REGISTERED IN 1960, UNDER THE T.C. LITERARY, SCIENTIFIC AND CHARITABLE SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT OF XII, 1955, REG. NO. 352/85 TSSS GOLDEN JUBILEE BUILDING ARCHBISHOP’S HOUSE COMPOUND, VELLAYAMBALAM THIRUVANANTHAPURAM- 695003 1 TSSS Annual Report 2018 – 2019 Editorial Team Patrons & Trustee Most Rev. Dr. Soosa Pakiam M. Rt. Rev. Dr. Christudas R. Managing Editor Rev. Fr. Sabbas Ignatius G.N. Chief Editor Mr. Thomas Thekkel Editorial Board Rev. Fr. Ashlin Jose Rev. Fr. John Dall Mrs. Jismy Jose Mrs. Sherly V.S. Design & layout Mrs. Sherly V.S. Trivandrum Socal Service Society Vellayambalam Trivandrum – 3 21-02-2020 2 MESSAGE FROM THE TRUSTEE I am pleased that our Social Action Ministry is functioning very well and through the Social Service Society we could address the current challenges of the society. The society’s participatory roles of activities have aroused the hidden talents and dormant commitments of many men and women for the benefit of the community and the society at large. The different programmes and projects to make the individual, family and the society liquor/drug free, the shelter project even to those who have no land, the health programmes - both preventive care and support - including the differently abled, caring individual family and their needs through Save A Family Programme, child care and protection programme, women empowerment programmes and skill development and income generation, caring the orphans and mentally retarded, job and skill trainings through the institutions, and reaching the needy of calamities and disasters, linkages with GOs and NGOs for the betterment of different kinds of labourers and Pravasies were very active during the year under report. I do appreciate the contributions of the team to the community and to the society and I owe them sincere thanks from the top to the bottom. I do not forget the benefactors both national and international and pray God to bless them all abundantly. It will be unfair from my part if I do not mention the team leader Rev. Fr. Lenin Raj who was marvelously leading the team well with abundant results. It is also worth to note that his untiring mission work as a parish priest in two parishes simultaneously during the tenure of his directorship, not only established the parish communities in faith and sacraments but also renewal of their churches, community halls, grottos and parochial houses, all new ones with full participation of the community. May God reward him befittingly. I wish that the society may extend this participatory multifarious development activates to a greater number of people in the years to come. †Archbishop SoosaPakiam M. Trustee 3 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Analyzing the activities of Trivandrum Social Service Society we see many activities that are destined for the empowerment of the stake holders are going on down through the years. Though they may not always make an immediate change of the community and society, it will result in the development process of the community and the society at large. I wish to high light two events of the current year in this message. Currently TSSS is implementing a project named “Building Gender Equity Through Social, Political And Economic Empowerment From An Eco-feminist Perspective” in the regions of Puthukurichy & Anjengo which is an initiative by Basque Government in collaboration with Culcutta Ondoan and local active involvement of Sakhi-Women Resource Centre through which more than 3,000 impoverished women in the coastal areas addressed to reduce the gender based violence, ensure a better and sustainable environment, linking with the local self governments to strengthen public in strategic matters of gender and sustainable environment from an eco-feminist perspective. This is a replication of the project which began in 2007 in Pulluvila and Vizhinjam with good result and the second phase of the same project is already launched this year in the same area. Three of the TSSS staff participated in the World Social Forum Conference which was held at Brazil from 13th March to 17th 2018.The conference focussed on Justice, Peace and Integrity with reference to international and national issues with a motto “Change for Planets Care for People”. My sincere wishes to all the collaborators, the Director Fr. Lenin Raj, the dedicated staff both those who are in the office and in the field, the regional heads and animators, co-ordinators and the unit level supports. Also I express my gratitude to the benefactors of the different projects and programmes. May the Almighty reward them all with His blessings. Auxiliary Bishop Christudas R. President, TSSS 4 MESSAGE FROM THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR By the grace of God, I have been able to guide Trivandrum Social Service Society for past six years. Therefore, it is with a sense of contentment that I sit down to pen the Annual report of TSSS