Next door saint of marginalized, disadvantaged

By Robancy A Helen

Trichy, July 6, 2023: We meet many people in our day-to-day lives, known and unknown. But many do not realize the goodness of the people we come across.

They may be saints who are making changes in the lives and others. In the fast-moving world, people have no time to sit and talk with others; they have shut their ears to listen to the cry of the poor, and there is no time for people to see what is happening next door.

We live in a period where we eat, live, sleep, and die on or with social media. We get up with WhatsApp and go to sleep on social media without having any time for others. Though the world is less generous, less kind, less charitable, and less courageous, there are people who dedicate themselves to serving others and remain superheroes of charity and kindness.

This is the story of Father Benjamin Chinnappan, who brightened the lives of poor, marginalized children, abandoned widows, and drop-out girls. This pioneer of charity is from a remote village called Kakkanur in the Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, India.

Father Ben, as he is fondly known by everyone, was ordained for the Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore in 1988 and has been a citizen of the United States since 2004.

He was inducted into the Archdiocese of Pondicherry, India, in November 2020, and became a member of Voluntas Dei Secular Institute, USA.

Father Ben obtained a Licentiate Degree in Biblical Theology from the University of St. Paul, Ottawa, and after a year of training in Clinical Pastoral Education, he was certified by the USCCB (United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference) as a chaplain to work in hospitals.

For the last 19 years, with an endorsement from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, he has been working as a chaplain for the United States Government.

As a dedicated priest, he founded a tax-exempt charity known as Dalit Solidarity in 2000 to provide education, health care, and empowerment for the poor and marginalized in the US to promote equality and justice for Dalits, who have been marginalized for centuries under caste oppression.

Dalit Solidarity is his brainchild and was born out of his conviction that we all must owe something to the community we came from.

His philosophy is that we need to share our blessings with those who are underprivileged, says Father Ben. For the past 23 years, since its inception, he has been doing this.

He is a person who has dedicated his priestly ministry to the poor, marginalized people of India, and he has also reached out to people outside of India. People need a heart for others to say yes to the underprivileged.

Father Ben shared his thoughts on how he was inspired to reach out to the needy.

“I have won the hearts of many around the world by championing the work of empowerment and development. I express my deep appreciation and gratitude to those who have been involved with us in lifting the poor and marginalized. Your generosity makes a great impact and changes their lives. There are some who always support us and unanimously,” says the next-door saint of the poor and marginalized.

His generosity reached out to the widows, children, and destitute from India, and some from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Malawi have benefited for the past two decades.

Education and development are great tools for social empowerment and emancipation.

Empowering them with knowledge and education is the key to power and success.

For many children in India, school is just a dream. Through poverty and exploitation, the children are deprived of education, and, therefore, opportunities in life. Education is the key to providing children with the knowledge, and skills to earn a living, leading to a healthier, more productive life.

St. Patrick’s Academy is one of the innovations to provide affordable and quality education to children who come from rural areas and marginalized communities.

Most children live in abject poverty, and hence, they are forced to drop out of school and become child laborers. To them, Dalit Solidarity has become a beacon of hope and promise for a better world.

Since 2000, thousands of children have graduated from the academy with flying colors. Some of them have achieved great success, making Dalit Solidarity proud. They are professionals today, both in India and abroad, and have become breadwinners to live with dignity and independence.

Thalirgal, a self-help group, consisting of 180 widows from 15 villages, mostly Dalit women, has enjoyed the patronage of Dalit Solidarity for more than a decade. It provides them with opportunities and training that would support their livelihood.

Some run their own businesses, like grocery stores, food stalls, jewellery shops, and clothes stores.

Dalit Solidarity has constructed about 70 homes for widows and poor families living in the Villupuram district.

The Dairy Cow Project will provide the means for Sprouts’ members to greatly improve their standard of living for themselves and their families.

A single dairy cow can provide a Sprout’s widow and her children with a 400% increase in their family income. Some milk will be saved for family consumption. The remaining milk will be sold to provide income for the widow and her family.

It reaches those who are at the periphery, witnessing the gospel. The organization has touched the lives of many from all over India during the COVID pandemic by providing relief material and timely help.

St. Mary’s Clinic Programs were opened in 2003 and offer subsidized medical care to local villagers through five rural clinics. These healthcare centers offer crucial, life-saving care to hundreds of rural patients every month.
For the last 15 years, St. Patrick’s Community College has offered timely intervention for youths who discontinue schooling due to poverty and other circumstances.

Dalit Solidarity has trained hundreds of students all these years and helped them get jobs successfully.

Dalit Solidarity has been highly successful in bringing education and vocational training to students living in rural areas. Most graduates have found jobs earning a decent salary.

“This year, we offer two years of training in Medical Lab Tech and Nursing assistance for 18 students. This is excellent for our people who are just starting out in the job market,” says Father Ben.

He has helped a few dioceses and religious congregations as their fiscal facilitators in the United States to support their projects.

Dalit Solidarity has been appreciated by the United Nations, New York for its selfless services for more than two decades.

“We live out in spirit and in action the Gospel call of ‘liberation to the captives’ and the oppressed,” says Father Ben.

Dalit Solidarity serves as a lifeline to those living at the fringes of society, encouraging, and educating them. Our continued work in the vital areas of education, healthcare, empowerment, and development relies increasingly on the generosity and support of individuals and organizations.

Dalit Solidarity believes that every human being should have opportunities to succeed in life, irrespective of one’s caste, religion, race, language, or where he or she is born. It has been a beacon of hope and a source of blessing.

Dalit Solidarity was invited to attend the 2023 Regular Session, Committee on NGOs at United Nations Headquarters, New York. The UN delegates were evaluating charitable organizations that applied for United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) status.

Consultative status provides NGOs with access to not only ECOSOC but also to its many subsidiary bodies, the various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, ad hoc processes on small arms, and special events organized by the President of the General Assembly. News and Events for samples. Currently, 4,045 NGOs enjoy consultative status with ECOSOC.

Father Ben addressed the delegates, elaborating on the role of Dalit Solidarity in shaping marginalized communities around the world.

“Education is a powerful tool in eradicating our national shame of poverty and discrimination and, at the same time, making the people live with pride. It is not enough that we are satisfied with our cultic ministry; we must get immersed in their lives and share their lot to empower them,” concludes Father Ben, continuing his mission of being a guardian angel.