Maker time for others, Use your talent for others Share your wealth with others Live life to the fullest by living a bit for others Use your life to make someone’s life…
Striving to carve out individuals out of helpless souls, St. Catherine’s Home at Mount Mary, Bandra has been serving as a catalyst in bringing about a change in society.
It is a home for the orphan, poor, helpless, marginalised and lonely young boys and girls who are victims of abuse and hatred in the society. It is a home for those less fortunate ones who want to make a living but do not have the resources to do so. It is a home to build a future Home for the needy. “If you are serious about making a life, we will help you in all means right from education to finding a job and providing food,” says Bro. Joseph who manages the home.
Everybody needs a Home…Founded in 1957 St. Catherine’s home is managed by The Welfare Society for Destitute Children, a trust started by Fr. Anthony Elenjimittam. Till date for around 59 years, the Home has been imparting education and providing a physical and pyschological home for the kids.
“We provide school and basic college education along with aids for professional courses for the needy till the age of 22. By that age, our kids have the basic qualification to get a job in today’s society and also are able to live life independently,” he adds.
This age 22 programme is basically to curb the menace of child labour and child marriage that is prevalent in the marginal sections of our society. For those above the age of 22, the home has various other measures. It’s not just a home, it is a way of life…
Education is important but along with it skill and talent can help one make a living. The home opens the door for extra curricular activities like Performing Arts like Dance, Capoeira, Kathak, Bollywood freestyle, Malkhom, Yoga, Judo, sports like Football and art and craft like Painting, drawing, handicrafts, clay art and paper art. Apart from this, there are various sessions and workshops like Life Skill, Communication and Counselling classes for kids and some for parents too. “The family needs to respect and mould the education given to their kids. They need constant counselling to avoid falling in the usual trap of poverty and other vices,” he explains.
The path to learning never ends… Read and write is the basic of any learning. Kids at the Home have a decent library to enrich their pool of knowledge along with a computer room to polish their technical know how and an art room to brush up their creativity. Educariom, career and values is what the Home aims to impart along with providing the basic necessities of Food, Clothing and Shelter to the kids. If you want to so something, you can do it…Bro. Joseph exclaims, “Many of our kids are professional Capoeira and Dance trainers today. Some are into animation, engineering, hotel management and have earn a good living today along with due respect from the society.” You can soar higher…
The kids of St. Catherine’s Home are quite independent as once they start working, they manage their living on their living. Ravi, a student of the Home, is a professional Capoeira trainer today and earns a good living by imparting what he learnt at the Home in his childhood. Whereas, another student Satish is working and studying animation as he inculcated an inclination towards drawing and painting at the Home.
Various corporates, social workers and teachers have extended their help and support to the Home. But, there so many less fortunate kids who are still searching for a home. “We currently have around 200 kids in our inhouse school and around 325 kids in our Home at Bandra. We want to reach out to more children and help make better lives,” he wishes.
Every year the admission process for St. Catherine’s Home takes place on 28th February with regular follow-ups on the 28th of the following months. Every life is important, every life is a gift. Let’s help make a better place by making better individuals out of bitter situations.
