STREET PROVIDENCE GOA  has been issued an official license by the North Goa Collector to run a clinic / day care centre at SANGOLDA . 

From Feb 2022 , under the provision of Clinical Establishment Act 2019 , all clinics  have to be get a Registration Certificate from the respective Collector. 

Our application was pending for  a few months due to genuine reasons but the Collector was kind enough to explain the cause of the delay which was rectified and  finally the license was issued on 15.9.22 ,  the same day our 4th Free shelter Home for women was innaugrated at Cavelossim. 

Today 25.9.2922 , our Roman Catholic religious leaders at  the church service,  instruct us to be considerate to migrants/ refugees  

At Street Providence, 50% of the inmates are migrants from other states who reach Goa for jobs etc but due to many reasons end up sick, abandoned , homeless, this hardship results in them losing their sanity. 

One of my MANY DREAMS was  to start a Medical Clinic for these type of people and cater to their health issues. 

And today I am glad to see that this  DREAM  has come to pass . 

We now have our 1st Clinic 

” GAIL & DITOSA MEMORIAL MEDICAL CLINIC ” @ Sangolda and for the last 3 months we have been providing Free  Physiotherapy sessions for the homeless street people in our shelter homes. 

This was the same clinic which was innaugrated at the hands of the Social Welfare Minister of Goa , Mr SUBHASH FAL DESAI on 26.8.2022. 

https://youtu.be/sLtujyTW6lo 

We have a male and female Physiotherapist providing their time and services at this Clinic on a daily basis . 

Since we now have an official license to run a medical clinic we are keen to provide other medical services in this Clinic and  are looking for doctors who are ready to serve the poor on a weekly basis or bi weekly basis. 

We are looking for :

☆ Orthopedician

☆ Gynecologist 

☆ Psychiatrist 

☆ Counselors 

☆ General Physician 

And this is the 1st such Clinic. 

We are planning two more such clinics in the south of Goa. 

Once we get the 3 clinics running I have a bigger DREAM of starting two 10 bedded hospitals each in North & South Goa strictly catering to the poor , homeless and the migrants. 

All our services – be the shelter homes, clinics or hospitals will be absolutely FREE of cost to the poor and homeless and migrants . 

Attached a picture of our license as well as   pictures of the Physiotherapy sessions held yesterday  where out of the 11 people only 4 are goans, the rest being migrants. 

Here I add that all 11 persons are homeless, found on the streets and admitted by the authorities. 

Once again I sincerely thank  the North Goa Collector Ms Mamu Hage, who last month gave me 30 min of her precious time and heard out my request , asked me to wait a few days and issued the License to run a clinic . 

We @ Street Providence are very particular and organized in doing everything within the preview of the law and that includes acquiring all licenses and permissions in running this small but complicated operations of many many  projects under our name STREET PROVIDENCE despite the paper work being tiring and never ending with many trips for follow up. 

But it's worth the trouble just to be on the right side of the law . 

Grateful to all! 

God bless you so much 

Ravi a middle aged man from Navelim has stayed/ admitted/ lived in government hospitals for the last 4 years, abandoned and alone as he suffered a stroke 4 years ago and can't walk . 

Two months ago we received a call from 

Mrs Dr Deepti Furtado @  TB Government hospital stating that there is paralyzed man in TB hospital but not having TB and is homeless and having no one, please help . 

At 1st since he was bed ridden and paralyzed I tried to ignore this request as to look after such a case is not easy and we are already having many such cases . 

But then something started telling me ” have a look at him “. 

So I sent my Quepem team ” Mr Akash & 

Mr Akshay ” to meet the boy 2 weeks ago . 

Totally paralyzed left side. 

Ravi was / suffering from fits and used to take medication. 

But due to stupidity he started consuming alcohol too . 

Resulting in a severe Stroke . 

Attached a small 60 sec video and a picture of him . 👇

Married man but wife left him with his two small sons after the stroke and surely will not want him as he is totally bed ridden. 

Infact on 13.8.22 , Ravi had made a letter to Fatorda P Station stating that incase he expires in the hospital, his body should be disposed off through the hospital authorities. Copy with me. 

Looks like Ravi had given up hope that the World never wanted him. 

But that's the same time I was inspired to take a look at this boy by the Holy Spirit of God . 

