Category Archives: Updates

08Jun/24

30 % – 40 % OF THE HOMELESS IN GOA ON THE STREETS CARE ETHNIC GOANS OR ARE HAVING A GOAN CONNECT

Updates
8.6.2024. 8pm IST 
30 % – 40 % of the homeless in Goa on the streets are ethnic Goans or are having a goan connect and usually we tend to call all homeless on the streets as migrants or outsiders.
Which is wrong . 
Why wrong ? Read on slowly.
Look at the picture with the elderly man In an unclean clothes and not at all oriented.
He is Mr Santan from Bendwad , Savordem.
Surely anyone will say he is a migrant / outsider.
But he is a ethnic goan abandoned by his family of 3 well to do sons.
Like Santan there are 100's of such poor goans on the streets across Goa , they all look like migrants.
2 months back the Mamlatdar of Sanguem helped him off the streets of Sanguem & we admitted him into our home.
But his parameters on all levels are so bad & disappointing that in last 2 months we have admitted him 4 times in the hospital but since he is old and homeless he is just ignored & discharged immediately. 
》His BP is like 55 to 70 to 90 / 35 to 45 to 65.
》His pulse is like 55 to 60.
》He has INGUINAL HERNIA 
》He has reducable HERNIA which can progress to Inreducable HERNIA 
》Partly psychiatric in nature .
》He is an Emergecy situation patient and needs to be monitored 24*7 by one full time care giver as it's all complicated.
Undernourished, stressed, abandoned, totally weak and disappointing to be left alone in this old aged on the streets by his sons who are abroad and on the ship.
Imagine what stress we all are going through.
And like Santan we have 90 to 100 such elderly goans ladies and gents abandoned by their families on the streets.
And daily we get calls and requests to take off so many such poor homeless street people which we are unable to oblige.
GOVERNMENT OF GOA through various departments like :
☆ Social Welfare,
☆ Women and Child,
☆ Persons with Disabilities,
☆ Health,
☆Directorate of Municipal Administration, etc
actually are to be doing this job of getting the ethnic homeless goans off the streets but it's not happening.
Hundreds of homeless and beggars with disabilities we have been getting of the streets of Goa from 2017 with the expectations that the government would fund our homes.
But inspite of The Hon CM of GOA instructing Social Welfare and WCD officials to increase our grants it's only on paper.
Last few months we have gone totally slow on taking homeless off the streets and that why you can see hundreds of beggars and homeless in all cities of Goa.
Moment we slow down admissions, there is an increase on the streets and government hospitals of the homeless.
Funding is the main reason and please  understand each and every homeless comes with multiple & complicated sickness especially Scabies, TB , HIV & Mental disabilities which is always chronic in nature.
Top it all ” Government hospitals across the state as of today are having huge no of poor goan & non goan homeless who are living there at the courtesy of the State “.
We are constantly asking for donations as its not an easy service being a small NGO.
Till date this is what the grants are 
Social Welfare: Rs 2500 per gent per month 
WCD : Rs 2500 / Rs 4500 per lady per month
If anyone recognizes SANTAN please instruct his sons to help us with our bills of caring for their dad.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
01Jun/24

FOOD BANK FOR THE POOR SANGOLDA COLLECTS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2024 , FROM 6 FACTORIES @ VERNA INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, 5000 KGS TO FEED 15000 MEALS

