Self Help Groups: Centre for Integral Rural Welfare (CIRW) is working in 52 villages having 67 Self-Help-Groups (SHGs). Altogether there are 2,035 Members in these groups. Each SHG has more than Rs.40,000 to be utilized for the various needs of the members. There has been a significant jump in the volume of small savings, reaching a whopping Rs. 20,09,047-00 last year . This is one of the visible parameters of people’s trust and enthusiasm in our works. Therefore we are hoping to extend this scheme to more villages, in fact, more and more villages are pressing us to establish our presence among them.

Tailoring centres: To generate employment among women in the villages we have three tailoring centres in three different villages each having a student strength of 75. These are easily absorbed in the garment making factories after the completion of their one year course in tailoring skills.

Hostels for the Dalits in Anekal

We have two hostels, one for the boys and the other for the girls, to help them pursue their education. In Anekal town there are two hostels; Balajyothi Boys’ Hostel and Balajyothi Girls’ Hostel. The concept of Village Hostels has helped to provide children from the villages. Right now we have two village hostel one in Vabasandra with 18 children and another in Gaurenahalli, with 24 children.

Mundgod Development work was extended in the year 1995 under the leadership of Fr.Frankie Serrao sj then the Director of Works in Mundgod started the work in Hanagal Taluka among the Golla tribe covering 9 villages. There were SHGs in each of the villages, Balwadis and youth groups. One office was started in the town of Hanagal to cater to the needs of the Golla community. At present the work Is spread in 58 villages having Tailoring centres for young girls, Village Hostels for the children of the Golla and other Dalit community. At present under the leadership of Fr.Anand Prabu and with the collaboration of the Montfort Priest Fr.A. Joseph the work is progressing

Origins:-

MUDHOL: In the year 2003 at the request of then Bishop of Belgaum Rev. Beranrd Moras, we took up work in the district of Bangalkot district in the Taluka of Mudhol. We surveyed the whole taluka of Mudhol covering 74 villages for the purpose of working for the cost disadvantaged in the area: Persons with Different Abilities, Persons Affected by leprosy and Devdasi and their children.

“ASHADEEP” is an office which monitors works among above mentioned groups. In our work we collaborate with the Sisters of Daughters of the Heart of Mary.

ORIGINS:

In the year 2003 with the initiative of Fr.Frankie Serrao sj then Mission Superior of Bijapur Development Centre work in the district of Sindgi to work among the dalits of the area. But the work in that area was started by Fr.Paulose, Fr.Benedict  Swaminathan, and others. Under the leadership of Fr.Maxi Misquith works in Sindgi among the Dalits  progresed leading to the creation of SANGAMA Integral Rural Development Centre. We were involved in 13 villages working among the dalits through Self Help Groups.

In the year 2006 one hostel for the dalit children as a follow up of the School for the Child laborers started. In the year 2008 we purchased small property in the Sindgi town and started a residential facility. Thereafter we bought 19 acres of land to start the educational work specifically for the progress of the dalits.

Presently under the direction of the veteran Social worker Fr.Lawrence Pinto sj  we have started Kindergarten school for the dalits having a dream of starting educational Institutions for the dalits.

The Mundgod Mission is situated in Uthara Kannada district, in Karnataka state, in the southern part of India and covers 75 hamlets.

STANDARD OF LIVING

The people belong to different backward, neglected and exploited communities. Mostly they are migrants from far off places. These communities include- Gowlis (cattle rearing tribe), Gollars (migrants) Lamanis (Gypsies from northern India), Siddis who are the descendants of an African tribe that came to India during the period of slave trade; Vaddars and Korwars (the natives from other State of India) who migrated during the severe famine of 1911. The people live in remote villages in the forests and work as agricultural and unskilled laborers. Their houses are made of thatched roofs with mud walls. Due to lack of employment opportunities and absence of health and educational facilities the parents are unable to meet the basic needs of their children

HEALTH SERVICES

The project conducts health services through diagnostic check up camps, immunizations, awareness and training camps. Training and orientation programs are organized for midwives and health volunteers on preparation of herbal medicine. They are given safe delivery kits and, first aid kits to provide support at the doorstep to the target families. In coordination with local government, the project has attempted to address the need for toilets, improved housing conditions, drainage facilities, and hygienic maintenance of water sources like bore-well. The project has been making efforts to address the problem of malnutrition among children through provision of supplementary diet, training of mothers for preparing nutritious food and regular health check up camps.

