All these years in India we persevered in a difficult environment, with the aim to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ and simultaneously, as much as humanely possible, to give witness of Christian love in our actions, to the destitute, and infirmed of India. With this mind set we developed and established the following programs.
– Every morning we distribute fortified Milk and Biscuits to two hundred and fifty poor malnourished children.
– Every Monday we dispense food to one thousand people who suffer from various infirmities such as, leprosy, blindness and other physically disabilities.
– Operating and managing eight Medical Clinics and one Dental Clinic with free medicine and free medical staff services
– Five Primary schools located in rural areas providing free tuition and text books and all essential school personnel and equipment.
– A Girls Orphanage with occupancy for two hundred girls.
– Free construction and renovations of many small houses and two rent free apartments for the poor.
– Tube wells drilled in villages and schools for safe drinking water.
– Farm animals and sewing machines distributed to the needy.
– Donating hand operated bicycle wheelchairs for the disabled.
– Distributing clothing, food and medicine to the poor in rural areas.
– Providing Scholarships for higher achievement in education.
– Providing upgrading of impoverished dwellings with electricity and sanitary facilities.
– Also The Vocational School is completed and functioning with classes in Arts and Sewing. The programs are designed to developing skills for the girls at the Orphanage who are unable to advance in higher education, and to train and educate women from the surrounding area, who are illiterate and unemployed, with the goal to develop financial independence, self sufficiency and entrepreneur abilities.
There are other necessary programs waiting for implementation such as Physiotherapy and Computer Training, but due to lack of funds are unfortunately unable to be started and sustained.
But none of the programs mentioned could be realized if we did not have for all these years your tremendous support and collaboration in doing the work of God.ƒn Sadly, due to lack of funding and large debt owed to the contractor, unfortunately the Blind School will not be completed as planned.
Hostel and School for the Blind.
This large building and area, if God helps us to complete, will become an Eye Clinic. This can be finished and operated at lower cost. The necessities for this Clinic are supported by statistics that reveal a sad fact. Six million poor people in West Bengal have suffered blindness because they lack the financial means to afford a simple cataract medical procedure and subsequent treatment.
For the programs currently operating and for buildings under construction, with the large debt owed to the contractors and the many necessities of our mission; we are facing financial hardships that seem presently over-whelming. Especially after the transfer of His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, who after the departure of Fr. Ignatius covered monthly all the cost of all philanthropic programs and ecclesiastical works of the Church. We trust in God’s providence and we maintain our hope for the future.
As concerning the pastoral and catechetical works, despite all the difficulties the programs have been sustained and continue by the Grace of God. Except for Kolkata, we are expanding in West Bengal, where we have orthodox believers and church activities in sixty two villages. Currently the total number of baptized people is at five thousand, plus three hundred catechumens. This year in 2007, twenty souls have been Baptized in Kolkata and forty-five in the village of Ghorada. Presently there are eleven Priests, one Deacon and eighteen catechists, who travel to the various villages for liturgical activities and catechism
Once a month there is a meeting of priests and catechists, allowing for discussions and guidance of current programs, and for their spiritual and theological edification.
Also in September 2006, as in almost every year, we had in the village of Akina, the Seminar, which included priests from America conducting theological teachings and discussions with the clergy and faithful of India in collaboration with OCMC of USA.
We have built until now sixteen churches of which four of these remain unfinished, requiring various internal furnishings and implements for completion. There are also fifteen plots of land that we own, and dream as any believer would, of one day building a church on all these properties. Despite our present financial inabilities we are hopeful that in the future with God’s help we will restart construction of churches as soon as a solution to this economic crisis is solved.
In conclusion, I would like to express once more our warmest thanks for your continuous Love and Support during all these years. Please pray that the Lord will give us the patience and courage and illumination to solve the various problems, and to strengthen us for the challenges ahead, for the Glory of His Holy Name and the salvation of many souls. My heartfelt prayers, that the Lord will grant good health and blessings for all your work.
Source https://world.greekreporter.com/2009/08/23/greek-orthodox-mission-sets-an-example-in-india/
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My family is very grateful for your upvote thank you.God bless you! @liondani
A ‘love story’ of a Greek nun that just happened...
The Theotokos Greek Orthodox Girl’s Orphanage was started in 1999 by Ignatios, the Bishop of Madagascar, and Sister Nektaria Paradisi, the orphanage’s current director. The orphanage provides food, shelter, love and education for over 100 Indian girls. In just the past year, it has adopted many girls, sent four to college and also opened a boy’s orphanage.
How did a Greek nun end up in India in the first place?