Updates
1.6.24. 8pm IST 
FOOD BANK FOR THE POOR SANGOLDA collects for the month of MAY 24 , from 6 factories @ Verna Industrial Estate,  5000 kgs to feed 15000   meals.
For the 2nd month in running we are collecting excess canteen food from these 6 big companies which has been made possible due to the Support of INSPECTORATE OF FACTORIES AND BOILERS, Government of Goa, Altinho GOA.
We are adding another 3 more factories in the month of June 24 from Verna Industrial Estate so overall the monthly collection of food from these 9 factories should be 7000 kgs.
And Verna industrial Estate has more than 50 big factories who we are yet to approach, so one can imagine the quantity of cooked food in this industrial Estate daily reaching the bins.
Overall for the month of May 24 we collected excess food to feed the poor from :
》Verna industrial Estate : 5000 kgs 
》Kundanim industrial Estate : 1000 kgs 
》Our food bank fridges : 2000 kgs 
All this food if not channelised to our food bank would have reached the bins and gone waste.
We have teams feeding in :
☆ Vasco city 
☆ Margao city 
☆ Chimbel
☆ Old Goa 
☆ Plus inmates in our homes get free cooked meals 3 times a day.
Alot of poor families suffering from disabilities depend on this food And I am thankful to so many feeders who have come forward to feed the poor in their areas.
People usually feel food banks only feed the migrants.
Well as we learnt in School ” all Indians are our brothers and sisters ” so yes we don't discrimate while feeding the hungry.
Just image all this 8000 kgs going to the bins & the recycling plants.
Why waste it ?
Hunger and homelessness knows no caste, creed or belief.
Food banks are the need of the hour as inflation & price rise is something taking a toll on the poor
With so much of good Cooked food in Goa being wasted daily, we at Food Bank Sangolda for the last 7 years,  are doing the little we can to feed the poor as well as save the environment .
Without the support from the management of the above companies as well as Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers, this unique project of collecting excess food from factories would not be a reality.
Mid April 24 , we acquired a frozen food truck which has a capacity to carry 2000 kgs of food.
We are working towards feeding as many as we can as well as saving the environment from wet waste.
It's not an easy service running such a big food bank as many small issues are to be kept track off continous and daily.
But the joy we get is when we see that the hungry go happy with the food we provide to them through our feeders and we are also playing a small part in saving the environment.
All queries strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
30May/24

THIS MIDDLE AGED POOR GOAN ABANDONED MARRIED LADY SUFFERING FROM SEVERE MENTAL DISABILITIES CONTINUOUSLY ATTEMPTS TO KILL / HARM HERSELF

Updates
30.5.2024.   8pm IST
This middle aged poor goan abandoned married  lady suffering from severe mental disabilities continuously attempts to kill / harm herself by either slitting her hands or other means.
Sounds scary.
But for a moment hold on and just switch places.
She has been locked up / admitted in IPHB for  years as no one wanted her back home ie : neither her father as she is / was married nor 
her husband who just abandoned her.
Her only child was taken away from her by the husband/ family when she was for many years in IPHB.
Her blessings was ” we volunteered to rehabilitate her ” else she would still be in IPHB.
And she is with us last 3 years.
The most difficult part for this goan lady is when she came out of IPHB and we admitted her into our home she discovered that while she was in IPHB for many years:
Her mother died due to harassment,
Her one sister died due to suicide,
Her one sister died due to unknown reasons.
In addition when we took her to her home her brother & father did not take her inside the house nor did they acknowledge her presence in the home they just ignored her like she was a ghost.
She keeps telling me ” I don't want to live, I have no one , how long will any home keep me , I have no one “.
Wonderful woman when not thinking this issues but moment that old memories pop up all trouble breaks loose .
In the last 3 years we have admitted her back into IPHB atleast 12 times , that shows the severity of her mental health. 
So even though she has been for many years in IPHB still her condition is not conducive for her to live alone because she has no one. 
And belive me besides STREET PROVIDENCE there is no other SHELTER HOME across GOA volunteering to take care of such poor goan people FREE OF COST besides Rs 2500 / 5000 which WCD is paying us as grant per month per lady.
And like this lady we have close to 50 such poor goan ladies ( plus a few non goans )  all with similar issues – All on Severe psychiatric medication which makes them unable to live alone or with their families as they just don't have any one to care for them.
And like this lady we have another 24 such poor goan ladies with severe mental disabilities waiting to get into our homes for rehabilitation.
It's a huge risk and very expensive dealing with these hyper ladies as Any time they get violent & attempt to harm their bodies or to others.
And once the symptoms start of getting violent we rush them to IPHB & get them admitted.
But on the other side ” these goan ladies are human beings like your wife / sister / mother etc”.
For me personally ” I see God in them ” and that makes me go beyond my capacity. 
A mental hospital is the worst place while living to be kept in.
Even jails are better,  but to live for years in a mental hospital is not what we at STREET PROVIDENCE feel and desire. 
That's why we are opening more and more homes and you will always wonder why we are always aggressive and in dispute with various Government departments.
Without donations it's very difficult to run these services in Goa.
This is the Government job to care for its subjects but this not any minister , director or even The Disability Commissioner concern.
All these authorities are just turning their eyes the other side. 
But festivals to organize everyone is ready.
There is absolutely no returns or any money to make, in homes for people with mental disabilities. 
Look around and try to recollect if you know or heard of any homes in GOA taking in psychiatric poor people FREE OF COST especially ladies.
It's easy to look after men no matter how severe their mental illness is but it's very very difficult & dangerous caring for ladies with chronic mental disabilities. 
We have created infrastructure to take in upto 100 such ladies so you must understand how we work and how much we are working towards our poor goan ladies suffering from chronic mental disabilities. 
At any point of time in one go ” we can in any 1 day take in 25 ladies with severe mental disabilities “.
That's how much prepared we are to solve problems of our poor goan ladies suffering from mental disabilities. 
But it all boils down to donations & government grants.
For those who conclude that I am a very impatient man & always in a hurry , read the above post and understand I am responsible for so many poor goans suffering from chronic mental disabilities and for me time and energy is very important. 
Everyday there is some inmate on the loose in some home.
Most of our inmates are and will be permanent residents as long as they are alive so that responsibility is even more higher.
Finally I am at peace even though it's stressful that we @ Street Providence are doing the best we can, under extreme situations in attempting to breathe life or rather bring little smile into 160+ poor people suffering from severe mental disabilities ( 130 + are ethnic goans ) .
Next week we Will highlight a woman whose condition is so horrible that even I am in 2 minds to rehabilitate her or not .
It's difficult choices at times to make.
To our collaborators, landlords , benefactors we thank you for all the support shown to us last 7 years and counting.
Please do support us as we care for the worst case scenarios of our poor goans suffering from chronic mental disabilities. 
All queries strictly through whatsapp only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
25May/24

