Name of the Volunteer: Grace Maher
Student from Loreto St. Stephen’s Green, Ireland.
My experience with the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre is one I will never forget. The centre offered deep insights into life in Kolkata. All of our tour leaders and drivers were very welcoming and really went outof their way to spread their knowledge of the city. Not only have I gained a love for the culture and people of Kolkata but also a great appreciation for all the work done by KMWSC. The outreach of the centre is truly amazing and i have had such an eye opening two weeks visiting the Loreto schools, Rainbow rooms and the Multi Activity centre. We are all so grateful that we had the chance to spend some quality time here with everyone who works at the KMWSC centre. Your helping hands have reached so many.
Name of the Volunteer: Mahika Singh
Student from Loreto Convent Tara hall, Shimla.
Heartiest Congratulations on the commendable work done by the entire team of KMWSC and by the Loreto Congregation for taking a step in making a big difference to change the world for a better tomorrow.
The entire working schedule for 8 days was well planned and the presentation as well as the documentary shown was very informative. Ma’am Rinku 9 KMWSC member) was a source of great informations and experiences. It is a great initiative taken by KMWSC by providing the children in the red light area with education and also empowering the women of Sonagachi to become independent by giving them vocational training. This was an eye opening experience and helped us to learn how sometimes to earn a bread you have to touch the extremities of earning. I was moved by the gratitude shown by the children in the MAC centres by welcoming us open heartedly. The distribution of the sweet buns in the brick field was an acknowledging gesture. The Rainbow shelter home Sealdah had a spacious infrastructure. The atmosphere was positive at the Rainbow school. The food served at KMWSC was very home- like. The concept of Food ATM is an out of the bon idea for serving the needy by filling their stomach. Our stay at Nitika Don Bosco was very comfortable. The idea of providing women with sanitary pads in the brick fields and outskirts of Kolkata is a life changing effort to make women aware of hygenial importance and preventing the spread of many diseases which spread due to not maintaining their menstrual hygiene. It’s easy to work for yourelf but it is worth living to work for others selflessly. I would like to visit here again and experience this act of giving yourself solely to change the world. Looking at the emotional turmoil and living condition they face, leaves me heart sinking. KMWSC is doing a lot in many ways for this noble cause of being a change to bring a change.
Name of the Volunteer: Radha Manga
Student from Loreto Convent Tara Hall, Shimla (H.P.)
First of all, I would like to extend my heartiest gratitude to the entire team of KMWSC. It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of the Loreto family and work for such a noble cause. I would like to thank the KMWSC and the Loreto congregation for taking on initiative to change the lives of the unnoticed and deprived sections of the society and also making us a part of this noble work.
The itinerary provided to us was very well planned providing us adequate time to rest. It helped us to gain some important information about these children and their families we were here to serve. The documentary shown was very informative, helping us to have a clear view about the ways of liking of people and how we could help them. Ma’am Rinku from KMWSC was a great source of knowledge and information and helped us a lot through our journey of changing lives of people. It is a great initiative taken by the KMWSC by providing education to the children in the Red light area and also empowering the women of Sonagachi so that they become independent by providing them with vocational training developing their skills.
The visit to the MACs centres made my heart move as i received the children’s love and gratitude and was touched by the welcoming nature of the little ones. The atmosphere at the Sealdah Rainbow Home was very welcoming and heart-warming. It was a great pleasure interacting with the children at the Rainbow home and listening to their stories of hardships and struggles.
The visit to the brickfield made me realise how tough life can be and how people survive in the toughest situations. The distribution of tooth brushes and tooth pastes in the brick field made the children aware of the daily hygiene they need to follow everyday for living healthy lives. The distribution of sweet buns was also an acknowledging gesture. All this instilled values of humanity and humility in me. The concept of Food ATM is an exceptionally good idea as it encourages the people to share and serve food to the needy and fill their stomachs.
Our stay at Nitika Don Bosco was very comfortable and home – like. The idea of providing sanitary pads to women in the outskirts prevents them of having any diseases. This also makes them aware of hygienic importance during their menstrual cycle.
You can know yourself truly only when you give yourself and lose yourself in the service of others. I would like to visit Kolkata again and experience the act of loosing yourself in the service of others for a better future. KMWSC is working for such a wonderful and noble cause of improving the lives of people and i would truly support them in every possible way.
10th to 21st January 2020 are the dates,month and year that we all girls who went to Kolkata for service learning programme can never ever forget in our lives. We were total 15 students from class 10th to 12th accompanied by Ma’am Monika and Ma’am Ranjana. We started from Shimla railway station by train to kalka at 2:15 pm. This was our first journey. We all were really very excited. We reached kalka at 8:00 pm and had our dinner and boarded our train which was at 12:00 am. During our train journey we girls were shy talking to each other but slowly slowly we started to interact and mix up with each other. We reached Howrah station on 12th January at 9:00 am where we were received by our Principal Sr. Nirmala which was a big suprise for us. Then we went to Don Bosco hostel were we kept our luggages and went for lunch .After lunch we came back to hostel got ready and went to Loreto school at sealdah were we introduced ourselves to hostel children and interacted with them and learnt that some of them were orphan.They were all very happy to see us. Then we came back to hostel had our dinner and went to sleep. Our first day started with a delicious lunch at kmwsc( Kolkata Mary ward social centre). The we had and interacting session with Sr. Monika and Sanjay sir who showed us PowerPoint presentation through which we learnt Loreto’s contribution towards society of poor and unrmpolyed. At kmwsc there are different rooms in were girls are taught tailoring, beautician courses, and about pad making. We then had our lunch and then we were divided into 3 groups of 5. There were 4 tution centre for poor children and different groups went to different centre where we were taught children, listened to their poems, and had an entertaining time with them in which we danced and played with them. It was really heart touching to see their zeal to study and learn new things. Children at max areas did not had provision to daily needs they did not had sufficient food to eat and clothes to wesr.During this one week we used to go to different tution centres. And then came the moment where we came to know about the harsh reality of the world- the red light area where we interacted with prostitutes and taught their children. Some prostitutes were sold by their husband and some by boyfriends. And it was a shock for us to know that some were doing it with their own will
Their conditions were worst.
