I am glad to learn that Manasa Rehabilitation
and Training centre for the mentally retarded children, in Pamboor, Shantipura,
is doing an excellent service by taking care of the special children for the past 20 years after its inception on 14–11-1997. I send
herewith my heartfelt congratulations to the lay organization, catholic Sabha
of Mangalore and Udupi pradesh, especially the president /Managing
Trustee, and other members of the Board of Trustees & managing committee of
Manasa, to the principal, Hostel Warden, to the teaching and non – teaching
staff, and last, but not least, to all the students, for its rapid growth,
Qualitative and Quantitative. It is very gratifying to hear that the centre is
doing its best to integrate the mentally retarded children into the mainstream
of society by giving them proper
training and evolving good and suitable Rehabilitation programs.
I am very happy and proud to be one of those
who have worked for this institution from the very beginning and contributed
immensely for its successful growth by finding timely financial support from
many generous people of this great country, Germany. So I got financial support
from many generous people of this centre from Misereor and kindermissionwerk,
Aachen, Archdiocese of Munich, Diocese of Wuerzburg, from my own diocese of
Rottenburg – Stuttgart (Partial teachers salary and one of the Buses), unions
and clubs, and specially many parishes of my Deanery. My own Parish, the Holy
Trinity, contributed, not only through money, it rendered also great service in
popularizing this project - MANASA
Without the hard work of my
Parishioners and the financial contribution of all the parishes of my Deanery,
the Kindermissionwerk Aachen, would not have come forward to help the
construction of Manasa Hostel block and also to purchase one of the Buses. Most
of the money was supplied from here.
Hereby I want to thank in a very
special way the members of my parish council, the parish secretory Mrs. Erika
Janik and the couple Mrs. & Mr. Heidrun and Ulrich Schessl. They have
translated and written (still translating and writing…!!!)
Innumerable letters and distributed
countless pamphlets. Heidrun and Ulrich organize every year after Xmas, the
Carol singing. It is a tough job to get enough children and Altar Boys to go
from house to house singing carols and collecting money for Manasa under very
cold weather conditions (Sometimes it is minus 18 C ..!!!)
The president of my parish council,
Mr. Anton Weber is also the Principal of a inter college in the neighbouring
village (Bildungszentrum, WeissachImpatal). His college, students, teachers and
parents have contributed till now five lakhs of Rupees (For the digging and the
construction of the well), for the solar system to warm the water, for the
generator and Kirloskar Engine and for the purchase of Modi Xerox Machine.
Mother RozaKoszarek from Gross Foerste
(Usually called Mutter Roza) and her family have taken this project into their
hearts and are helping in every possible way to get it popularised. Besides
making their own personal contribution, which sums to be a quite big amount,
they have inspired many people to help Manasa generously. Though the list of
the names here will be too long, I think of every one of them for theit
continued help and support, even if it is sometimes only moral.
The last two European visits (1998
and 2000) of Dr. Edward Lobo and his wife have remarkably added to the impetus
of this project. I took them around to
meet some of the benefactors, so that they personally thanked them for their
generous help and requested them to continue to do so until Manasa becomes
self-sufficient or at least manage to live and sustain through the local funds
and contributions.
It is very important and I strongly
suggest that all the members of the Catholic Sabha, especially the members of
the Board of Trustees and the managing committee of Manasa work hard to get
enough LOCAL FUNDS to maintain and run this institution successfully and not
always depend on the foreign aid. Every effort should be made to get the
immediate government recognition and Grant-In-Aid.
I am glad that the Executive
Committee of Manasa has decided to expand the hostel to accommodate more poor
and needy mentally retarded children, build an over-head water tank to supply
abundant water for the school, hostel and garden and eight additional rooms
(workshops) for the Vocational Training with necessary equipment and also
furnish the school and hostel with needed furniture and othe amenities to make
this Rehabilitation and Training Center a standard one.
Thank God! My efforts during the last
four months (July-October 2000) seem to have borne some fruits. My Diocese of
Rottenburg-Stutgart has already sanctioned the Hostel Expansion Project. My
thanks to Mr. Johannes
Bielefeld who understood the need of this expansion. The other projects have
been partially sanctioned. I hope that with the incessant prayers of the
handicapped children of Manasa, all the projects will be sanctioned by the end
of this year and from the beginning of the next year (2001) we can start the
work.
I firmly believe that God hears the
prayers of our mentally retarded children. Ever since I started to work for
this institution, I enjoy pretty good health, although supported with insulin
and good medicines. Besides, most of the people, parishes and agencies that I
approached for financial support for Manasa, did not directly and immediately
disappoint me. So I hope God has blessed this institution and it will go on
progressing.
I wish and pray that Manasa
Rehabilitation and Training Centre continues to serve the poorest of the poor
handicapped, mentally retarded without the distinction of the Caste, Creed or
Religion, enabling them to lead a life of human dignity and self-sufficiency.
This institution will certainly contribute very much for the mutual
understanding and greater respect for one another’s faith among the people of
different religious denominations.
May the good Lord Jesus bless our
institution Manasa, all our generous donors, benefactors, well wishes, and all
those who relentlessly and untiringly work for the progress of this
institution.
God Bless You!!!
Rev. Fr. Jephrin Monis
Parish Priest
Holy
Trinity Church, Germany