SCNS Latika & Philomena with Archbishop William D’Souza and the Minister

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By Malini Manjoly, SCN

Nazareth Hospital, Mokama, makes ‘History’ as it opens its doors to a noble cause of Sheltering 60 young disadvantaged and social outcast girls.
Mokama Nazareth Hospital Society signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Social Welfare Department of the government of Bihar to make use of the available space of the hospital and their compassionate service in reaching out to the most needy of the society. Through many deliberations it was agreed upon to house 150 disadvantaged young girls/women between the age group of 14-19 in two of the hospital wards.

Most Rev. William D’Souza, the Archbishop of Patna Archdiocese, Mrs. Leshi Singh, the Minister of Social Welfare Department, and its Director, Immauddin Ahmad, Chief of Unicef, Patna, Yasim Muzamdhar, the Sub Divisional Officer and Assistant Superintend of Police, Barh, Officer in charge of Mokama police station and Sister Philomena Kottoor, the Vice Provincial of Patna Province officially inaugurated this great event with lamp lighting followed by a welcome song by the SCN Candidates.

The Minister and the Director said that in the history of Bihar, it’s the first time that a government department approached a Catholic NGO (Non-governmental Organization) to partner with them. They remarked that knowing the history of the services rendered by Nazareth Hospital in the past, they were sure that the Sisters will be able to prepare these young women to enter into the mainstream through life skill training, education and compassionate loving presence. They assured the Sisters full cooperation from their side.

The Archbishop said around 90 percent of the youth in India though educated is not capable of getting a job, because they lack soft skill training and job opportunities. This is possible both in the rural and urban set up without much infra structure or most modern technology. Seventy per cent of the Indian population is below 35 years of age. This initiative of imparting skill training to these young women of ‘After Care Home’ will be an answer to the need of our time.

The Archbishop and the Minister cut the ribbon and inspected the neatly arranged living rooms and the study area.

Sister Lilly Luka is appointed by the Bihar government as the Officer In Charge of the Program and Sister Sangeeta Bara, the Life Skill Educationist. Sister Latika Kottuppallil, the Administrator of Nazareth Hospital and Sister Doctor Shanti James along with other Sisters worked behind the scene for more than six months for this new dawn.

Congratulations Sisters, for you have truly opted to take risks in being with the most disadvantaged of our society and taking a concrete step in living out the Directives of our General Assembly 2013.

From right to left Archbishop William D’Souza, Minister Leshi Singh, Chief of Unicef Unicef, Yasim Muzamdar and Immamuddin Ahmad, director of Socail Welfare department.

SCN Candidates

SCNs Lathika Kottuppallil and Pholomen Kottoor with Minister Leshi Singh

SCNs Lilly, Philomen, Latika, Shanti James and Tessy Varghese

SCNs Marietta Saldanha, Teresa Velloothara and Archbishop William D’Souza

Sister Philomena Kottor lights the lamp