Annual Report 2014

SEVA KENDRA CALCUTTA Seva Kendra Calcutta is a social service centre of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Across the years it has built up a reputation of service, trustworthiness and integrity. It serves the poor, suffering, struggling and disadvantaged people in the six districts of West Bengal and is being constantly challenged to improve upon itself, as a catalyst for social change through service, animation and mobilization of people and build a network of partnerships with like-minded organizations. VISION SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES A self-reliant society based on peace, 4Combat Child Labour and apply STAG love and justice, respecting human methodology to mainstream the children dignity and natural environment dropped out from school 4Provide job-oriented training to the unemployed youth and develop their skills 4Teach the importance of growing and using herbal medicinal plants 4Support TB (RNTCP) Programme 4Stop human trafficking, promote Safe Migration and prevent early marriage MISSION 4Build self-reliant SHGs & CBOs 4Peace building Building of a Harmonious Society, 4Promote organic and indigenous farming based on Cultural Ethos, inspired by practices Spiritual Heritage, Socially and 4Work with the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) Environmentally sound through 4Mobilize government programmes for Participatory Process. development, food and livelihood 4Promote clean and renewable energy 4Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction 4Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation 4Local Resource Mobilization SEVA KENDRA CALCUTTA Annual Report 2013 - 14 In this Issue lMessage from the Director lRuby Jubilee Celebration 4Governor's Speech Message from the Director 4Ruby Jubilee Celebration - A Short Report lChild Education and Development On 14th December 2013, the curtains of the Ruby Jubilee Celebrations were brought 4Skill Targeted Academic Growth (STAG) down. The only event of that day was a thanksgiving mass celebrated by His Grace, 4Child Centred Development Archbishop Thomas D'Souza. We thanked God for the 'hope and healing' experienced by our numerous underprivileged sisters and brothers, through the dedicated service of Seva 4Child Labour Free Gram Panchayats Initiative Kendra Calcutta. At the same time, we at SKC placed ourselves in the hands of the Lord of 4Anti Human Trafficking history, to guide us in the days to come, by re-dedicating ourselves to bringing about 4Stichting Actie Calcutta transformation in the broken lives of our sisters and brothers. Herein I wish to express my deepest appreciation and profound gratitude to all those who joined hands with us 4Deaf Child Worldwide (DCWW) throughout our year-long journey of the Ruby Jubilee Celebrations. I take this opportunity lCommunity Mobilization to earnestly request them to continue supporting our humble yet ever increasing efforts to bring about effective and enduring change in our communities. 4Urban Poverty Alleviation through As part of our Ruby Jubilee activities we went through an exercise of perspective planning. Community Mobilization Project I wish to briefly mention some of the insights we have gained through several rounds of lNatural Resource Management “chintan bhaitaks”. i. We became increasingly aware about the fact that SKC has to have a close 4Green Energy Promotion Through Rooftop relationship with our parish communities and the efforts of SKC should be integrated with Photovoltaic Solar Energy the mission of our parishes to bring about societal transformation. This would have to be 4Solar Renewable Energy and Sustainable undertaken through the Commission of Justice, Peace, Development and Labour of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. To realize this objective SKC would appoint deanery-level Livelihood Options coordinators who would liaison with the parishes. lHealth ii. All those who are working in SKC would be made aware of the fundamental principles 4St. Joseph's Hospital, Midnapur of the Catholic Social Teaching which are 4The dignity of the human person 4Revised National Tuberculosis Control 4The common good Programme 4The principle of solidarity and subsidiarity 4Polio Eradication Programme 4The principle of social justice 4Preferential option for the poor 4Support to the People Living With Hiv/Aids 4Care for creation lDisaster Risk Reduction iii. One of the elements in the core-teaching of Jesus is “setting the captives free”. SKC 4Community Managed Disaster Risk has decided to get involved in prison ministry. iv. We would seriously address the concern of “livelihood” of people who are on the Reduction (CMDRR) margins of society. This will be done by creating employment facilities through skill lCapacity Building development and also through sustainable agriculture in the rural areas. v. Environment management and