SAVES A LIFE OF POOR GOAN GIRL FROM SOUTH GOA , WHOSE WEIGHT WAS APPROX 25 KGS AND HAEMOGLOBIN WAS AT 5 (g/dl ) OF BLOOD

Updates
25.5.2024. 8pm IST 
STREET PROVIDENCE GOA saves a life of poor goan girl from South Goa , whose weight was approx 25 kgs and haemoglobin was at 5 (g/dl ) of blood, where as the normal parameters for a lady should be between 11.6 and 15 grams per deciliter ( g/dl).
All her major other parameters were extremely below all prescribed norms.
3 weeks back we were requested by the girl sibling to please help as the girl in question was too too weak to stand and was living in horrible & pathetic conditions.
The siblings is working abroad and for over two years we are being requested to help.
We go to this girl home but either she does not open the door or just acts violent which makes our team return.
Sibling sends living expenses to the girl, but due to loneliness and heavy depression, she has been slipping month after month.
But this time Mr John Baptist from Fatorda, our long time trusted volunteer was entrusted the job of getting this girl out of her house by hook or by crook as any further delay would be suicidal,  resulting in death.
Being a cool man John used all his convincing power and got this girl admitted into a government hospital.
We were forced to hire a care giver for 24 hours which the sibling paid @ 2500+ per day which was for over 15 days.
But sorry to say nothing much happened as most government hospitals are overloaded with such poor people, that only prayers can save.
During these 15 days the haemoglobin from 5 reached 6 and that's when we shifted this poor goan girl to a private hospital for a few days in Porvorim which is closer to our office.
Today we discharged the poor goan girl whose haemeglobin is at 8.5 ( g / dl ) with iron injections being administered to her.
Today after 1 month, the girl ate a simple nutritious meal as the nurse has fed her physically.
Top it all – she is having symptoms of mental disabilities. Signs of TB too are visible.
A Very complicated scenario to sort out.
With our INHOUSE DOCTOR on board we are now prepared to handle such complicated & delicate admissions.
The Sibling is a very religious person and I am sure GOD heard the prayers and this time we managed to get the job done.
Off late many such deaths have been reported of hunger in Goa.
Major issues today in life is STRESS & DEPRESSION.
I am aware of many such instances where entire family members are abroad and only one single parent or sibling is here in Goa.
Their living conditions are sad & disappointing.
We are NOW ready to take up such cases as now we have a full time Doctor in house as well as 18+ nurses to care for such goans in need of Help.
We have two upgraded homes ( in the same building) for ladies & gents, to accept people especially bed ridden from families who can't be kept in the regular shelter homes with other Street psychiatric patients.
Our INHOUSE DOCTOR stays full time in this building and that gives us a opportunity to reach out to extreme cases where one require full time monitoring of their medical parameters.
I was really not sure that this girl would recover as her condition that day was extremely not good and being an NGO we usually don't go to anyone Home to admitt a patient.
But the sibling has been calling me for over two years and this time I just could not refuse to help.
Also we now have a full time INHOUSE DOCTOR & that's made this decision a little easy to respond to the sibling request.
But WE SAVED ONE LIFE which ultimately counts.
All communications strictly through whatsapp only on 8380097564.
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
13May/24

