Amidst the negative press coverage about the Catholic Church that has saturated the media following the ongoing revelations about sexual abuse and its cover-up, it was refreshing to read the following article that appeared online recently.
The article, about the program run by the Christian Brothers in their former orphanage in Dum Dum is a reminder that despite the revelations contained in the recent Ryan Report in Ireland, much good has been accomplished and continues to be done for marginalised and neglected children.
“When I finish my school education, I want to be a teacher,” 12-year-old Kishan Mondal, son of a sex worker, told AsiaNews. “I love to read, write and improve my other talents and grow as a matured and responsible citizen,” he added. All this is possible “thanks to the school opportunities I get here from the Irish Christian brothers”.
Mondal is one of the 45 boys, sons of sex worker mothers who benefit from the ‘Lotus programme’, an educational service run by Irish Christian Brothers in Kolkota’s St Mary’s Day School.
The programme, which targets the children of sex workers, was set up three years ago, Brother Samuel Kullai, programme director, said.
The programme’s main goal is to provide a good education to these children, and make them responsible and mature persons.
“Education and good moral values given with Christian touch can make a difference,” Brother Kullai said. “Too often, many of them could not get an education because their mothers would not send them to school.”
Each morning, at 5 am, a member of the school staff picks up each child who stays in school until 5 pm. Here, they study among other things English, math, science, and Bengali. In addition, they benefit from extracurricular activities and get free breakfast and lunch. Some of older ones also go to government-run schools. In the evening, they are taken home.
“We look after them and make them understand how important their future is. Our mission is to be at their service and help them grow. We love each child as a gift of God,” Brother Kullai said.
“We educate them, and instil in them moral values. Once educated, they can grasp well the values. They are well-behaved and disciplined kids. I enjoy being with them. They are cheerful,” he added.
Religion does not come into the programme because all 45 boys are either Muslim or Hindu. Funding comes benefactors from India and abroad.
Susmita Senapati, one of the three teachers, said that when the children first came to the school, they could neither read nor write, and they had no notion of good manners. After two-three months, they learnt quickly and are now well behaved. “They are active in learning and have learnt social skills that allow them to help each other,” Susmita said.
Rajesh Kumar, a volunteer painting teacher, is also impressed. “I love to teach them pencil paintings/drawings. They are good boys. They are being groomed to be good and responsible people who can integrate themselves in mainstream society and contribute to the common good”.
I once stayed at the former Dum Dum orphanage for a few days in 1976. I was thrilled to see what is now being done there. May God abundantly bless the work, the teachers and the boys and may Blessed Edmund Rice watch over the work.