Aarogya Poshanam Project
(Health Enhancement Life project-HELP)
St.Thomas Ashram, Nellipathi, Agali, Attappady, Palakkad Dt. Kerala, India, Pin-678581
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is celebrating its centenary of re-establishment of Catholicate in India. The star glitter of this celebration is the Aarogya Poshanam Padhathy (Health Enhancement Life project-HELP) started on 2nd June 2013 by Attappady St.Thomas Ashram as a mile stone in its missions.
All the national media have been publishing the news of kids dyeing of malnutrition in different tribal villages of Attappady from April onwards. This invited the nationwide attention to this area. Ministers both from Central and State Governments, and Politicians from various parties visited the area. A Comprehensive Special Development package by the Central and State Governments have been declared for Attappady. Let’s view this as a good initiative.
The problems in Attappady are neither new nor started on a fine morning. Poverty deaths, epidemics and death due to malnutrition are not new to Attappady. All these were there but it was brought to media attention now only. That may be the reason why this problem of the tribals of Attappady has not been included in the mission programmes of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church until recently.
The mission efforts of Bishop Dr. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios are great and it gave a new dimension to the mission programmes of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Under His Grace, the Church Mission Board and Mission Society had worked selflessly for the underdeveloped communities of North India. Though he went to his heavenly abode, his influence and prayers are leading us even today.
On the situation of repeated child death, the disciples of Bishop Dr. Geevarghese mar Osthathios and the leaders of Church Mission Board, Bishop Dr. Yoohanon Mar Chrisostamos (Chairman),Bishop Dr.Yoohanon Mar Thevodoros ( Co –Chairman) and Fr. K.I Philip Ramban (Director) have taken the initiative under Church Mission Board and Dubai Friends Society to distribute to 400 kids school kits worth Rs.2.5 lakhs on 28th of May 2013 .Following that they visited the Nellippathy village of Attappady were 4 kids died due to malnutrition .The Bishops who came back to St. Thomas Ashram, Attappady discussed on the programmes to be continued there. As a result the Aarogya Poshanam Padhathy (Health Enhancement Life project-HELP) has been formulated.
Initially it was decided to distribute bread, milk and egg to 295 kids of Nellippathy, Bhoothu vazhi (Agali grama Panchayath), Chundukulam and Kottamala tribal villages (Sholayoor Grama Panchayath), as evening meal . Food is being given daily to children below the age of 15 years, pregnant and feeding mothers and old people. Boiled egg and milk are prepared from the Ashram and are brought to the villages and distributed by the volunteers. The programme was inaugurated by Mr. Oommen Chandy,the Chief Minister of Kerala by distributing the kit to 85 kids of Bhootha Vazhi Village. The Chief Minister described the programme as a new initiative among the various social development programmes of Malankara Orthodox Church .
The Aarogya Poshanam Padhathy which started on 2nd of June 2013 has reached a new level on 30th June, 2013 as a major programme giving nutritious food to 500 children in different villages of Attappady. On that day 205 children from Venkadavu (Sholayoor Grama Panchayath), Gudayoor ,karara, and kathirampathi villages (Agali Grama Panchayath) became benefactors of this programme .
“Aarogya Poshanam Project has received wide support from various quarters so far. The Catholicose His Holiness Moran Mar Beselius Marthoma Paulose II has blessed the programme. The Youth of Kalloopara St Mary’s Church under Niranam Diocese contributed Rs.60500, they collected , to the Ashram and for one day joined the distribution programme at Attappady .Fr.Mathew K John, the Kerala Orphanage Association President and the Pampadi Dayara Manager and members of various churches in and around Pampady visited the tribal villages and initiated measures to give necessary egg and milk for 200 kids. The members of the Orthodox Christian Youth Movement(OCYM) from the Diocese of Chenganoor under the leadership of Bishop H.G.Thomas Mar Athanasius visited various villages in Attappady and distributed food provisions and study materials in Vadakke Kadampara, Vellakulam and Thekke Kadampara villages of Sholayoor Grama Panchayath. The Dioceses of Kottayam, Kandanad Kottarakkara –Punaloor, Chenganoor and Ranni-Nilakkal have also promised to participate in the programme.
It is calculated that for a month Rs. 600/- on Rs. 20/- per day and Rs. 7,200/- per annum for a child as the expense for giving the food. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 40 lakhs (USD 80,000) . So the whole hearted support of all the church members, Institutions, public and well wishers are essential for the success of this programme. This programme which started on 2nd of June 2013 is scheduled to complete by 31st of May 2014.It will be evaluated on a structured basis and if necessary will be extended for another one year to cover other villages of Attappady.
Fr.M.D Yuhanon Ramban (frmdjohn@gmail.com), the Superior of St .Thomas Ashram is the Director (Cell: +91 9447277690) of the programme. Fr.S.Paul is the Treasurer (Cell: +91 9446789602) and Mission Project Director Dr. Siby Tharakan (sibytharakan@gmail.com) is the Project Coordinator (Cell: + 91 9446029859).
All your contributions and valuable suggestions for making this mission successful may please be forwarded to the address below:
Director
Arogya Poshanam Padhathy
St.Thomas Ashramam
Nellipathi,Agali
Palakkad Dt.Pin-678581
Kerala, India
SB A/c No.0287053000013959
A/c Name: “Arogya Poshanam”
South Indian Bank
Goolikkadavu Branch, Palakkad
IFSC Code: SIBL0000287