MANY DISTRICTS IN MANIPUR EXPERIENCED A SEVERE HAILSTORM OF ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS

Updates
13.5.24. 8pm. IST 
On March 6th May 2024, many districts in Manipur experienced a severe hailstorm 
accompanied by strong winds. ( just like we saw in Mumbai today ) 
For as little as rs 6230/- , we can help one family with 3/6 = 1 bundle of  metal / tin sheets to cover their roof as well as a 50kgs bag of rice. 
Please check this on Google and see for yourself
The hailstorm resulted in extensive damage to properties, vegetation, and livelihoods, destroying approximately 15,417 houses that wreaked havoc in parts of Manipur. 
The affected districts, include Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, 
Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Noney, Kangpokpi, Curachandpur, Kamjong, Chandel and Tengnoupalhave experienced varying degrees of damage to infrastructure and displacement of families.
While the hailstones shattered the roofs of the houses, other household articles and properties 
including granaries, essential food items and clothing have also been damaged. 
With the roofs broken beyond repair, people are now sleeping under tarpaulins and taking shelter with relatives.
The hailstorm affected people who have no roof over their head can’t wait for the government 
to collect damage reports to receive assistance.
They need immediate assistance. 
They can’t sleep under broken roofs amid rainfall. 
They need tin sheets to repair the roofs of their houses.
Immediate intervention is required to provide relief and support to the affected populations.
Street Providence Manipur has collaborated along with DSSS Imphal which comes under the Archdiocese of Imphal to reach out to 2000 such poor families who need help in the form of 
metal / tin sheets to cover their houses ASAP as well as a bag of 50kgs rice.
Our local staff in Imphal has reported about the terrible troubles the poor are going through as a result of this severe hail storm.
Our volunteers will be in Manipur after 4th of June 2024 to assist in the distribution of these relief items and provide relief to the poor.
We at the moment are not considering sending any material in a truck from Goa as its too much to handle in this heat.
It's time to once again support our NGO as we reach out to the poorest of the poor who have gone through enough of troubles for over a year and with no fixed source of income this natural calamity has just increased their agony & pain.
No negative comments please.
If you can't support it's okay no issue.
But imagine with as little as Rs 6230 you can brighten up a poor family during this calamity which they have just experienced.
You can also donate for Rice bags separately or metal / Tin sheets separately. 
Our team in Manipur has taken quotations from 3 suppliers at the moment and prices will fluctuate in due course of time due to many local factors.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you so much 
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
12May/24

