News 2011
Have you ever asked: "What happens to my money?"
Yes, that is a very good question when someone donates to a charity because it is not uncommon for us to read that some charities are not as legitimate as they at first seem.
At St Veronicas we place a high priority on following up in the many areas in which we are involved, either with individual child sponsorship, or with the many special projects which we sponsor during the year.
We help a Bethany Father, Father Philip, who is in charge of a wide of variety of activities at Nedumangad, a semi-rural area not far from Trivandrum in Kerala, South India. As well as arranging individual sponsorships of poor students in his parish he also looks for ways to improve the lives of the 30 communities with which he is involved via training courses, provision of tools, poultry, etc. We work closely with Father Philip and he gives us good feedback on how our funds are utilised.
We have helped through two of our Christmas Gift choices, eg the provision of tools for Dalit Bamboo workers and provisions of chickens and cages for poor people, to improve both their diet and their ability to earn some money for themselves. We had a Special Appeal to provide funds for Father Philip to set up a training programme in a bag-making.
We have received feedback on the progress of these activities and it is very good news. Small is beautiful, and small is also effective. Helping others out of poverty starts with helping the first person, then the second, and on and on. We believe that it is better to have one family go to bed with food in their stomachs because we helped them than to throw up our hands at the thousands who go to bed without any food in their stomachs and whom we cannot help.
Here are quotes from Father Philip’s letter:
I am pleased to inform you that we have utilized your kind and generous gift for providing help to 30 families for purchasing poultry and 20 families who are working in the bamboo crafts to purchase tools.
POULTRY REARING:
The beneficiaries are very poor and utilized the amount with utmost care. Before giving the assistance to the poultry rearers we arranged one day’s training with the Veterinary Doctor on scientific rearing of poultry to that the poor families should be aware of common diseases and, also, the importance of insuring the birds.
One of the main results of this program is that all the poor beneficiaries are able to earn a minimum of120 rupees per day by the sale of eggs and, also, cultivate vegetables using the manure from the birds.
NB 120 rupees is $3.00AUD and this is the amount earned by daily coolie labourers in a WEEK in India.
BAMBOO WORKERS:
The Bamboo workers who purchased tools are able to produce many traditional as well as new products which have a good market without depending on others. We arranged a marketing festival for the traditional bamboo products. It was a great success and it boosted the morale of the workers.
BAG-MAKING TRAINING PROGRAMME:
We have started the training program for the bag unit with 20 trainees selected from our area of operation. The first training, for 15 days, included lectures on entrepreneurial skills including leadership and communication skills, and production of rexine bags of different varieties. The second training session followed the purchase of two mechanized machines and other materials for the production of school bags which have good market in our area.
Thank you to all our supporters – you make these things possible.
Woman to Woman – Solidarity Across Continents
Dear Marie
Thanks for your loving, interesting and informative letter. The photos all came intact. I gave them to the children concerned. I enjoyed their glee on looking at the photos.
What you say is very true. You would not have enjoyed India as a tourist and persons like us wouldn’t have looked at you at all!!!! The Lord did not give me the joy of going about with you (through illness) but then I feel that it was better that I couldn’t go with you. The people here would have had a different picture of me, seeing me with a European lady – a symbol of richness for the ordinary, poor people of the coastal area.
If you mix your emotional love for India with the frenzy of cricket you are sure to get into trouble. The young people are mad about it.
I am healthier than before. I don’t know for how long. Just now I am quite all right. I have thick hair. Many say that I look quite stylish. Marie, do you know that I had desired to crop my hair but I had been afraid of the reaction of the people. Already, I am seen as a radical sister. Now, nobody will blame me for being stylish. How easy it is!!!!
The sisters in Kerala are very conservative, loaded with the long traditions. But, once they are outside Kerala, they do very well. Most of the sisters in the North are from Kerala and Goa. Surely the number of sisters will decrease. The nuclear family is one reason. Another reason is that girls go about working in many fields. Formerly, for a young woman who did not want to get married, the only possibility was to become a sister and that had tremendous social status too. Jesuits are the most educated and reputed group in India. This social status gives them the value to be very simple and progressive.
