ST ANNE MADRAS

WHATSOEVER YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF MY BROTHERS… (Mt 25:40)

Caring the wounded humanity

Our Social Work Ministry directly springs from the vision of our Foundress Servant of God Mother Thatipathri Gnanamma. It was her deep desire to work towards an equal and just society that made her overcome her own difficulties, set herself free from the clutches of the society at that time of history and plunge into the mission of setting others free from their bondages. The tool she employed to bring about the change she had desired was Education. Education,not just secular education, but education of the soul, where the individual learns to empower one’s own-self and renders a helping hand for the empowerment of others in turn. Our Foundress Mother Gnanamma learnt this art of empowerment of humankind from her loving Master Jesus.

Our concern towards our brethren in need
It was the mission of Jesus to educate people and empower them to live a new life that brought in a change in the society. The Lord’s teaching and preaching were founded on helping the individuals attain self-liberation and self-actualization in order that we, together with others create a world of love and care and values. Likewise, it is our mission to direct all the humankind to live a life, finding there the power to live a fuller life and build an empowered family and home.

Today the Social Work Ministry of the Congregation is one of the categorical dimensions of objectifying the education ministry of our Foundress Mother Gnanamma. This ministry encloses a number of susceptible target group, namely, children, youth, women, aged people, prisoners and the voiceless. All our communities are involved in the ministry of empowerment through the ministries of the community is committed to. Several communities are exclusively established or involved in educating and empowering the people of their target group. Sisters are involved in various mission activities that recoups the equilibrium of the community and brings in equality in the society. Our Social Work Ministry comprises boarding homes, women development, child development, right based approaches, humanitarian concerns and Prison Ministry.

Vision
“In solidarity with the oppressed to work for their upliftment so that they may live with dignity and respect”

Our singular aim is to win over souls to the Gospel values of fraternal love and human compassion

The nucleus and core of our approach is the evangelical thrust of Jesus that to reach out to these dejected with a positive attitude, to understand and accept them.

We become the liberators to the victims of the oppressive structures and bring relief to the suffering

Our strategies

To educate the society

To equip the weak and the poor with the tools of faith and values

To empower them to raise the standards of their lives

To help them to earn their identity of human.

To encourage the under privileged to raise their life style.

To make them aware of the need of education, moral values, and their duties

Vision translated into action
We support our target people - dalits and tribals, prisoners, the aged, physically challenged, refugees, terminally ill patients, the abandoned and orphaned children and women. We help them through

Education (academic, technical, legal, and conscientization)

Advocacy (for prisoners, women, dalits through social awareness programmes, and legal aid) and

Safe accommodation (by running homes for children, the aged).

The following are the established institutions rendering social service to the needy:
01. Homes for the Children (orphans and prisoners’ children)
02. Women Empowerment Centres
03. Homes for the aged, terminally ill, physically challenged
04. Special Services:
        o Remedial Education Centres
        o Service through JRS
        o Prison Ministry for irular people

01. OUR HOMES FOR CHILDREN

“Let the little Children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these the Kingdom of God belongs. And He took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them and blessed them”. (Mk. 10:14, 16)

Children are the most vulnerable group of the society and working for their upliftment is the most needed ministry today. Educating and empowering this weaker section of society will surely change the future for better. Therefore, in the footsteps of our Mother Foundress, we commit ourselves for the empowerment of children in a distinct and exclusive way.

This call of Jesus, urges us to serve as many children as possible from the poor economic background and we bring them to Jesus. We show our concern to the following children in charitable service through our social work: child labourers, children infected with AIDS, delinquent children, differently-abled children, economically backward children, gypsies’ children, orphan children, prisoners’ children, SC/ST children, street children and tribal girl children

Types of works, we do for the children in need
    o Homes for the children
    o Remedial School
    o Summer camps

Types of homes for the children
    o Homes for economically backward and orphan children
    o Homes for special children (street children, SC/ST children, diffierently-abled children)
    o Children Hostels

Homes for economically backward and orphan children	Chethupattu, Christianpet, Gunadala, Kilacheri, Korukollu, Kumilanguzhi, Kuttakadu, Nandyal, Pedda Kottala, Roshanagaram, Royapuram, Telaprolu, Velliavilai
Homes for special children	Prisoners’ children: Cleveland Town, NGGO Colony Diffierently-abled children : Kodur Children infected with AIDS : Burdwan Tribal children: Balichok, Belphahari, Kattupadi, Theresapuram, Dumka SC/ST children: Chittoor, Thirupathy Street children: Mettuguda

02. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

The oppressed condition of women
According to India’s Constitution, women are legal citizens of the country and have equal rights with men. Although the country’s Constitution says women have equal status to men, women are powerless and are mistreated inside and outside the home as per the statistics of today. Even though India is moving away from the male dominated culture, discrimination is still highly visible in rural as well as in urban areas, throughout all strata of society. While women are guaranteed equality under the Constitution, legal protection has a limited effect, where patriarchal traditions prevail. Because of lack of acceptance from the male dominant society, Indian women suffer immensely.This gender bias is the cause that keeps the women under the control of patriarchs and the reason for all that Indian women go through today
The courageous woman
If today’s condition is such, in 1874 the status of women and the say of the society on the rights of women must have been unimaginable and indescribable. Women were never considered to be human beings at all and they were not given their rights to education, decision making or inheritance. There were no schools for women neither they were admitted in any schools. This disparity pained mother Gnanamma that she gets down to work and behold a school exclusively for girl children in the village of Kilacheri came to existence on 03.05.1963. Mother was not just concerned about giving education and qualifying the womenfolk, but she focused on the total liberation of women-the half the population of the world. Our Mother believed that sustainable and long-term development is not possible without the participation and empowerment of women, only if they are equipped with education to participate in the economic and societal development, the full potential of a society will be unfolded.
In the footsteps of our Mother Gnanamma
We empower the following different categories of women Widows and abandoned Domestic workers and unorganized daily labourers Women in prison, prostitutes, trafficked women Poor village women The aged Tribal women
Our mission centres

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT CENTRES	HOSTELS	UNAIDED TECHNICAL CENTRES
Kalakambadi Pavagada Thatchur Telaprolu Villupuram	Bathu Basti Madavaram Nandyal Nagamangalam Parry Nagar Varadarajanpet Vellore	Lalgudi Perungudi Thatchur Vellore

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