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Most of the children identified for assistance are first generation learners. Believing that every child has the right to develop and prosper through education, the project has provided temporary residential facilities for the child labourers and school dropouts. To supplement educational needs of village students and ensure quality education the project provides educational materials and has posted additional teachers in the schools, where there is a shortage. To improve the academic performance of the weak students, special coaching classes are organized. Summer camps, talent tests, sports competitions and personality development camps are held regularly to develop the personality of the children. Technical training in various trades such as, carpentry, welding, tailoring, electrical wiring, plumbing and embroidery are also given to younger children for making them gainfully employed when they reach employable age.

LIVELIHOOD SERVICES

In order to stop migration and help beneficiaries to earn their livelihood, the project has implemented several sustainable economic development activities. These activities include support for animal husbandry, brick making, de-silting village water tank, rearing fish, preparation of bio manure, flour mill, irrigation infrastructure, training in rope making, phenol preparation and so on. The project has also plans for creating marketing infrastructure to help beneficiaries earn justifiable profit and introduce scientific and sustainable techniques & practices in agriculture and animal husbandry

ORIGINS:

Late Fr.C.C.A Pai SJ the work in Haliyal was started as a centre for Konkani literature. After the demise of the Fr.C.C.A  Pai Fr.Lawrence Pinto was assigned to Haliyal who began working for the development of the illiterate youth of Siddi( African tribe migrated in the 15th Century) through Hostel facility, computer education, spoken English programme.

At present Haliyal Center is progressing well under the leadership of Fr.Jerome of Mont Fort Congregation.

ORIGINS:

In the year 2005 18^th of August the Diocese of Gulbarga was started. Bijapur Development Centre was brought under the Diocese of Gulbarga. No sooner the Diocese was carved than the new Bishop Robert Michael Miranda made an earnest request to start the Centre for Higher Education in his Diocese. Then the Provincial of Karnataka Fr.Vijay Kumar Prabhu s.j accepted the request of the new Bishop and bought 10 acres of land at the outskirts of the city of Gulbarga. In the year 2010 P.U.College was started at the initiative of the present provincial Fr.Frankie Serrao s.j Fr.Vincent Pinto SJ being the first Principal of the college. The new work was started in the rented premises. In the year 2011 the new building was started in our campus. At present there are Data: cf Gulbarga data

At present under the leadership of Fr.Cyril D’Mello s.j as a Principal of the college the work is progressing.

Bijapur, once a majestic City under the rule of the kings, is today one of the most backward districts of Karnataka.The Bijapur Jesuit Mission Comprises of 52.54% of Northern Karnataka with a population of 42.78 % including seven districts culled from three states of Bombay, Hyderabad and Madras.

Except Belgaum district the rest of the territory is maidan with scarce rainfall, drought-prone, lacking forest and underground resources, with poor economic infrastructure, industry or developed markets. HRD indicators show that the mist backward districts in terms of education, health and social progress lie in this area and Bijapur is one of them.

It is only from 1997 a bigger team of Jesuits landed in Bijapur and seven other congregations sent their Sisters to work with them as a team with common goal, approach and objectives. The Sisters build awareness and organize weaker sections of women in 15-30 villages, train women members of panchayat to participate in local governance and to take responsibility in making the common institutions and government programmes run efficiently.

Forming SHGs and their constant animation and training to make them self-sustaining goes a long way in empowering the weakest groups and introducing them into the process of liberation and development. Attention is also paid to universalizing primary education with special emphasis on the girl child, Dalits and child-labourers. Community health is fostered along with alternate systems of medicine including herbal medicine. Prayer as a means of physical healing is used as often as possible. This is in line with the traditions of the region and is accepted as a means of healing and harmony building.
Fruitful work is being done by the Jesuits in raising consciousness and organizing in the slums of Bijapur. In the heart of the slums is a school, which serves as a resource centre for the surrounding primary schools, for remedial education and skill training.

