In April 2016, Mr. Adrian Correa and Mrs. Anne-Marie Rego of the Social and Charitable Sub-Committee visited the Talasari District, two hours away from Mumbai, where the Jesuit Priests and Canossian Sisters are valiantly striving to fill the educational and medical needs of the local Warli people. There are several villages in the District, but quite far from each other, as in between there are fields and forests. There are no proper roads, and travelling between the villages is an ordeal, more so in the monsoon.
The people themselves are mostly very poor agriculturists, uneducated and being Adivasis, are for the most part ignored by the political set-up. The Jesuits and Canossians have been working there for the last 50 years, and have set up a school – Gyanmata Sadan, and a medical centre – Dayanand Hospital.
As the local people are very poor, their diet and nutrition is almost non-existent, hence they are prone to various diseases. The Superior of the Dayanand Hospital, Sister Monica Mascarenhas, informed us there is a large number of patients, especially children, who come with quite severe diseases, and other health problems that need urgent medical attention. She added that several doctors offer their services for free to treat these children and operate on them, but financial assistance is necessary as medicines and other requirements such as x-rays, laboratory tests, etc., have to be paid for.
In keeping with the Aims and Objectives of the KCA:
2. To collect and study social facts and social problems;
3. To pursue social and charitable service:
(c) providing for their medical relief;
(d) organizing charity to relieve poverty and distress.
The Social and Charitable Sub-Committee evaluated the case papers of 25 children requiring urgent surgery for congenital hernia, phimosis and hydrocele, and on behalf of the KCA presented the hospital with a cheque of Rs. 50,000 for their treatment and care.
The hospital has sent its grateful thanks, and we at the KCA can be happy that we are able to reach out to those not as fortunate as we are. May we continue to be aware of the needs of the poor, and be willing to help out in whatever way we can.