For the last 4 years Ravi has been admitted In :

Gmc 

District Hospital 

Many health centre across South goa 

Back to District Hospital 

& finally admitted at TB Hospital . 

This is the scenario most of the times when homeless are admitted and recovered and have no place to go . 

It's only when a certain doctor will call us then these Homeless will get proper home at our NGO. 

And that certain Doctor in this case was Dr Mrs Deepti Furtado from TB Hospital Margao . 

It's sad and disappointing at times. 

No one takes in such cases except us and that free of cost. 

And we are practically taking them every month last few years . 

Ravi is not going to be easy to handle as it's really difficult, complicated and tough but we can try to do the little we can to help. 

This is where our FREE Physiotherapy centre comes in . 

We have many such paralyzed homeless street men & a couple of woman in our homes and Physiotherapy is what helps them to a great extent to recover at times. 

Like Ravi I am sure there are many many such homeless people in various Government hospitals and its upon the Dr incharge of that hospital to keep or to discharge. 

Discharge means going to a shelter home or just going no where which may be back to the streets,  bus stops,  gardens, etc . 

We feel happy and blessed that we are able to help a few of these such homeless people in the last 5 years and counting and the support we receive through our benefactors is what makes these services possible. 

Funding / Donations are very important to provide such services where really pathetic and lost cases are Given a second chance to live . 

And Ravi is just between the age group of 30 to 35 years . 

Please do bless us with your prayers, wishes and your support in many ways which you can . 

God bless you so much 

Donald Fernandes 

8380097564 / 7020314848

Goa Police @ Fatorda Police Station rescues a homeless lady at 12.15 am this early morning and calls me at 1 am asking if we can help to rehabilitate. 

The homeless lady says her name is ” MEMITA BARRETO ” and keeps saying she is from different villages when asked. 

Incase anyone recognizes her Please approach the Fatorda Police Station. 

PSI – Dindayalnath Redkar calls me sharp 1 am

( & on his tone I know he is disappointed  and out of options ) inquiring if we can take in this lady right now. 

He has tried many homes in South Goa and got no response as its too late at night. 

I say yes and he gets the paper work and medical examination done. 

A few more calls go up and down including a video call at 1 am and I knew for sure the lady is highly depressed and suffering from mental Disabilities which means the police will have to admitt her into IPHB for treatment but that's not going to happen at this hour at 1am . 

I know for sure on the call that its going to be numerous trips to IPHB  to get her back  into a proper frame of mind. 

I can refuse to take her in and say we are full , its too late , etc and go back to sleep. 

But thats not what STREET PROVIDENCE is about. 

I call Sr Mariya, FMCK  @ our care giver at 1.30 am informing that the police will be dropping a lady at 3 am , and she Willingly Said ” please bring we will accept “. 

LPC Vidhya Sakhalkar & PSI PSI – Dindayalnath Redkar drops the lady by 2.45 am which I was watching on the CCTV on my mobile at 2.45 am . 

All our homes are on CCTV and it's about 150 cameras running non stop in all 8 homes Linked to my mobile. 

The most IRRITATING & SHOCKING part is that in the last 5 years, we have accepted and are sheltering many such GOAN homeless ladies and no authority or lady activists have ever approached us trying to find out these ladies families. 

It's very very strange that only one or two Have been located and taken back by the families. 

Families are abandoning their own loved ones : due to old aged, 

sickness like mental disabilities, 

ladies who are divorced and both sides rejected,

Married women due to no child being born

And so many other reasons. 

Today we have 4 such shelter homes for homeless ladies in Goa and we will accept such ladies any time even early morning at 2 am strictly through the police only 

It's not that everyday day such requests come this late but when they come we will accept. 

Usually maay women shelter homes refuse after 7 pm to open the doors stating many excuses but here Sr Mariya has gone out of her way and disturbed her sleep like me to understand the plight of another homeless woman and open the doors. 

It's not easy breaking your deep sleep to take in and co ordinate a homeless woman admission at 3 am . 

If you see such genuine homeless women in Goa late night on the streets please call the local police station and tell them to get the lady off the streets to our shelter Homes which are both in North & South Goa . 

Support and bless us as we try to eradicate and reduce ” homelessness & hunger in Goa “. 

We operate strictly through whstsapp only on 8380097564 so please don't call . 

God bless you so much 

WE DARE TO DREAM & We Live That Dream . 

