Damien Social Welfare Centre

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Damien Social Welfare Centre

Annual Report 2014

Once again I am here to share with you the activity report of Damien Social Welfare Centre (DSWC), Dhanbad for the just concluded year 2014.

This report I bring to you with lot of joy, as this is very special year for DSWC. Exactly 50 years back Fr. Michael Kavannaugh SJ had dared to think of serving the forgotten and forsaken community viz. community facing the curse of leprosy. It was a small beginning of sharing RIGHT to FOOD with those abandoned beggars suffering from leprosy. Now after 50 years it has changed into a multifaceted organization serving people affected with leprosy, their offspring and their dependents through the Medical service, Educational Service, Home for the disabled and Rehabilitation of Cured leprosy patients.

In the year under review DSWC did celebrate Golden Jubilee towards the end of the year, where His Eminence Telesphore Cardinal P Toppo was the chief guest. On this occasion a souvenir was released. Former Directors, Administrators and Doctors were honored for their selfless service.

In the Health Sector, DSWC continued with its Vision and Mission of serving person affected with any stigmatic or communicable disease by providing quality medical services towards their total wellbeing and fullness of life. In this regard Nirmala General & Leprosy Hospital has provided medical service to 248 new MB and 439 PB leprosy patients. 152 patients suffering from eye deficiency, 64 dental patients, 12 ortho patients and 157 patients suffering from general ailments got treatment. 62 minor surgeries and 2 major surgeries were conducted during the year. This year Nirmala General & Leprosy Hospital has also started afternoon OPD. It is just a beginning and so we are making publicity so that hospital gets more and more general patients. Meanwhile with the survey, hospital has identified 191 new MB suspected cases and 387 new PB cases suspected. It is matter of concern that our survey team has identified 12 female children and 13 male children under PB suspected case, whereas 5 female children and 3 male children under MB suspected case.

In the education sector our children went on to excel in different sectors. Our children participated in various competitions and did well. 20 Guides from our school participated in the State level Scout & Guide camps at Hazaribagh. For the overall growth of the children school conducted various competitions like debate competition, speech competition, science exhibition, essay writing competition, drawing competition, general knowledge competition, singing competition and so on in the school itself. During the year one health camp was organized to have the health checkup. Meanwhile a group of students and staff under the leadership of Fr. Mike Aakamatsu SJ from Rokko Gakuin, Kobe, Japan visited Nirmala School and had interaction with the children.

19th October was important for DSWC, for this day DSWC started a new wing i.e., Nirmala Nursing School for the benefit of poor children especially for the girls coming from leprosy colony. Indian Nursing Council has approved 20 seats, but Nirmala Nursing School has 10 students for the first batch.

In the Rehabilitation sector Baramasia Rehabilitation & Training Center (BRTC), the unit of DSWC has rehabilitated 85 cured leprosy patients. This year BRTC added Carpet making unit as its new unit. BRTC sold 84160 mtrs of Bandages and 65216 mtrs of Gauzes. It also sold 882 pieces of colour bed sheets of 90” x 66” size, 176 pieces of white bed sheets of 100” x 88” size, 2510 pieces of Gamcha, 760 pieces of duster, 1538 meters of Easemat cloth, 244 meters of synthetic cloth, 142 woolen shawl, 180 floor mats (old cloth), and 1220 doormats (old cloth). Besides these BRTC also sold 30 big carpets and 29 small carpets from the new unit.

DSWC is continuously trying for economic and social rehabilitation of people from leprosy colony. In this regard DSWC is trying to promote, form and strengthen women Self Help Groups in the colonies. This year DSWC could assist in forming 17 Self Help Groups with Rs 1,11,560 as savings, where Rs 47,590 in hand, Rs 53,670 at Bank and Rs 10,300 given in loan. The good thing about these SHGs is that some of these SHGs have started doing Income Generation Activities of their own. Jharkhand Sven Sahayata Samuh is doing cloth business and earned Rs 6,000, whereas Gandhi Mahila Samity, Govindpur is also involved in the cloth business and they have earned Rs 6450. Asha Mahila Samity and Maa Laxmi Mahila Samity are running small stationary shop have earned 3000/- and Rs 4000 successively. DSWC also organized an Inter-Colony Football tournament, with the whole purpose to bring these colony boys together so that they should not get involved in the useless and destructive activities.

Before I conclude the Annual Report let me thank all the staff of DSWC for their commitment and contribution made by them towards the rehabilitation of persons affected with leprosy.

At the end I also would like to thank all the donors for their whole hearted support for the work of DSWC. Special thanks to State Bank of India, who donated an Ambulance and X-Ray Machine for Nirmala General & Leprosy Hospital. We also place on record the support of Dka, Austria and MISSIO, Germany for because of their support DSWC has managed to organize women groups from colonies into SHGs. Rokko Gakuin, Kobe, Japan always remains a big contributor to the achievements of DSWC and so sincere THANKS to all of them. Finally we are also thankful to all the individual donors especially Mr. BD Laroia and all his friends, who always support the activities of DSWC with various means. May God bless all of them and bring cheer to all of us.

Fr. Bipin Pani

Director

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