7.12.2024. 6pm IST
Being a lady, abandoned and suffering from physical & mental disabilities is something beyond yours and my imagination.
Add : homeless and unwanted by society.
On International Disability Day we had a small but awesome program for 65+ lady residents, all on Severe psychiatric medication, reassuring our motto : ENDING HUNGER and HOMELESSNESS.
The YouTube link of 75 min will leave you enlightened about our NGO , our work, our team, how we treat and care for people with mental disabilities, etc.
We also launched our 2nd edition book on the work we do. This is the link of of E Book.
We have numerous teams & volunteers and each one play their part, synchronizing with the other teams to keep the residents up and running.
☆ Team 1 :
The 3 hours program held on 6th Dec at Silver Bells Sangolda was meticulously planned by my trustee & sister Joanita Pinto & supported by my brother in law John Pinto and both are senior citizens along with our office staff.
Joanita is the incharge for all office work , social media, documentation and over all co ordinator between the manager and the residents.
☆ Team 2 :
The transportation of these 65+ lady residents from 6 homes of which 10 of them are wheel chair bound due to old aged and due to physical disabilities is the responsibility of Our operation manager Sapnesh Salgaonkar and his team who did a fantastic job of moving the residents to & fro along with the drivers and other staff.
Sapnesh is the hands on man for our entire operation across Goa, for anything and everything.
☆ Team 3 :
To our dedicated Volunteer Sir Bosco George IPS , who post retirement, is the MC for all our programs and the man who is there always, brightening up the lives of people with disabilites.
Sir Bosco George also is our trouble shooter between me and the authorities especially the government departments.
☆ Team 4 :
To Joseph Fernandes our volunteer who makes it a point to cover all our programs and capture these events on his camera.
☆ Team 5 :
To our care givers from Jharkhand who take alot of trouble living in the homes and caring for these ladies, is something not easy to handle.
☆ Team 6 :
To our Physiotherapists, counselors, art teacher, Vocational teacher and our Resident Doctor, who play their part 24 *7 , 365 days, we thank you.
☆ Team 7 :
Consists of other silent volunteers across Goa who perform free of cost the duties assigned to them without any expectations and publicity.
We appreciate the attendance of :
♡♡♡ Sir Sanjit Rodrigues IAS,
Secretary Factories & boilers, Government of Goa and
♡♡♡ Sir Manuel Barretto, Director Women & child Department,
who experienced 1st hand, many goan ladies with mental disabilities and shared their views about their approach towards ending Hunger and homelessness.
The resident ladies were thrilled and excited to be recognized by the audience for the performance they put up.
We also had a small exhibition on their art craft and drawing work done in the last 2 years and each Invitee was asked to pick any item and take home as a remembrance of the lady residents in our homes.
You need to see their art work in this you tube link attached.
With out The Favour of God and good health it's next to impossible to do what we do.
It's very stressful , complicated and pulls you down as dealing with mental disabilities residents is not easy plus dealing with landlords as everyone today thinks feels and understands that NGOs make alot of money.
It eats me up at times when I see and am told about so and so suffering on the streets due to mental disabilities & I just can't help or do anything.
A few of these ladies are very very aggressive in nature and anything small is enough to kick, hit , pull hair of others, use sharp objects to injure their own self and others, attempt to harm or run away.
But it's a great satisfaction that we are able to do this little without any formal training or any specialized courses.
This is where I see Jesus Christ in people with mental disabilities, the homeless & the hungry.
For Jesus Christ as a Roman catholic is not in any church , structure or any formality which I have been told or taught about.
This is my Bible, my church , my retreat , my prayers, my recollection, my religion.
My motive is to do good to those who I don't know and who will never ever come back to thank me or ever be able to help me.
If I only help those who I know or who will help me back then that's not Jesus Christ teaching to what I learnt.
Although I never or very seldom visit any shelter homes yet I aware of everything that goes on in all our Homes.
It's their disappointment of residents with mental disabilities living in a shelter home which upsets me as LIFE IS MEANT TO BE HAPPY & CHEERFUL & then I get stressed and upset as I see 1st hand that they want to get better but their medication is such that they just can't do much alone outside in this COMMERCIAL LIFE.
The worst part of mental disabilities is that SOCIETY cares a DAMN starting from the Government and going up to all religious heads including my religious head Cardinal Ferrao.
The demand is so high for rehabilitation for the poorest of the poor and our own ethnic goans that everyone is just is closing their eyes and pretending or assuming some one else will do this service.
Our shelter homes cares for Catholics, Hindus & Muslims.
Our staff is predominantly Hindus , but we also have Catholics , Muslims and Tribals , both men & ladies working in our homes.
Once you see the entire link of 75 minutes & feel yes ” its time to be a volunteer or a benefactor then please whatsapp me your views on 8380097564 “.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes
8380097564 / 7020314848