What DREAM started in  early 2014 and took concrete Shape in Dec 2017 by registering an NGO called STREET PROVIDENCE is today purely due to THE GRACE OF GOD & THE FAVOUR OF GOD . 

I am not qualified in any way to run FREE SHELTER HOMES consistently last 5 years, as I have alot of drawbacks and I am work in progress but yet THAT DREAM IS BEING LIVED. 

My DREAM was :

Today the biggest DREAM is, ” we run 8 HOMES for the homeless with a capacity of 200 people & WE don't OWN A SINGLE HOME “. 

All the homes are RENTED. 

Can you image an NGO having a DREAM of running Free Shelter homes for the homeless and not just 1 home and few homeless but today 8 homes both for men & women , enough to hold 200 such homeless and yet not owning a single home ? 

And we not Government funded but strictly are working with public donations. 

People always understand the running an NGO means :

acquiring assets like land ,

building big buildings and homes ,

owning fancy cars ,

having a fancy office, 

But what about the WORK ? 

Well our DREAM was more of THE WORK and less of the assets and that's why we don't own any land & building but we are using that same energy to get help to many many homeless people, hungry people and People with mental disabilities. 

The DREAM of Shelter homes in Goa is realised and fitted into the system and now the DREAM is to :

Like I started this message ” V DARE 2 DREAM “. 

This Dream of Sheltering the homeless could not be possible without :

During this DREAM :

Also during this DREAM :

One Trustee resigned and two trustees added ,

The entire operation staff left and a new team took over. 

But THE DREAM went on . 

I learnt to LIVE THE DREAM by believing IN THE WORD OF GOD taught by my old friend ” BJ “. 

Come join us IN ANY WAY YOU CAN as we HAVE SHARED our FUTURE DREAMS with you in this POST . 

God Bless you All

STREET PROVIDENCE GOA in collaboration with FMCK sisters supported by Women & Child Development, Government of Goa , starts our 4th shelter Home for abandoned women in Goa and the 1st such women home in Cavelossim,  South Goa . 

https://youtu.be/lWfaFp5nGb0 

This Home was innaugrated by 

Mrs Deepali Naik, Director W&CD , Panjim  and was blessed by Fr Rocky Fernandes , SFX . 

Attached two sets of Photographs with this post. 

Yesterday 15.9 2022  was Sr Fatima Birthday , and Sr is also the Superior General Of FMCK congregation and Sr Fatima  has been the reason , that today our NGO runs 4 free shelter homes for abandoned women. 

Over a cup of tea with Sr Fatima approx 5 years ago discussing about homeless street women was how our 1st such shelter home for homeless street women was started and that too in a convent owned by FMCK. 

♡♡♡ Thanks to Mrs Deepali Naik. DIRECTOR,  Women & Child Development,  Government of Goa for supporting our shelter homes for the homeless. 

Mrs Deepali understands the need for homes to rehabilitate the homeless street women in Goa. 

who attended the innaugration along with 

Mrs Auda Viegas., who runs One stop Centre at Margao for women in distress. 

This home can comfortably hold 20 ladies and will serve alot of Police stations in South Goa . 

Today our NGO has ladies and gents homes for the homeless in both: North & South Goa and help is just a stone throw away. 

I sincerely thank our volunteers in South Goa  namely:

☆ Akash Pednekar 

who have agreed to work along with our staff Akshay Dessai in taking care of this Home run by Sr Mariya & her other nuns . 

Shelter homes for homeless means ” ENDLESS HOSPITAL TRIPS , especially since most of the homeless women are suffering from mental disabilities “. 

A special appreciation to Sr Vandana , Provincial of FMCK & her counselors of nuns for allowing our NGO to use this home at Cavelossim. 

If you reading this post reside in Goa and are aware of any homeless women ( or men ) in need of Shelter, food or medication and who is suffering from any sort of mental & physical disabilities please approach the nearest police station and see that the police are involved to get the homeless to our homes which are right across Goa . 

Once again Mrs Deepali Madam thanks for all the commitment and support pledged to all our 4 women shelter homes for the homeless and abandoned street women. 

God bless you all

It's raining last few days in Goa and this old man has been sleeping on the foot path in panjim city which caught the attention of Mr Muktar Sheikh who requested us @  Street Providence to rehab him . 

Yesterday we picked him up and took him to our home. 

