By Nikhil George Joseph

Kochi: At a time when the mainstream society of Kerala could not have in its wildest dreams imagined nuns working outside their convents, Sisters Redempta and Naveena of the Sisters of the Destitute (SD) chose to take up the audacious task of living their religious commitment amid a people known for their notoriety and ill-repute.

Currently, there are three sisters — Anjali Jose, Joselma and Anisha — who are working on the mission that began 30 years ago. This is a story of bringing forth several generations of children from darkness to light.

Sister Anisha shares with Pax Lumini reporter Nikhil George Joseph about mission in the slum.

Looking at the present Udaya Colony, are there still children without normal childhood?

We used to have such children earlier but not anymore. When we came here 30 years ago, there was not a single child who was regular at school. Today, everyone goes to school. We spent the first ten years taking care of the needs of the children. Two of our sisters, Sr. Redempta and Sr. Naveena, after their retirement from school, began this mission. They started working for the children by admitting all of them to the nearby schools. Following that, we began a tuition center for them. Consequently, we have no children who are lost in any way.

How was the situation of the colony when you came?

It was in a miserable state as there were many assailants and thugs. Children, like many adults, were selling single digit illegal lottery tickets to survive. It was, indeed, a ‘dark’ colony. Some children were even misused as drug couriers and people referred to the colony as ‘Andhakaara’ (dark) colony and were fearful to come here.

What were their parents then and how are they faring now?

Most parents were daily-wage workers involved in construction works or selling lottery tickets. Parents often used their children to support them in their work. They were initially settled on the outskirts of Ernakulam South Railway station and the bus-station. Many of them had their legs or hands amputated. They said it was caused by either train or bus accidents.

The Greater Cochin Development Authority built single-room settlements for them and they were shifted to where they are now. These settlements were not strictly intended for them but they forcibly occupied them as they were about to be completed. Initially, there were only a few houses but more and more huts came up gradually. There are roughly 125 houses. The people have got property rights now. Today, the parents are mostly employed by the Cochin Corporation to collect garbage from the houses allotted to them.

Why did the sisters choose to take up this mission?

There were discussions among us about taking up missions in the slums. We happened to meet Brother Mavarus CMI[Carmelites of Mary Immaculate] who had been working in this slum for five years. He recognized that the sisters may be able to reach out better to the people. And so, he was encouraging when Sr. Redempta and Sr. Naveena were ready to begin the mission. The sisters took up a house and stayed among the people. By living among them the people stopped using vulgar language and uncivilized lifestyles and eventually became better in their behavior.

What were some of the projects you could implement for the children?

Soon after they were admitted to the schools, we began tuitions for children. All the children came to the center after school. We had employed teachers. During those times, we used to have more than 250 children. At the beginning, children did not come because they were enthusiastic about learning but because we were giving milk, eggs, and biscuits. The parents could not afford tea and snacks for them in the evenings. However, now we do not give any more incentives but the parents want their children to have a good education, so they send them.

We used to conduct summer camps for children every year to prevent them from loitering around during their vacations. These camps could go on for one to two months during which they could go for outings which were made possible only with our coming here. Now, of course, they all get to travel by themselves but an exposure outside the colony was unaffordable then.

We also started a music band for boys who came just for the food although now they look for money as well. Today, they are a professional troupe just like any other. We also used to run scholarship programs for children who showed an aptitude for studies with the help of Rogationists, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and our own congregation. Right now, we give scholarships to more than 15 children who are given bank accounts and all their study needs are met from the scholarships as the parents are incapable of taking care of the study-related needs.

Besides, we could rescue and rehabilitate many children entangled in the drug market, thus preventing them from police cases and confinement. We could also organize a club for the youth, namely, ‘New Friends Club’ which had been greatly effective at foiling all attempts of the drug dealers to ensnare children into their mafia. In essence, our efforts at preventing them from being lured by drug and violence have been largely successful.

We see a tremendous improvement in them but what were the hurdles you faced initially?

This colony was infamous for all sorts of notorious activities like drug deals, looting and so on. People feared walking through the area. It is a connective road between two zones of Ernakulam but people rarely used this place. Even to us, it has been a huge challenge to get acclimatized to life here. But, within two years, we felt secure as the people became protective of us. They left their important property-related documents with us for safe-keeping.

What were some of the projects you executed for families?

An important project we could materialize was house-building. During heavy rains, the houses used to get flooded. Hence, it was important to get to a safer place. The Prime Minister’s Aavas Yojana project by the Central Government sanctioned 400,000 rupees per house but it would be released only if the foundation was laid and basic structures were built. Seeing that the amount would not be sufficient many were hesitant at the beginning.

We encouraged them to begin the work and then we sought help from many people. Now we have 28 completed houses and there are 30 applications to build houses. People see it as a great accomplishment. Earlier, children couldn’t find a place in their houses to study, but now they have a fairly comfortable space. Similarly, cooking was rarely done at home, but our predecessors were bold and courageous enough to chase them from the tea shops and force them to make food at home.

Earlier, they did not have any concept of family. When they came of age, they could choose some partner of their liking regardless of religion and live together. Arranged marriages began only recently. There are members belonging to different religions in many of the houses.

Among the children you have nurtured can you think of some who may have accomplished better living situations through jobs?

Two of our students finished their engineering studies, and a few did get their BA, BEd, LLB and nursing degrees. Among the band members, a few have joined the police band and some of them have got into the military as bandmasters and trainers. One of them could contribute to the building of his house from the salary he got from the band. It gives us great joy of fulfillment and satisfaction at their achievements.

Do you have well-wishers who collaborate with you in this endeavor?

We do not have any established groups to support us but a few people are working with us who are always generous enough to help us, like in the running of the tuition center or giving food to children.

What are some of the future projects for the colony; can we dream of a time when they will be self-sufficient so that you can leave the place?

Good houses that protect them from floods would give the families a sense of identity, worth and belongingness. We will have to continue motivating the children. We have begun a few extension services as well which would cater to at least 210 similar colonies around Ernakulam. During the Covid pandemic, we visited 45 colonies along with volunteers from the Udaya colony under the theme of ‘Focusing outreach by Udaya’, and could deliver food and other necessities.

Earlier, we used to provide the Udaya colony with rice grains, medicines and other amenities every year. Now they have reached a degree of self-sufficiency that we don’t need to provide anything. We have also stopped hotel and junk food from coming into the colony by demanding they should eat healthy food by cooking at home. They had taken loans for building their houses. All of them, we hope, will be able to repay the loans from the salary and earnings they get from work. Now, they have started to dream of beautifying and improving their houses. That is a sign of selfreliance and improvement.

(Interview by Nikhil George Joseph, Vidyajyoti College, Delhi. georgenikhilsj@gmail.com. This interview first appeared in the March 2021 issue of Pax Lumina)