STREET PROVIDENCE, MANIPUR, THANKS SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF MANIPUR FOR RENEWING OUR SHELTER HOMES LICENSE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Updates
12.5.24. 8Pm IST 
STREET PROVIDENCE, MANIPUR, thanks Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur for renewing our shelter home license for persons with disabilities for a period of 5 years.
( License copy attached )
It shows the commitment from The Government to those with disabilities as we might be the only NGO who has volunteered to work for those with disabilities in Manipur during these difficult times by opening shelter homes.
♡♡♡ Big thanks to Mr W Birahari Singh , Disability Commissioner Manipur who I had an opportunity to meet in Goa in early January 24 & Mr N Uttam Singh , Director of Social Welfare,  who i had met in Manipur during the innaugration of our shelter home in Dec 23 , for all the support & encouragement 
We had a temporary 6 months license for our shelter home at Imphal which expired in mid March 24 and we applied for a permanent license well before the expiry
Manipur  too has CODE of CONDUCT due to the Lok sabha elections but believe me without much hassle The Department of Social Welfare, Manipur,  inspected our renovated & upgraded shelter home and was very satisfied with our infrastructure and hence we were issued this permanent license.
Officials in Goa Government @ Social Welfare Department Goa, should take a leaf out of this and also issue our license which had expired after 3 years of being issued.
We have applied for renewal way back in March 24 same time as we applied for Manipur state but only answer I get CODE OF CONDUCT.
Mental disabilities in Manipur will be on the rise due to anxiety and stress and we @ Street Providence are working to reach out to as many as we can not only through the shelter home but also by providing dry ration, assertive aids as well as medication.
From sending 4 trucks loads of relief from Goa to
Purchasing generic medicines from Delhi to purchasing dry ration in different districts of Manipur to funding fees of poor children to the shelter home, we stand with the poor and those in need, both in the valley & in the hills.
Infact our 1st shelter home is right in the heart of Imphal city.
Right from October 23  to March 24 , to both communities, we provided every month kits of dry ration to 500 families in different districts purchased locally all due to a generous company which footed this entire bill over a period of time.
One heart wrenching incident was : Our team was informed that in one particular district one entire village was cut off & their ration was only for a day or two.
Nothing was available and most of the aid workers had stopped help as everyone had exhausted their resources and the trouble was again gaining momentum.
For that month we rushed dry ration to more than 600 families who were very very thankful for the support. 
For this village it was like a miracle.
For us it was an opportunity to help at the right time.
Life is getting difficult for the poor in conflict times and we at Street Providence are working on the ground in Manipur by taking support of the local administration.
Criticism does not bring any relief to the poorest of the poor so we never ever get into finding fault or blaming the authorities but we work quickly, quietly & effectively with our local partners but by keeping the local authorities in the loop.
We feel proud to be recognized by The Government of Manipur as the distance between Goa & Manipur is 4000 kms +.
I am sure the meeting I had in Jan 24 with The Disability Commissioner of Manipur who was in Goa,  was at the right time,  where we put forward our desire to work in Manipur inspite of all the troubles and uncertainty. 
Most of the times as an NGO,  WE PREFER TO WORK IN COMFORT ZONES as no one wants to go to troubled areas, besides PHOTO OPS.
We walk the talk and we deliver on working PAN INDIA for those suffering from mental disabilities
Please no negative comments as we are not connected to any political party but we are committed to ending Hunger and homelessness.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564/ 7020314848
10May/24

IT’S BEEN A DOUBLE/ TRIPLE / QUADRUPLE CELEBRATION AT STREET PROVIDENCE IN THE LAST TWO DAYS

Updates
10.5.24. 7pm IST 
It's been a double/ triple / quadruple celebration at Street Providence in the last two days.
These are the reasons for the celebrations :
8th May : 11th Shelter home blessed
8th May : Our 20th Wedding anniversary 
9th May : Our NGO 7th year anniversary 
9th May : Our son secured distinction for 12th std ( Science ) a few days earlier.
And all the above celebrations were celebrated with our 180+ residents of all our homes.
♡♡♡ Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas blessed our 11th Shelter home @ Guirim on 8.5.24 which is dedicated to bed ridden patients with disabilities.
At this innaugration we invited all our 60+ poor goan women from all our 6 Shelter homes to sit down for a meal along with Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas in this home.
We clubbed our 20th wedding anniversary along with the house blessing and it brought alot of joy to share a meal on a long table with our poor goan ladies who felt happy that they were invited to a celebration.
Infact due to their severe disabilities non of the residents even wished me but that is understandable as these are all chronic cases.
Our 7th anniversary as an NGO was celebrated on 9.5.24 with all our 180+ persons with disabilities @ Severina Gardens Mapusa.
( this link will take you through our entire program of about 2 hours )
Hosted by Sir Bosco George retd DIG IPS.
We were blessed with the Presence of :
Our Trustees,
♡ Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas,
♡ Disability Commissioner Sir Guru Pawaskar,
♡ Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers 
♡ Sir Anant Pangam,
♡ Representative from MRF , Microlabs , LUPIN,
♡ Our collaborators @ FMCK and Fatima Sisters,
♡ Our food feeding partners @ Anita and Hassan,
♡ Officials from Colvale jail,
♡ Supporters @ Tara Kerkar & Rama Kankonkar
♡ All our staff and a couple of volunteers.
Most of the 180+ residents have never ever eaten or were ever invited to an air conditioned hall and made to sit on a table and chair and served a hot meal.
For most the streets have been their life and their livelihood for months and years.
It was really really challenging moving 180+ residents from our 10 homes in 7 buses especially those wheel chair bound and those who are yet to be stabilised due to the mental disabilities but our Team did a good and perfect job.
And let's not forget the heat.
♡♡♡ We thank the owners of Severina Gardens for the fantastic support.
We thank all and everyone who pray for our  work, our monthly benefactors who stand by us and the staff at Street Providence who mostly are ethnic goans, who day in and day out in this Sorching heat give their best .
Overall both the functions were well enjoyed by all our residents and we feel satisfied to have brought small  smiles and cheer on these residents in our homes.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564/ 7020314848
06May/24

OUR 11TH SHELTER HOME FOR BED RIDDEN PATIENTS WITH DISABILITIES IS ALMOST READY AND 8.5.2024 IS THE BLESSINGS AND INAUGURATION.