We identify the most vulnerable groups in Bijapur district, study them and decide on the action in positive intervention. Thus we are specially concerned about the 120,000 out of school children of age groups 6-14 years. A Child Labour School is being run very successfully for 50-100 schools. For the school dropouts and unemployed above the age of 14 technical training for self-reliance is imparted.

The Karnataka Open School has its Centre at our Technical School providing Xth Std. education for those who have been deprived an opportunity to attend regular school. Reaching out to the youth in rural areas for imparting skills for self-reliance and employment is an initiative that is slowly being developed.

We are committed to make Jesus’ Manifesto of healing, liberation and development a reality among the majority deprived and the marginalized and thus contribute towards social and cultural transformation of society in collaboration with every person and group striving towards the same goal. Reading the action of the Spirit in North Karnataka history, persons and movements we will enter into genuine dialogue with our people and inculturate ourselves into their ethos. A non-threatening servant Church will be the leaven transforming society into a civilization of love.

The Anekal Jesuit Educational and Charitable Society is a part of the Jesuits of Karnataka. The Society, which has its head office at Loyola Mandir, Bangalore, has its branch office in Anekal established in 1974.

Jesuits of Karnataka were entrusted with the care of the entire Anekal Taluka by the Archbishop of Bangalore in 1974. Apart from the pastoral care of the small Christian communities the Jesuits also established a hostel for poor rural boys to facilitate their school education. In 1977 Jesuits went in for an organized mass literacy programme, rural housing schemes, and small developmental works. At the invitation of the Jesuits Canossian Sisters came to Anekal. They first collaborated with the Jesuits in social work projects and then ventured into formal education by starting a school.

The situation

Anekal Taluk of Bangalore Urban District consists of 211 villages. It has a total population of about 2,21,000 of whom about 40% are dalits and tribals, living in dire poverty and working mostly as land-less labourers and menial workers. This section of the population is so poor that they can hardly afford minimum required nutrition, decent housing and basic education. Being mostly landless, they are primarily dependent on high caste land holders for seasonal employment as farm labourers and menial workers. Their utter poverty has inevitably trapped them in chronic indebtedness.

The money-lenders charge them 120-240% interest for the loans taken. They are exploited in every way. Socially considered untouchable, economically exploited, educationally deprived, culturally marginalized and religiously exploited Dalits and Tribals are prone to several infections and diseases. Their helpless situation has led many of them to work as bonded labourers. A large number of their children drop out from the school at an early age and begin to work in unhygienic conditions to take care of the family. According to an estimate around 3,000 children are working in as many power looms in the town itself.

Our Inspiration.

The life, the person, the values, and the teachings of Jesus Christ our Guru and master is our inspiration. We are trying to follow the programme of Jesus as annunciated in Lk4,16-18: ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people’. The living example of so many Jesuits and non-Jesuits, priests and laity, Christians and non-Christians also inspire us to dedicate ourselves more to the mission.

The youngest mission of the Karnataka Jesuit Province known to be the Pannur mission makes it a successful story progress among poverty stricken lives Raichur district in Karnataka. The mission found its beginning with two young priests Frs. Eric Mathias and Joseph Monteiro making their maiden visit to the Raichur diocese. Bishop of the diocese was very happy to receive these young men with vision of social development among poor. The team in the mission has come up with mission with a project combined with Wimbledon College student volunteers. The project is to help build and maintain a large school for ‘cowherds’ in rural Karnataka. In an area ill-served with facilities or infrastructure, for example no telephones for 10 miles, the Jesuits have committed to work for the social, economic, educational, cultural and spiritual uplift of the most backward area of the Diocese, namely – Jagir Pannur, the weakest and most vulnerable section of this society. This project is in line with the ideal of service to the poorest and the most deprived.