BIJAPUR
MISSION
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BIJAPUR
MISSION |
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The Jesuit Mission At Bijapur |
Overall glance of the mission and activities, Perspectives, Approaches, Objectives and Vision: 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 ACTIVITIES OF BIJAPUR MISSION Bijapur Mission consists of
i) Loyola Yomiuri School: Loyola Yomiuri School had its beginning in a balwadi in Rangan Masidi slum in June 2000 and it was shifted to the present premises in November of the same year. After a year, in November 2001, the sisters of Apostolic Carmel were invited to run the school while the responsibility of management of the school still remained with the Karnataka Jesuits. With the generous assistance received from JOMAS, Japan we have been able to keep pace with the growth of Loyola Yomiuri School. The school has grown up to class 3. There are 188 students in balwadi and 3 classes. There are seven teaching and two
non-teaching staff, of which three are AC Sisters. The students besides
being introduced to regular systematic school curriculum are also exposed
to sports, games, dramatics, skills training and physical education like
mass-drill, yoga, cycling, etc. Annual educational tours, biannual medical
checkups, celebration of significant national days and important feasts
are also part of the campus activities. ii) Child Laborers School The school meant primarily for child labourers was started in December1997, with the initiative of the then D.C. Mr. Aravind Jannu, to provide an opportunity for the child labourers in the age group of 8-14 year, to enter into mainstream of formal schooling. These children, who are engaged in hazardous works- in hotels, workshops, industries and agricultural sector, are brought to this school with the help of some sister-units of Bijapur. It is a one-year programme at our premises before they are introduced to formal schools. iii) Slum Development Works The Center for Non-Formal Education is involved in 14 slums of Bijapur city. A lot of organizational work has been done in these 14 slums by conducting balwadi classes for the little children, literacy classes for the drop out adults and forming women sanghas, and Self Help Groups. Our effective and deliberate interventions have resulted in equipping the slum people especially the women with bargaining power. We have succeeded in mobilizing the slum women to fight for their rights and to resist injustice and to work for a change in their living conditions, like sanitation, water, electricity, health facilities and proper streets within the slum areas. iv) St Anne's Parish Fr Vincent Crasta is the Parish Priest and Fr Maxim Misquith is the Asst Parish Priest. The Parish was canonically erected in 1956. There are 35 catholic families.
Besides these we have a big number of student community (about 150) doing
courses like nursing, medicine, and engineering. The total number of people
in the parish is about 300. Social Science Forum is a venture to reflect and plan for social action to address the local problems and needs. Since three years Bijapur is experiencing severe drought. The parish Priest, the local leaders, intellectuals, academicians have formed a task force to mobilize people to effectively answer the problem of drought. v) Loyola Abhyudaya Kendra, ITI Loyola Abhyudaya Kendra, learning and training center for school dropouts and child labourers, is growing and steadily making expected impact on the individuals, families and society at large. In the context of commercialization of education, the center takes care of the most disadvantaged section of the society, especially the school dropouts and the illiterate youth of the area. Activities carried out in the technical school are
vi) Karnataka Open School The Karnataka Open School, which began in the year 2001, had its office in the ITI campus. The main purpose of this school is to provide an opportunity for the dropout students to appear for the 10th standard examination. The classes were conducted on Sundays between 10 am and 4 pm to coach these students in languages and some of the difficult subjects. The primary reason for the poor
results is the poor background from which the students register themselves.
Besides, these students have hardly any facilities in their houses nor
the atmosphere required for serious studies. Besides these major activities and programmes with the help received from CARITAS India we've been able to train the resource persons like religious Sisters and lay collaborators working in various taluks of Bijapur district. The bimonthly training programmes conducted at CNFE center have helped the entire mission team to dedicate itself more deeply to the cause of the disadvantaged and get deeper into the world and the worldview of these people, consequently helping them to render enlightened service to these deprived people. Conclusion With the help and grace of God, cooperation of several Jesuits and the generous assistance from the Province we have been able to do much for the people. We are grateful to all our individual donors, well-wishers and funding agencies who so generously come to the help of the poor in Bijapur. But for their timely help we would have achieved mighty little. We look to the future with hope, courage, and enthusiasm.
The Mission Superior Email:
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| Society
of Jesus - Karnataka Province |