Navodaya Movement
The Mumbai Diocese of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church is unique in its mission and ministry to the socially marginalized sections of the people we see in today’s normal world. Twenty five years ago the Diocese through the Mar Thoma parish at Kalyan started a special day school for the intellectually challenged. The Diocese empowered the movement and today it has become one of the best schools in Mumbai in such a manner that the Government has expressed a desire to elevate it as an aided school. While the Mar Thoma parish in Kalyan West is willing to continue the ministry, the diocese through the Navodaya Movement is focussing her attention to start rehabilitation programmes for the students coming out of the school through assisting them in becoming skilled people, helping them find a means of living and participating in making their future bright.
It was about three years back that the diocese got the vision to work among communities living out of the dumpyards in Greater Mumbai. In a metropolitan city like Mumbai various are the reasons why individuals and families come into the city in search of a job: a place to stay, to acquire means to support a family and the like. A good number of people come to the city on account of drought and other natural calamities. Most of them end up in failure and disappointment and are unable to go back to their native place and to their kith and kin. Unable to pull on, some commit suicide and others end up staying in the neighbourhood of dumpyards desperate for a source of income. It is a usual to sight, in every dumpyard, families with children search for food and other things in the heap of waste dumped from various parts of the city. Navodaya selected four of the dumpyards at Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Ullasnagar and Ambernath and started working among the communities in each place. By God’s grace, and the committed work of our workers, we are glad to say that in one of these places, Navodaya has succeeded in transforming the lives of the people. In all the above mentioned places, our intervention is to motivate the children to go to school regularly train the adult members in skilled jobs as well as finding alternate ways of living by moving steadily and progressively in income generating endeavours through self-help groups (SHG’s). This ministry among the ragpickers is continuing with positive results.
Another area where Navodaya has stepped in is among the communities generally known as transgenders. Though there are constitutional provisions to consider them as third gender, as well as rules and regulations to protect their human rights, many are ostracised from the homes and their own societies. Navodaya is doing not only conscientization through awareness programmes but also seeking ways to help them to avail the medical care, right to education and ways of leading a dignified life in the larger society. Navodaya has given a toll free helpline to guide the transgenders. Listening to individual stories, Navodaya feels that adolescents are to be reached as early as possible to assure them the necessary shelter and food so that they can continue their studies. The help of the government is quite necessary for the TG (transgender) community to possess identity cards and to have opportunities to secure jobs, as well as invest their income in nationalized banks. Navodaya is also convinced that the ministry among the TG community cannot simply be confined to a particular district or state but has to minister through a national networking.
The diocese of Mumbai has possessed a piece of land at Titwala which has to serve all the above said programmes and projects. This is an enormous task. Yet it is not impossible if everyone joins their hands and puts their heads together as committed people to face the challenges step by step. It requires steady progress, lots of funds and more people to take concrete steps to see our fellow beings as humans living in our world with respect and dignity.
The root cause for all the social evils as stated above is economy. Poverty is not created by the poor people. It can be wiped out only in a just community where members are willing to share the God given resources. Equally important is the value system that we and our society hold on to. Accepting the other with love is the solution. The otherness can be taken away only when we understand that our fellow being, irrespective of sex and status, is an extension of our own self. It requires care with sharing and the greatest of all is love.
Navodaya is propelled by the great love of God revealed to humankind through Jesus of Nazareth who vicariously gave his life on the cross so that everyone on earth will have life, and have it in abundance. We are all one people, one nation and one world who follow the footsteps of Jesus who said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” The master’s commandment is to love one another. For this we are lighted to lighten.
Mar Theodosius +