He has been sleeping on the footpath last few weeks and not disturbing anyone. 

Attached a 1 minute video 👇

Had a fever last few days and Mr Muktar has been giving him medicines. 

This old man has been troubled at night for money by rowdies and has been at times being beaten up. 

That's the sad part of being old , homeless,  sick and then harrased and beaten on the streets by younger men who rob and harass such old and sick homeless people. 

Muktar Sheikh really got behind me yesterday to help this old man . 

It was a really tight day yesterday and we just could not squeeze time to pick this man up but Muktar went on calling every 2 hours asking when will our team reach. 

Muktar understood the homeless mam plight and he wanted him off the streets as soon as possible. 

Man is quite old , stressed and sick . 

We at times really can't make it due to prior work, shortage of manpower , pending hospital trips of other patients in the home . 

Once again We thank Muktar Sheikh who works for Adv Carlos at his office which is in the vicinity of Keni Petrol Pump panjim for getting help to this homeless man and following up with  me inspite of me postponing the time . 

We once again assure you that we are committed to picking up and caring for genuine homeless people and not those people who are laid off / sent away from restaurants and shacks as the season is off . 

Lots of people try to feel pity and sad for anyone without knowing their history and try to force us to take such men . 

See, homeless are genuine and there is a way to spot and understand the actual homeless. 

Waiters , Cooks,  kitchen helpers once given a break from their season line should go back to their native place and rest . 

We have had very bad experiences of such type of people staying in our homes till the season starts and then taking away our good rehabilitated manpower and then calling late nights once drunk and threatening our staff , care givers , even at times giving me missed calls late night. 

These laid off waiters , Cooks,  kitchen helpers when admitted in the past just don't do any work in the home , want non veg food , try to leave the Shelter home in search of alcohol and tobacco. 

And when confronted they argue that 

“we did not want to come for rehabilitation but this uncle/ that aunty has forced us to stay “. 

So anyone reading this post , please always route such homeless people to the local police station. 

Let the police decide which shelter home they should be admitted or they should be sent back to their state where they belong too . 

Please do support us in whatever you can . 

God bless you all

STREET PROVIDENCE GOA blessed and inaugurated our 3rd shelter home in Goa for homeless women & women in distress yesterday at Guirim. 

♡♡♡ Madam Deepali Naik , Director ,  Women & Child Development , Government of Goa was The Chief Guest and cut the ribbon and graced the function. . 

https://youtu.be/fC4sLL1Fnh8 

A small home capable of sheltering close to 10 ladies who are homeless and in need of care & shelter . 

♡♡♡ Special Thanks to Fatima Sisters especially their Provincal,  Sr Rufina for opening up this home which will be FREE for those ladies who are homeless and abandoned as well as those suffering from Disabilities. 

This ladies in this  home will be taken care by 

Sr Edith, who is very close to being a SENIOR senior citizen but has the spirit and determination in her retirement to help those ladies on the streets who are homeless and abandoned. 

This is our 3rd such shelter home in North Goa and with this home,  we will have a total capacity of 40 such homeless women being taken care in North Goa . 

We have attached a link which will take you thru the entire inauguration and the short cultural program put up by the ladies who once were in distress and abandoned. 

God bless you so much 

Today we @ Street Providence Goa , open our Clinic doors @ Sangolda to those who require Physiotherapy for Free and primarily who are suffering from disabilities. 

Today is Birthday of our Mother Mary and a very blessed day, to start this Clinic for those looking for Free Physiotherapy or those who are looking for affordable Physiotherapy sessions  

After 3 long months of trial and testing of equipments , set up , etc we are accepting appointments from you , incase you are recommended for Physiotherapy. 

☆ 1. It's FREE for any one who is physically disabled or suffering from any disability including children with disabilities. 

☆ 2. If you are SENIOR CITIZEN  , you can also book an appointment but we will expect a donation of Rs 100 per session in the donation box which is kept in the clinic. 

☆ 3. The rest who can afford can also book an appointment and give us a donation of Rs 300 per session in the donation box . 

We are operating through APPOINTMENTS only on 8380077564  between 9 to 6 pm and no walk in requests will be entertained. 

This Physiotherapy centre is serving the homeless and people with disabilites completely FREE but running costs like :

Is to be considered. 