Updates
6.5.2024. 7pm IST
Our 11th Shelter home for bed ridden patients with disabilities is almost ready and 8.5.24 is the blessings and inauguration.
♡♡♡ We thank the following benefactors who responded to our appeal and donated:
♡ Prof Nair 6 new fans,
♡ Mr Tome 10 chairs , 1 mixer, 2 fowler beds,
♡ Mr Luweline 1 new Television 
♡ Mrs Francisca  3 in 1 new burner
♡ Mr Agnelo 4 tables,
♡ Mrs Blanca 1 Fowler bed,
♡ Mr Aggy 1 new inverter.
We are still in need of 7  fowler beds as we have a capacity to care for 10  bed ridden patients with mental disabilities. 
We need to pay the supplier for the 2 batteries that we took on credit.
It's a small compact home and since it's bed ridden patients with disabilities we have installed 3 air conditioners. 
◇ One in the sitting room ,
◇ One in a single bed room,
◇ One in the doctors rest room.
The other single room we have a standing new air cooler.
It's going to be Challenging to provide care for bed ridden patients with disabilities but with a full time Doctor on board and nurses we will rise up to provide care and compassion.
I thank Mr Sapnesh Salgaonkar our manager & Mr Arturo Dsouza our volunteer who together have taken alot of trouble to get this house up and running in the last 1 month.
House required painting , plumbing, electrical, masonry and other small job to make it to the level that you see in the video attached.
All the manpower was from our men's shelter home.
Mind you we have a  heat wave going on in Goa and getting this house ready in the heat is not a joke.
On 8.5.24 for the innaugration we have a very special FRIEND blessing this home followed by a fellowship meal where close to 50 poor ladies with mental disabilities from all our homes  sit down on a long table along with just 3 special people who have been invited to this innaugration.
Very rarely on special occassions do we have a celebration with the poorest of the poor and the abandoned.
We pray and thank the landlord for allowing us to use this home for a special project.
Help is required to pay our few bills as well help is required to purchase the remaining fowler beds.
But believe me this 11th house innaugration & blessings is going to be unique as compared to all the other homes that we have blessed and innaugrated till date.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
04May/24

FOR THE 2ND MONTH IN A ROW REACHES OUT TO THIS POOR GOAN ELDERLY MOTHER OF 85+ YEARS AND HER 60 YEAR OLD SON WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES

Updates
4.5.24. 9pm IST
STREET PROVIDENCE GOA for the 2nd month in a row reaches out to this poor goan elderly mother of 85+ years and her 60 year old son with mental disabilities from TUEM PERNEM.
Link of our April 24 help to them. 
Mid March 2024 there was a request on social media about an elderly poor goan mother & son were living in poverty 
We immediately responded and provided them resources for their monthly expenses, a kit of dry ration and a new Stove with a cylinder , regulator & gas pipe
Link of our March 24 help to them. 
Again in April 2024 we again provided resources  for their monthly expenses, a dry ration kit and a double bed for the mother & son to sleep on.
The double bed had to be totally dismantled, transported to their home in a rickshaw & then reassembled with our shelter home manpower under the supervision of our Volunteer Mr Arturo Dsouza. 
Their floor is of cow dung and it's going to be monsoon in a few weeks from now.
Usually when such appeals appear on social media of such poor goans in sad state, we all get emotional and charged up and are asking for details to help them which fevour last may be for a day or two.
But we @ Street Providence don't get emotional but go to the actual ground and verify and see how best we can be of help.
We weigh all options and look for PROS & CONS
In this case, we have committed to the elderly mother that we will stand with her till her last breath and provide her monthly her living expenses along with a dry ration kit monthly. 
And in the future, after the demise of the elderly mother , if her son has to rehabilitated we will care for him as long as he lives as he is a person with mental disabilites .
Many many requests daily but it's not possible to help all as we are already overloaded with current issues and on going projects.
Like this elderly lady at TUEM who we have undertaken to help there are 3 such other ladies in similar situations but the parameters to get involved are not conducive to even go & offer help.
We are trying but getting the paperwork right in most cases is bit difficult as we being an NGO need to careful where we put our hands to help.
As an INDIVIDUAL/ LOUD VOICE it's okay to highlight and pull up the authorities and get a few likes & comments and after that no one knows exactly what is the status of one's shouting.
We @ Street Providence and Food Bank & all our other banks are daily interacting with many many poor goans and other people who just have no one to fall back on.
It's an opportunity to bring that smile on one poor goans face by a little support we offer which everyday turns into our spiritual blessings.
This poor Goan elderly mother at TUEM needs her roof repaired for this month of May 24 as rains are around the corner.
If we are able to raise resources we will surely fix this family roof at TUEM in the coming days.
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you all
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848
02May/24