the ever-increasing threat to it in the wake of climate 4Seva Kendra Calcutta Community College change 4Seva Kendra Calcutta Training Centre vi. To develop a social enterprise model in renewable energy and other areas inorder to 4Seva Kendra Calcutta (Extn), Kharagpur bring about greater self-reliance vii. Education and health, the two core-areas of the concern and involvement of SKC over 4Sindhu Tara Training Centre, Digha the years, will receive greater attention and intensification lDonors/Donor Agency viii. The existing policies on various subjects will be revised and new policies will be lLocal Resource Mobilization formulated ix. The effort to build a corpus fund of Rs. 40 lakhs for the medical needs of the senior lMembers of the Governing Board citizens will be intensified lFinance, Management & Project Selection x. SKC will bring about awareness among the poor people to receive the benefit of their Committee 'entitlements' from the numerous Government Schemes earmarked for them xi. An effort is being made to re-structure the administration of SKC into various lCampaign against Hunger and Disease departments for effective functioning of the organization lSKC Staff xii. Finally, realizing that the task of achieving what is mentioned above and much more lFinance that needs to be done, we have decided to network with the Government, the Industrial houses, other NGOs and volunteers. lSeva Kendra Calcutta thanks... Before I close, I wish to thank the members of the Governing Board, the Finance Committee, the members of the General Body, our generous donors, volunteers and the staff of SKC for their invaluable assistance and appreciable effort in bringing about “hope and healing” in our society. Ruby Jubilee Celebration 4Governor's Speech 4Ruby Jubilee Celebration - A Short Report 1 2 3 4 1. Welcoming the Chief Guest- H. E. Shri. M. K. Narayanan (Honorable Governor of West Bengal) 2. Singing the Seva Kendra Calcutta Anthem 3. The Chief Guest releasing the Ruby Jubilee Souvenir 4. & 5. A cultural dance performance 5 Speech of the Chief Guest Your Grace, Most Reverend, Thomas D'Souza, Archbishop of Calcutta and President of the Governing Board, Fr. Franklin Menezes, Director, Members of the Governing Board of Seva Kendra, Calcutta, ladies and gentlemen. I am happy to participate in the Ruby Jubilee Celebrations of Seva Kendra Calcutta (SKC) – an institution that for the past four decades has been working for, and rendering yeoman service to, the poor, the marginalized, the downtrodden and those on the fringes of society. The Seva Kendra, Calcutta, represents in full measure the spirit of Christian charity, something that the H. E. Shri. M. K. Narayanan (Honorable Governor of West Bengal) Church in India and across the world has been renowned for. great deal of goodwill at the time by providing food, medical Christian values of love and charity find an echo in all religions. assistance and other forms of service to the homeless refugees, Christian missionaries, perhaps, have been more prominent as many of whom had no place to live in Bangladesh and had to dispensers of social justice, though this should not belittle the migrate to West Bengal, and take refuge in the border areas of tremendous contributions of Buddhist monks, Jain munis, Sikhs the State. It must have been a very testing time for the SKC, but and Islamic organisations and Hindu bodies like the it is apparent that the trials and tribulations of that period have Ramakrishna Mission. Members of the Christian Order often state that the desire to stood the organization in good stead, and helped it look after the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden, significantly to extend its lifeline capabilities. In his Address on emanates from what Jesus Christ himself said, “Whatever you the occasion of the SKC's Silver Jubilee, Archbishop Henry do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.” Similar D'Souza had spelt out in great detail the kind of travails that the utterances can be found in other religions as well. The world SKC had to go through during the period, and its steady renowned Hindu monk, Swami Vivekananda for instance, had progress thereafter to achieve its current level as one of the advocated 'Service to Man is Service to God.' Religious leaders leaders in the field of social service. Going through Archbishop Henry D'Souza's Silver Jubilee belonging to other great Faiths, viz., Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Address, I was greatly impressed by his far reaching vision as far Sikhism, Judaism, etc, have echoed similar sentiments. In Bengal, when you talk of charity and social service in recent as the future direction that Charities such as the SKC need to times, one name stands out, viz., that of Mother Teresa of the take. He had said that the SKC having firmly established itself,

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