Last 3 months catering to just 34 such homeless people with disabilites with a total of 198 sessions from our shelter homes costed us close to Rs 1 lac with majority of the amount going towards the Doctors fees . 

( Poster attached ) 

The Social Welfare Department has done the inspection and the grant when released is 

Rs 10000 per month towards the Physiotherapist charges and we have two such Physiotherapist : one lady & one Gent. 

We treat a wide variety of conditions such as:

Our two young goan Physiotherapist are providing the above services in our clinic. 

Your patronage helps us in reducing our running costs of this clinic for our homeless people and in return we can treat more poor homeless people suffering from Disabilities with your donations. 

Today we have close to 135 homeless people in our shelter homes and 100 of them are suffering from disabilities require  Physiotherapy. 

So incase you require Physiotherapy or any other family member or friends require Physiotherapy do book an appointment on 8380077564. 

We would like to offer these services FREE to all but then anything given FREE is always misused and has no value at all. 

That's why we have kept :

Free  for those with disabilities,

Rs 100 as a donation for senior citizens

Rs 300 donation for those who can afford. 

This is the 1st of the 3 clinics planned in Goa for the people with Disabilities. 

The other two are coming up in Quepem & Cavelossim in due course of time . 

We will be adding next month various other medical services like :

In future we will have also add :

We @ Street Providence are committed in providing FREE & affordable health care facilities for those who are  really poor and can't afford these services at normal rates that other clinics charge. 

These services are not on a business model but our NGO is offering affordable health care facilities to those who can't afford including our senior citizens. 

I thank you reading this post & for forwarding this post to your near and dear ones especially those who reside in NORTH Goa . 

God bless you all

STREET PROVIDENCE GOA has started accepting & rehabilitating young Goan teenagers suffering from drug and substance abuse in the last few months 

Of late, too much noise we hear, read and browse regarding drugs and substance abuse in & around Goa Everyone is blaming someone for this problem. 

But how many posts speak about rehabilitating or how many homes are accepting such drug abuse teenagers for rehabilitation ? 

Last couple of months we ventured into accepting and rehabilitating young goan boys between the age group as young as 22 years to 27 years and its really sad and upsetting. 

Today we have in our shelter homes about 8 such young boys . 

We decided to test the waters to see if we could contribute to this issue of drug abuse and we are now capable of handling many more such cases of drug abuse . 

One such case will send shivers down your bones. 

This young boy 26 years and his two friends were on all the chemical based substances, like MLD , LSD , DMT , etc and both his friends died on the beach in South Maharashtra. 

This boy survived but completely lost his mind. 

The sister has struggled to help the younger brother and many times admitted into IPHB , stabilised but no free rehabilitation Home to keep him In. 

It's close to 45 days but the improvement is very very slow as most of the cells are damaged. 

This is just one case . 

The other 6 cases are mild abuse of substance which can or might get them better in due course of time, but all youngsters in the aged group of 22 years to 27 years . 

These youngsters come from poor families and their parents are too illiterate ( or some don't have parents ) or just daily wage workers. 

No one to help and guide them neither can they afford the fees of bigger institutes for rehabilitation. 

The need of the hour is more shelter homes for such many many young boys out there who are just wandering and loosing their mind and leading them to depression which then leads to  a slow and painful death, all alone abandoned as most of us are afraid of drug addicts due to their violent behavior. 

Its very chilling and frightening and I can't write. 

Initially we thought it would be difficult to handle these drug abuse boys but in due course all 6 are stable and are getting better but slowly. 

We don't shout and condemn the government or the system but we work at the ground by entering the system and being a problem solver. 

The WORLD REQUIRES PROBLEM SOLVERS rather than harping on the problems and the problems just increasing. 

Easy to condemn but very difficult to walk the talk. 

The situation is really bad as substance abuse is raising it head big time in higher secondary and colleges . 

Most of these 7 goan boys are from interior parts of Goa and not the coastal areas so there is an issue. 

OUR NGO is currently housing most of them at ASSNORA shelter home which is on the hillock. 

IPHB at Bambolim is doing a wonderful job of   treating such drug abuse cases and since it's a government hospital all treatment is free. 

Our NGO today takes in and looks after for free:

We are ready to help anyone and everyone who requires food , clothing & shelter and a hand to catch to get back on track. 

Ultimately we take nothing from this world but only blessings and prayers . 

God bless you