Then we went to Brickfield area were we saw that how bricks were made and and also taught the children of workers at brick field area . There were open classroom and children were provided with eggs and biscuits. Children did not had.clothes to wear. Brickfield area was our last day of service learning programme. At evening we had a feedbacks ession with Sanjay sir The following day we went to Rabindranath Tagore museum which us helped to gain knowledge about the life of Rabindranath Tagore and then we went to market for shopping.The next day we met Sr Nirmala and had another feed back session with Sr. Monika which ended up with a cup of coffee and we went to Mother house of missionaries of charity were we saw Mother Teresa’s room and tomb and learned about her life. And then we bid adieu to Kolkata with sad hearts of leaving but also the happiness to come here. We took many memories with us. This programme taught us how to adjust with others communicate with people and also taught us that how lucky we.girls are and also this trip turned us into and independent and responsible individual
Thankyou
Prizul kashyap
Class -10
Loreto convent – Shimla
Fifteen girls from Loreto Convent Tara Hall, Shimla went to Kolkata on 10 January 2020 . We began our trip from Shimla railway station from where we took the train to kalka. After reaching Kalka we took the train to Howrah and finally after travelling for one entire day and one night we reached Howrah. Sister Nirmala came to receive us at Howrah railway station. She took us to Nitika Don Bosco where we stayed for a week. All the fifteen girls stayed in the dormitory and the teachers were given a separate room .
We visited the Rainbow school , Multi Activity Centers , Sonagachi and brickfield. We met many children at these places who had various reasons to be in these places. The children are being given proper education as well as health facilities. Well trained teachers are appointed to educate the children who pay attention at each and every child so as to help him/her to become a well educated person .
At Sonagachi we interacted with the women working there and realised that many of them are not willing to this work but in order to earn their livelihood they are forced to do this work.
At the brickfield the families living there are migrant labours who go back to Bihar , Jharkhand , Orrisa after six months.
We all were divided into four groups so as to cover up all MAC areas . Each group visited about three to four MAC. These consist of children who cannot afford to go to school . They are taught during daytime. Besides studies they are taught dance as well.
The students at Rainbow School Sealdah are the children they found on streets . Those children are provided food , shelter and education by Loreto sisters.
We also visited KMWSC . We were taken to pad making center and stiching center. In these centers women are given training so as to earn later .
It is a great step taken by Loreto . We all learnt many new things and it was a great experience. Seeing those children living in those slum areas made us realise that we are the privileged ones.
At the end I would like to thank KMWSC to provide us with all thr facilities from our stay to our food requirements. Everything was as we expected.
Thank You
I never knew some of the basic things which i should know like what is a good touch and a bad touch, places where i felt very uncomfortable which i could not share as i was unaware but now after attending the Adolescent Group Workshop at KMWSC on 14th March 2019 . I was well taught on many issues but this was one of my drill of Knowledge .
Bilkish Khatoon, Brick Fields School Project , Basirhat , West Bengal
For the past 2 weeks we have been experiencing the amazing culture of India and volunteering, visiting the many brilliant programmes the KMWSC runs . We met lots of incredible people during our time here and KMWSC has given us the most amazing experience which has really changed our lives. I am to grateful ti have been given this opportunity and I ma in awe of all the incredible work that the KMWSC are doing to change peoples lives for better .
Aoife Wallace , Student , Loreto College St Stephens Green , Ireland , Dublin .
I am a student from Loreto College St Stephens Green in Ireland . I feel hugely grateful to have been given a chance to fully immerse myself in Indian culture and Societyover the past two weeks. I along with 19 other students whom I traveled withhave been inspired by the outstanding work of Mary Ward Social Centre. Personally this experience has taught me the importance of standing for for is right and to try and change Step by step .
” You cant change the World for everyone but you can change the world for someone ”
Ellen McKimm , Student , Loreto College, St Stephens Green, Ireland , Dublin .
I would Just like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the KMWSC . Your Work is hugely admirable and makes me really proud to be a part of the Loreto Family . Your work is changing lives immeasurably and we could feel that gratitude fro so many of the Children we meet . Thank you for including us in the powerful work you are doing .
Tara O’Sullivan , Student , Loreto College , St Stephens Green , Ireland, Dublin
Over the past 2 weeks we have been given the opportunity to immense ourselves in Indian life and Culture . We have been educated on many Different Programmes run by the Mary Ward Social Centre including the Brick Field and Anti Trafficking Centre , Loreto Schools and Rainbow Homes . We have come from Loreto St Stephens Green in Ireland and have come to gain more knowledge about the Mary Ward Work and to get a first hand experience on the running of them .I have been amazed by the Work she has done and the work followed on by volunteers. I am so blessed to have experience all of this throughout the past 2 weeks and have been touched by the amazing people who work so hard to make a change in peoples life for better .
Ellen Vahey , Student , Loreto College , St Stephens Green , Ireland, Dublin
Recent Posts
Empowering Communiti...
Christmas Greetings ...
Enter your email and subscribe with our monthly Newsletter.