BEGINNING OF APRIL 24 STARTED TWO NEW INITIATIVES TO FEED THE HUNGRY & HELP THOSE IN HOSPITALS

Updates
2.5.2024. 7pm IST
STREET PROVIDENCE GOA provided for April 24 :
1425 Pcs / 143  pkts of adult dippers & 
276 Pcs of baby Pampers, to the poorest of the poor in Government hospitals.
STREET PROVIDENCE beginning of April 24 started two new initiatives to feed the hungry & help those in hospitals.
This post is about helping those in hospitals.
We have undertaken to provide free adult diapers and baby Pampers to the poorest of the poor in Government hospitals in Goa.
Under our HEALTHCARE SUPPORT BANK we employed a full time staff to meet and interact with the poorest of the poor in Government hospitals and daily our Staff approaches these poor goans and after talking with them the adult diapers are given in their hand.
This staff is daily handling all our inmates who are brought from our homes to The hospital for check up and assessment and side by side  interaction continously takes place in hospitals with the poor and downtrodden by our staff.
We can see the poor and helpless in Government hospitals that's why we help 
We started daily with just 5 pkts / 50 pcs of adult diapers but now we are doing 10 pkts / 100 pcs daily .
But the demand is rising .
So how exactly do we manage these costs ?
We'll  since we started collecting factory food in Verna Industrial Estate our food costs in our homes reduced and this money what we save is put towards purchasing of adult diapers and baby Pampers.
This was the reason both these new projects were started togther ie feed the hungry & help those in hospitals.
We started our DIAPERS BANK strictly for this purpose.
Through the collection of diapers in our DIAPERS BANK we provide relief to poor patients in Government hospitals under our HEALTHCARE SUPPORT BANK and besides diapers & Pampers we also provide powder , assertive aids & medicines incase the poor can't afford to bear the costs. 
Of course we use a huge qty of diapers in our shelter homes for those with disabilities which is quite often donated regularly by a few kind hearted benefactors.
But what pains me the most is when the poor and homeless are admitted into hospitals their physical situation is so terrible that its not possible to write here.
Nothing to blame the hospital or the dept as adult diapers, baby Pampers, Talcum powder , assertive aids are not provided free as its not possible or its not in the manual. 
And that's we where we step in and try , Even if it's just 18 to 20 poor patients who we daily have been helping out in the month of April 2024.
When one has good health it's good to THANK GOD by providing for those who are poor and suffering in so many ways especially in hospitals.
We need to SOW in advance to reap the FRUIT.
Meaning :
There is no point trying to bribe GOD in times of trouble when one's health has deteriorated but keep sowing when one's health is perfect so that before the trouble reaches you the blessings and prayers released by those who you helped gets released back to you spiritually during you difficult time.
We @ HEALTHCARE SUPPORT BANK see tears, sorrow , pain , disappointment and even death as we interact with many many poor goan patients in Government hospitals and even though it's a small service yet we THANK GOD for the opportunity to bless such poor goans & homeless in this little way that we can.
All data of these patients are recorded and kept in our system and daily 4 pm I am at The Government hospital physically handing over to the staff these adult diapers. 
The staff distributes  depending on the visitors timing. 
We don't click and pictures not do we intend to click pictures as this is not our motive of cheap publicity.
We are here to stand with the poorest of the poor who are mostly suffering from chronic irreversible sickness and these diapers are just a little to provide comfort.
You too can be a part of this HEALTHCARE SUPPORT BANK. 
All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564
God bless you so much
Donald Fernandes 
8380097564 / 7020314848