We (Sister Annie’s congregation) formerly had large orphanages and centres for unmarried mothers. In the Chapter (the most important international meeting with delegates from all the countries) after Vatican II we phased out those ministries. It was on the ground that such services perpetuate wrong social structure.
In the mornings, as we would open the gate of the Convent, we found children put there. We say that we should help the families to take up their responsibility. In certain cases we kept some children for a time and gave them in adoption.
Nowadays we speak of new ministries in the context of the globalized world. It needs creativity and courage to break new paths. One thing is true – charity does not enhance creativity and hard work.
There isn’t much social security for the people in India. The Government have started, now, in a minimal way.
I have not traveled much in Gujarat. I have spent a few days in Ahmedabad and Gandhi Nagar. Gujarat has become a symbol of communal riots. You know that the two important national political parties are BJP (Hindu-oriented, communal) and the Congress. The latter has become very much corrupted, dynastic and hierarchical. The Communist Party rules in three States, eg West Bengal, Kerala and Thripura. They had an important national meeting last week. They speak of launching a third alternative front – secular and socialistic – including all the regional parties. It is yet to be seen.
Marie, my name was in the newspaper, Malayala Manorama, which has the widest circulation in Kerala. The paper has started a column called “Experiences”. They give you a theme. When I saw the theme “Bribery” I thought of my experience as School Manager at our school some 15 years ago. I wrote and sent something. The three best will be selected to receive a gift of a diamond ornament worth 5000 rupees.
My entry was in the paper recently. They have put a drawing of a nun in a habit next to a man!
When I was assigned to be the Manager I noticed some malpractices. Ours is an aided school. It means private management but the salary for the teachers is given by the Education Department. Usually, these private managers get a contribution from the teachers before they are appointed. Our Congregation did not do that. So I chose the teachers on interviews and appointed them without any money. The appointment order has to be sent to the District Education Officer who has to approve it. This is a sort of control to make sure that valid candidates are taken to be teachers. I noticed that the newly appointed teachers came late to school. When questioned they said that they went to the District Education Office to get the approval quickly by giving them their so-called DUE. I got angry and said, “Your duty is to teach and my duty it to appoint and get it approved.”
The news splashed in no time. They decided in the District Education Office to teach me a lesson. The very first appointment I sent came back rejected. The reason – the date was not put in the right place! Once rejected, the whole of the documents had to be sent to the deputy Director of the State. They kept it there indefinitely. All the other appointments (about 30) were rejected on the ground that the previous one was not approved. All these clerks had a chain in all the higher offices. Months passed: the teachers started murmuring about not getting any salary. I was all upset. Many Managers of corporate schools asked me to give something, as they do. They laughed at me. Finally, these bribe-taking persons also started worrying, seeing that I was not yielding. They also wanted to get out of the mess they had created. They sent me a clerk, who was friendly to me. He said, “Sister, you will not succeed in your efforts. They have to have their quota. Now, things can be rectified. Just see X, the clerk in the Deputy Director’s Office. Just give him two bottles of alcohol, nothing else.”
I met him. He is a drunkard. Thinking that I would yield, he said, “Yes, everything can be settled.” I thought of using my last weapon. I made use of a friend of mine. I spoke the raw realities of the Educational Department with all my emotions of anger, tension, etc, to a TV channel. The news splashed. The newly appointed Director of Public Instruction of Kerala saw the news. He intervened immediately and took measures of damage-control. Those clerks, I heard, were transferred.
When the newspaper published this experience of mine, many phone calls of congratulations and letters came to me. Then I thought that there is a reward for all the struggles you go through for truth and justice.
Unexpected heavy rains in summer in Kerala have caused a lot of harm. Four farmers committed suicide. Crores of rupees worth of rice paddy have been damaged. The Central Government sent a team to assess the crop-loss.
We see that India is developing in many things. It is good for 10% of the population. The benefits of development do not reach the poor and the downtrodden. There is grave rise in the number of farmer suicides, inflation, religious intolerance and unemployment.
Much love to you
Sister Annie
To keep informed of other stories and upcoming appeals, send an email to stveronica@gil.com.au
