17.9.23. 7 pm. IST
STREET PROVIDENCE GOA yesterday evening at 4.30 pm ie 16.9.23 innaugrated our 5th women shelter home for poor women suffering from Dimentia, Parkinson's, Downsyndrome and Autism in CHORAO, Mayem Constituency.
Overall in Goa its our 9th shelter home.
♡♡♡ Mayem MLA , Mr PREMENDRA SHET, was The Chief Guest and he innaugrated this home besides being punctual at Sharp 4.30 pm.
Mr Shet is more of a compassionate man towards the issue of people with disabilites than an MLA and we generally take his help when we don't get help from the Social Welfare Minister in emergency.
♡♡♡ Fr Jose Estricio, Parish Priest of Chorao blessed this home in the presence of Sr Rufina Toscana, Sr Rebecca , Sr Edith and others .
A link of our innaugration. ☝️
Autism , Downsyndrome , Parkinson's and Dimentia are sickness / disabilities which require special care and rehabilitation.
No one usually ventures into such rehabilitation homes as its not an easy task as huge no of care givers are required along with dedication, Commitment and love for such people.
We have tapped, trained and nurtured such care givers who are trained as Semi Nurses.
These young nurses are trained at a Nursing institute in Daltonganj diocese for over 12 months and then have joined our NGO.
♡♡♡ We thank The Provincal of Society of Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima, Sr Rufina Toscana for opening up their 2nd home to our rehabilitation program of caring and rehabilitating poor homeless women & women with mental & intellectual disabilities.
Last year 15.9.22 , our 1st home with Society of Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima was started at GUIRIM which is still taking care of 12+ ladies with mental disabilities with Sr Edith incharge backed up by our Care Giver cum nurse.
Exactly after 1 year we have strengthened that bond with Fatima Sisters and that resulted in this 2nd home being put to use for ladies with disabilities.
It's going to be Challenging and not an easy ride but the effort is worth the trouble.
This home is situated in the convent and we have rented 4 BIG NEW rooms on the 1st floor to care for 10 ladies only with 2 care givers incharge of this home.
This is a STREET PROVIDENCE PROJECT supported & collaborated with Society of Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima.
Once this woman home settles down we will be starting a similar home for poor men suffering from Autism , Downsyndrome , Parkinson's and Dimentia.
The Social Welfare Department & The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities have to provide QUICKLY a long term solution in Goa to so many poor and underprivileged GOANS suffering FROM MENTAL & INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES especially Autism , Downsyndrome, Parkinson's and Dimentia.
The State is not doing enough in the rehabilitation part and that's why we have to step in as an NGO and start 9 homes as of date with another 2 planned in the coming months.
Goa is having a huge % of people with disabilities but sadly there are no Government shelter homes specializing in rehabilitating poor people with mental & intellectual disabilities.
We are the only registered NGO with the Social Welfare Department & Women and Child Department having close to 200+ beds for ladies & gents and we have close to 175 such people in our 9 homes providing free rehabilitation to 90% of our inmates.
Only PROVEDORIA which is an autonomous body fully funded by the Government of Goa has more beds than us, but in the sector of caring & rehabilitating people with disabilites we are the only NGO in GOA With 200 beds at hand & the no of beds being added is going up.
Its a request and it will be wonderful if :
THE SOCIAL WELFARE MINISTER ,
THE SOCIAL WELFARE DIRECTOR &
THE SOCIAL WELFARE SECRETARY,
THE STATE COMMISSIONER FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, Considers our services just like PROVEDORIA and treats our NGO on par or to some extent with PROVEDORIA as the expenses are mounting and the requests for rehabilitation is increasing.
Everything costs money and its big time expenses running free shelter homes which is actually the job of the State.
It's a headache, stressful , complicated, tough to care for FREE towards people with disabilites.
If we convert these 200 beds into fully paid facility we can comfortably be at peace as people are ready to pay a price to rehab their loved ones with disabilites but then where do the poor and underprivileged with disabilites go ?
On the other side, the bills keep mounting and pathetic and genuine poor goans keep crying at our office for help & assistance in rehabilitating their loved ones.
WE DARE TO DREAM BIG inspite of being a very small and young NGO .
Once again A BIG THANK YOU to our BENEFACTORS who stand quietly yet consistently in our projects across Goa & INDIA.
Without the love & support , given by the BENEFACTORS, we would not be where we are in such a short span of just 6+ years.
Also thanks to The Government of Goa for the support through various government departments but that supports needs to be
re evaluated and upgraded ASAP as we are in 2023 and the grants been given to us are devised & calculated in 2006 when :
$ to a Rs was 45.31 and
Petrol per litre in 2006 was Rs 43.
God bless you so much
Donald Fernandes
8380097564 / 7020314848
