Damien Social Welfare Centre

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Damien Social Welfare Centre

Annual Report 2011

We are at the close of yet another year. When we look back the year, we just cannot resist to say what a year it has been for Damien Social Welfare Centre (DSWC), Dhanbad. We can name this year as the YEAR OF CHANGE, or YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION or say YEAR OF NEW HORIZON. This year we had few changes at DSWC. First of all there was arrival of New Director and departure of Old Director. Then revisiting of Vision and Mission was done. There was also extension of Baramasia Training & Rehabilitation (BRTC). And finally this year DSWC sadly handed over one of units called De Britto School and Hostel to Jamshedpur Jesuits due to financial crunch.

Change of Guard: DSWC witnessed the transfer of Fr. Walter Crasta, the dynamic leader of the organization. He tried to change the mindset of the people from the leprosy background i.e., completely depending on others from taking up ones’ own responsibility. It was Fr. Walter, who persisted that in the Hospital and in the school the people have to pay for the services offered to them. Change is always painful and so he had to face few challenges, but Fr. Walter did not give up and that is why today patients are paying in the Hospital and children are paying in the school. With the transfer of Fr. Walter, Fr. Gulbert Fertado, the Deputy Director and Fr. Nicholas Kerketta, the joint Deputy Director also got transferred. It means the entire administrative team got transferred. DSWC also saw few more transfers viz. Sr. Rosemary, the Administrator, went to Bangalore for the Hospital Administrator, Sr. Vandana went to Jamshedpur for B Ed, Sr. Neeta and Sr. Angela went for their new assignments. We THANK them for their selfless service and wish them ALL THE BEST for their new responsbilities.

In place of place of these DSWC got Fr. Bipin Pani, the new Director and Fr. Ajay Tiru, the new Deputy Director. Towards the end of the year Fr. Ajay Tiru was sent to States for Hospital Administrative. Fr. Jilson KT came in his place as a replacement. In place of Sr. Rosemary, Sr. Roselit came as the Administrator. In Place of Sr. Angela, Sr. Helen came as the pharmacist. In place of Sr. Neeta, Sr. Dona Maria came as the in-Charge of Home for the disables (VIP) and in place of Vandana, Sr. Gracemy came as the in-charge of Nirmala Academy. We WELCOME the new directors and all their associates and wish them every success.

Nirmala Leprosy Hospital: The activity of this hospital was always been in the line of the Vision and Mission of DSWC. When we felt that the number of new cases of leprosy is on decline, there was cry from different quarters of DSWC to revisit the Vision and Mission of this organization and also to have soul searching exercise whether leprosy is still the prime concern for DSWC or it needs to shift its attention to something else. Thus, after one day’s workshop, it came out with following Vision and Mission statement:

Vision: Persons affected by any stigmatic or communicable disease receive quality medical services towards their total wellbeing and fullness of life.

Mission:

· To restore human dignity to people who have been marginalized because of their condition.

· To reclaim life of leprosy affected people through integrated Rehabilitation viz. medical rehabilitation, work rehabilitation, social rehabilitation and education rehabilitation and then place and or channel them into employment suitable to their condition.

· To integrate patients into the community so they are ready to work and live in the community.

Now Nirmala Leprosy Hospital as well as DSWC works with this Vision and Mission. Though Leprosy still remains the focus of all its activities, yet it is open for other stigmatic or communicable disease. This year 499 patients were admitted in the hospital and 503 were discharged from the hospital. There were 91 patients under went the operation. This year 281 leprosy patients and 3314 general patients were attended through OPD. 4392 patients had blood tests, smear tests, urine tests, stool tests and sputum tests in our pathology department. 2730 patients got their MCR shoes, MCR repairs, crutches supplied and splint supplied from Physiotherapy department.

Education: It is nice to see the school under the new leadership viz. Fr. Ajay Tiru and Sr. Gracemy. Under their leadership children are shaping up quite well. This year our children bagged first prizes in Solo dancing as well as in group dance competition respectively. Our children went for quiz competition and they won second prize in the quiz competition as well. Now the school has its own Band and it is doing well. Towards the end of the year our school band was invited to WELCOME Mr. Babulal Marandi, the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand, who came for the inauguration of of the units of KK Polytechnic, Dhanbad. Now the school has beautiful garden as well. This year too DSWC provided free books and uniform to 118 children. 789 children are doing their schooling and 329 children are staying in the hostel. We cannot THANK enough to all our donors, who visit the Nirmala Ashram time to time and provide either food or some necessary things for the children.

It is sad to say that after much discussion, on 31st March 2011 DSWC gave back De Britto School and Hostel to Jamshedpur Jesuits due to financial crisis. Though we still send our children to De Britto School and Hostel for high schooling, but it is no more under the administration of DSWC. We thank all the staff of De Britto for serving DSWC so long and wish the Best to them as well as the New Management. This year 26 students appeared for the Jharkhand School Board Exam and unfortunately only 25 of them were graduated from the 10th Board Exam.

Welfare Services: This year DSWC helped 6 children for their + 2 studies and one child for Bachelor degree in Arts.8 girls were helped for doing Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery.

For the first time in the history of DSWC we had Inter Colony football tournament on St. Damien’s day. And youth from our 21 colonies participated in the tournament. All the colony boys fought shoulder to shoulder and at the end youth from BMP and Gandhi Nagar were the joint winner of the tournament.

It was good to see people from BMP colony contributing Rs 3700 (Rs 50 per family) and voluntarily offering their service for repairing the canal going through their colony. It is a good sign, when colony people are working together for the development of their colony.

There are 50 disable persons from the leprosy background at the Home for the disable (VIP). All of them are getting old age pension. We provide them free housing, clothing, food and medical assistance whenever they are in need of

Baramasia Rehabilitation & Training Centre (BRTC): There were 61 families being supported at BRTC. It is a good news for BRTC that we got big order for Bandages and gauzes. We bought six new power looms for making bandages, gauzes and small towels. As the work increased we shifted six of handlooms to our old Baramasis Mercy Post (BMP). Now it is no more called BMP, but it is Damien Vocational Training Centre (DVTC), for we are starting vocational training for the dropouts there. Now the number of families at BRTC has increased to 80. Thanks for your prayer and support.

At the closing I would like to extend my sincere THANKS to all our friends, well wishers, Donors and Benefactors, without whose valuable contributions and support we would have very difficult to carry on serving people from leprosy background. In future we look forward to more generous contributors, for however small your contribution may be, it is always going to make difference in the life of these people.

My sincere THANKS to our loyal and hardworking staff. The organization has high appreciation for your dedicated service to this community.

At last but not the least my esteemed appreciation to all our Board Members for their significant contribution through out the year.

Finally we THANK God for HIS abundant blessings and His presence in all our work. We also prayerfully entrust DSWC in His protective hand for his protection, guidance and blessings.

Fr. Bipin Pani

Director

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