Sister Nektaria says, “I never thought about India.I was always wanting to help poor people. I was thinking of going to Africa, because my my second language is French. But I was sent to South Korea.In 1991 one priest from there came to Kolkata reopen the Greek Church in Kolkata.It belongs to the Greek State. It has been declared a Heritage building by the Kolkata Municpality. It was closed for 20 years because there was no Greek community anymore. It was in a pitiable state almost abandoned. I was told to help the Greek priest who came from Korea to help him with the renovation work.” She adds, “I never had an intention to stay here, infact I didn’t pay any attention to learning the language. By end of 1992 I left back for Greece as I felt sick. Later on in 1997 I came back to India just to meet people with whom I met here during festivals.Once you come to India you never forget. You always want to come back!!.In 1998 the orphanage was established and I was asked to take care of the orphan children. I thought I would stay here for a couple of years and then return. When you have an orphan baby who has no one in his life, you raise her up, you are touched by them. You can’t abandon them. So I stayed back.”
For instance Debi who came to sister when she was 9 months old. She was on her lap all the time.She slept in her arms. Sister used to sing in Greek to make her sleep.
The first word she spoke was a Greek word!
But the financial situation in Greece has prevented the flowing of donations from Greece to India . The Greeks in Greece used to be a main donor for this philanthropic effort in India.Sister Nektaria says, “As it is not like before. I am not unhappy. I beleive God will provide, it is His children, His work. He will provide. I want to build a wall close to our backyard. But I have stopped it due to lack of funds.We have five schools and five dispensaries in the remote villages. Everything is free of cost. We have to pay teachers. We have to pay teachers and staffs. We have to pay taxes.” If things improve she has many plans. “One is a new building to for high school.Another is to reduce expense, to start farming inside, grow fish in our pond, have cows for milk, rear poultry and grow vegetables so that we don’t need to buy it from outisde. But for this one need to have capital. But right now it isn’t possible” says Sister Nektaria with a lot of hope and excitement. “My happiness is to see these orphans grow up and be capable to stand on their own feet.I think love. If you love you forget yourself.” sighs of Sister Nektaria.
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KOLKATA: Away from the city’s din, a 63 year-old Greek nun is touching the lives of a few hundred children, mostly orphans. Working silently for more than two decades, Sister Nectaria Paradisi has given them hope of a brighter future.
It started in 1991 when Paradisi came to Kolkata to assist a Greek priest in renovating the Savior Church in Kalighat. “During my visit, I got in touch with underprivileged children and got attached to them. I decided to come back here to be with them,” Paradisi told TOI.
Working for the Philanthropic Society of Orthodox Church (PSOC), Paradisi built an orphanage at Bakeswar in North 24-Parganas. The organization now runs six primary schools in South 24-Parganas and one in Kalighat. Apart from these it also runs mobile dispensary units in the nearby localities.
PSOC started the St Ignatius English Medium School in 2010 with funds from Greece. Located next to the orphanage at Bakeswar, the school has 400 students at present. However, funds soon stopped coming due to the economic downturn and PSOC was forced to shut some of its dispensaries.
“The financial constraint was a concern as the orphanage and the school involved the lives of children who have nowhere to go. But I believed we will pull through somehow,” Paradisi said.
Eventually, Magma Fincorp, a private finance company, came to the organization’s rescue in 2012 and began raising funds.
Good thing, I like to read a lot these types of publications. Greetings.
πολυ ενδιαφερον αρθρο, δν ειχα ιδεα οτι υπηρχε τετοιο community κ γινεται τετοιο εργο απο ελληνες στην ινδια!
Επισης το video δν παιζει, δν ξερω αν εχω εγω θεμα η οντως κατι αλλο φταιει. Μου βγαζει το παρακατω μετα απο λιγο
Πρέπει να είναι προσωρινό προβλήμα του dtube... όπως και να εχει μπορείς να το δεις ολόκληρο εδώ >>>
το δα ολο! εκτος απο το εργο της μ αρεσει κ ο τροπος που τα λεει, δν φοβαται κατι κ λεει τα πραγματα οπως ειναι!
Θα συμφωνήσω με τον @filotasriza3 πολύ ενδιαφέρον... και πολύ δύσκολο το έργο που ανέλαβε!!!
This is a good service or mission to humanity that needs more cares or helps,and educating the people who really needed. And teaching the words of God it is a good idea. This is the best publicity service. God will blessed you all.... sir @liondani.
There are few people or nuns left with that spirit of wanting to help those people who need it, this is humility and great heart that beautiful work, may God continue to bless and fill with health to continue to help all these people
Excellent post my friend and keep up the good work 👏 😎
YES, GOD BLESS YOU
Greetings @liondani
I always appreciate that kind of effort and works,helping peoples lives and sharing words of Gospel..
Greeting @liondani is there upcoming update of steepshot?i can't share my photo's using steepshot :))
Blessed to the people whose heart are so helpful! Blessed you @liondani.
Thank you for stopping by my friend I really appreciate it 👍