, so generous and so great that the whole world may find room in it.” The world of shadowy, silent suffering, oppressed and poor people – intellectually handicapped persons – needs many sisters, brothers, priests, who have the charism to enter the dark world of shadow people; the needs for sisters, brothers, priests committed to sharing the tears, frustrations, and sufferings of those called “intellectually handicapped”.
“Truly I say to you, as long as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me”. (Mt. 25:40)
“You will be my witness to earth’s remotest end”. (Acts1:18)

They are waiting in the shadow of existence for those who have mission to be their voice.