for 2018 -2019. All the activities of the Social Action Ministry under which TSSS functions have been categorized - keeping with the past trend - under six commissions: Peace and Development; Labour; Health, Women and Child; Migrants; Anti-Alcohol; and Environment. With the multi-faceted interventions and involvement of TSSS, requirement of a separate office for the organization was a long-felt need. I feel gratified that I have been able to complete the construction of the building and move into it from May 2018. With a heart filled with gratitude, I remember all the wonderful colleagues who have worked hard to make the TSSS Golden Jubilee Building a reality. I also remember with a heavy heart the untimely demise of Das Sir who was a real inspiration and executor of the building project. In August 2018, Kerala was ravaged by heavy rains and unprecedented floods, inundating several districts of the state. The destruction caused by the floods is unrepairable. TSSS, along with Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM), was in the forefront to organize relief and rescue operation. Our ministry under the direction of the Archbishop immediately sent the fishermen with their boats to central Kerala to rescue hundreds of stranded people. TSSS also collected relief materials worth INR 1.50 crore from all the parishes and dispatched them to the badly affected areas in Alleppey (Chenganoor), Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam (Changanacherry),Pathanamthitta, Punaloor and Wayanad districts. I take this opportunity to thank all the donors, TSSS staff, KCYM and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly in helping our brothers and sisters in need. Though Ockhi disaster of 2017 is slowly fading out into the backdrop of our memories, our care and concern for the affected people continued throughout the reporting period. An amount of INR 4 crore sponsored by Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) was made available to the victims of Ockhi disaster in Trivandrum Archdiocese by way of new houses, Income Generation Programs (IGPs), boats and fishing equipments. It is really gratifying to note that most of the victims of the disaster have left their pains behind and started new lives due to the active intervention of TSSS. TSSS has moved forward tremendously taking in the changing social scenario. The whole hearted support of our patron Most Rev. Dr. Soosa Pakiam, the Archbishop always gives me the courage and confidence to venture into new areas. The ever-presence and involvement of our president Rt. Rev. Dr. Christudas R. energizes all of us at TSSS. I thank all the committed members of TSSS for their selfless service for the needy in society. However, as an organization we must ward against complacency and undesired competitions among us to move forward continuously and selflessly. Fr. Lenin Raj T. 5 FROM THE SECRETARY’S DESK After a gap of 7 years I have been given the responsibility of guiding forward Trivandrum Social Service Society once again. I am confident that my past experience with TSSS will help me carry forward the social upliftment activities being undertaken by TSSS as the social action wing of the Social Action Ministry of the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum. As I step into my role as the secretary of TSSS once again I am a bit overawed by the large volume of activities presently under taken by TSSS. I hope I can fulfill all the responsibilities of my office utilizing the experience of the old staff and the expertise and energy of the new staff of TSSS. Still I feel that the volume of involvement of TSSS in social field has increased manifold. It gives me a sense of satisfaction to coordinate the activities of TSSS from the Golden Jubilee Building which was a project initiated by me during my previous tenure. With support from the Archbishop, the auxiliary bishop, the fathers of the diocese, the benefactors and all other stakeholders, TSSS aims to achieve its goal of empowering the less fortunate and marginalized. As I assume charge I take this opportunity to knowledge the tremendous contribution Fr. Lenin Raj has made for TSSS as the former director. We wish him all the best for the new venture he has joined in USA. I also gratefully acknowledge the support given by Fr. Dony Paul as the assistant director of TSSS till now. Fr. Sabbas Ignatius G.N. 6 MESSAGE FROM THE DESK OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR I am very happy to write a few words of appreciation on the services rendered to the society by Trivandrum Social Service Society. I have been hearing from my seminary life onwards a lot about the activities undertaken by TSSS. Thereafter I have been looking at TSSS with excitement because of its manifold wonderful activities which marked the Diocese’ love for the poor. At present I am happy to be a part of TSSS family as Assistant to the Director in the service of the poorest of the poor.