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Upcoming Visit to India
I am now in the planning stages of my 2013 visit to India. As it stands now I will be visiting both Alleppey and Andhra Pradesh and will be there for the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. The celebration at the cathedral is beautiful. Under the careful eye of Sister Daphne flowers are wonderfully placed around the altar; FFA mothers lead the procession veiled and dressed in white amidst the beautiful sound of choral music sung in Malayalam, the language of the people of Kerala. It is quite the thing to see.
While in Andhra during my last visit we could not visit families because the communities we are assisting were to far out from the convent in which Sister Carmel is headquartered in a town called Vizag. From there it was two hours out and two hours back by public conveyance in a really rural area. Sister Carmel has been at this a long, long time and pleading for a vehicle to use to reach these families. The heat, bad health including asthma have due been dire obstacle. Finally, we were able to save enough money to buy her a Jeep Bolero.
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Sr. Carmel (blue habit) at blessing of new vehicle
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Hopefully, during my trip this October I will be able to visit one of the seven tribal communities under their care. This is important work as it involves primarily the care of families, many of them widowed with children, effected by HIV/AIDS virus. One of the communities we assist is Draksharama where we are funding medicines and nutrition for children with the virus.
This past July I received Sister Carmel's report on the clinic we are supporting. Here is her unedited report:
Dear Alan:
"Greetings of love and prayers from Payakaraopeta! The extra fund which we have received this year for Draksharama is made good use of it. Sisters have selected 20 children who are infected and decided to have a tender affectionate care and reach to their home and to meet the children personally. Our two young sisters who take intense care about the well being of these children. The periodical visits made by them verify the usage of it. They decided to spend qualitative time to express the concern and make them to experience personally they are wanted and appreciated as any child. They also verify the assistance provided is benefited by the children. I asked the sisters to give a written request which I am sharing with you also the photos of these privileged children."
"HIV/AIDS is one of the largest and most complex threats to human health the world has ever known. And in our area, poverty itself is both a cause and an effect of a pandemic that is devastating the physical, social and economic health of entire region. People around us continue to suffer and die from this disease, which often robs them of family, social networks and ways to make a living. Young women bear the greatest risk of infection and burden of caring for the ill. But many people have found ways to live with dignity despite their HIV-status, and we works to replicate that success. Our intervention we have realized the need for providing balanced, nutritious diet for people living with HIV. It not only prevents the occurrence of opportunistic infections but also ensures that the asymptomatic stage of HIV infection is prolonged."
"With regard to our children who are coming to our dispensary, we found that most of our children lost their parents or some are with single parent. Our children who are under the custody of their grandparents are cared and send to school but those who are with their relatives are not cared at all. In the similar way the children with their mothers also struggling to maintain themselves since mother herself is HIV positive and no support from in-laws or from her own home since she lost her husband or of her HIV status. These children need our special care, attention and nutritional support. Looking at these realities of our children we found that our regular visit and good rapport with these families will enable them to get a better care and attention from their relatives. Our children will enjoy the nutritional support which will improve their health and life situation and this will be great blessings for them."
"Alan, great is the reward for assisting these children. The goal of our project is to provide special care for 20 HIV infected children, who require special attention and care. We found these children need medical care, nutritional support and personal attention till they improve their health and once they recoup their condition they can be replaced by the other, who needs more care and attention. May you be blest and also all those who are involved in the program. Their faces speak stories of their pain."
Affectionately in Jesus
Sr. Carmel Paul
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and she lives in New Delhi, India. A recent graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, she decided, however, she would rather work among the poor and further de
"A typical day at the office comprises of writing legends for the families in the USA, making a list of beneficiaries, accounting and a million other things. I was lucky enough to capture this moment in my camera. The picture is that of a man who borrowed money for an automated boat. He came to pay for the micro-credit loan that he took from the FFA. Hundreds of villagers like him have received similar help from the FFA to improve their lives for something better. Some take the micro-credit loan for a better boat, some for fishing equipment and for many other requirements."