Love without borders: The Greek nun who embraced the children of Calcutta
Dear friends of the Mission,
Rejoice in the Lord!
On the occasion of my return to Greece, as my passport has expired, I would like to express once again my deep gratitude to the Fraternity, which, despite my silence, does not stop assisting us on a monthly basis.
In spite of the difficulties we face daily, God’s work progresses. The needs are many and multiple but we try to meet them to the best of our ability.
The Work of the Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church
Since 1993, the Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church (PSOC) has been serving the poor and marginalized of West Bengal. The organization was founded by Fr. Ignatius Sennis and me with the aim of helping individuals and families facing poverty and abandonment around Kolkata, regardless of religious tradition.
Today, with the help of Mr. Raju Barat (President of PSOC) and Mr. Raphael Maiti, we manage a wide range of humanitarian services. The “Theotokos” orphanage houses one hundred girls- from toddlers to college students, while the “St. Ignatius” orphanage hosts more than thirty boys. We operate six primary schools in rural areas, seven clinics with local doctors and nurses, and distribute food daily to hundreds of homeless children and the elderly.
Our mission extends to 52 villages in West Bengal, where we reach the most urgent cases first. We measure our success by the individual growth and achievement of each child. Sustainability is one of our core values, and all our projects employ local workers.
Urgent Needs of Our Project
As our project continues to grow, we are facing significant challenges that require your immediate support. After years of use, our beloved dorm furniture is in need of repair. While a complete replacement is expensive, the repair work costs just $2,600 and will help our furniture last longer.
Although we are eager to welcome even more students, the furnishing of the top floor of the school must be completed ($32,000) before it can accommodate them. With the increased capacity, more orphans and disadvantaged youth will receive education.
The monsoons are approaching and the school grounds need urgent work to keep our students safe. This expensive but necessary work has begun, at a cost of $133,000. At the same time, we are racing against time to raise the road and prevent flooding. The current balance of the flood protection project comes to $130,000.
With faith in our generous donors, a contractor has begun work. Let us keep the children safe and dry.
We pray that the Lord will strengthen you in your beautiful struggle so that you can support the missions of our Church throughout the world. Please pray for us too.
Sister Nectaria
