Holy Cross
Passionist Family
Newsletter.
February
2007 Volume 13, Issue 1
Page 3:
Welcome Mary Tresa to Senta Bilong Helpim.
When the Passionists first came to India, over 25 years ago, I was doing my nursing training at Medical trust Hospital in Cochin. I came to know both Father Walter Kaelin and Father Phil Smith and they became very good friends. After my training I worked for an Australian company, Harrisons Malayalam, which had big tea, rubber, cardamom and all manner of plantations.
As these plantations were often in the more remote areas of southern India, I found myself working amongst some of the least educated people in Kerala. So the work of a nurse was much more than just looking after the sick; we were advisors, counsellors, educators in health care and a whole host of other tasks. One of my most important tasks was assisting the delivery of new born children and teaching the mothers post natal care of their children. During my time with the Company I would have assisted at the birth of around 2000 little Indians!
At the beginning of 2006 the Passionists held the celebrations for their 25 years in India. Many of the original Passionists who helped begin the Indian foundation came back for the jubilee (including Br Jerome Dunne CP and Br Charles Mercieca CP from Templestowe). Coincidently, about this time I was contemplating leaving the company and finding less stressful work in Cochin nearer my family. It was then that Father Phil CP asked me if I might be interested in coming to Papua New Guinea to take over the running of the Senta Bilong Helpim. While it was not exactly what I had in mind for my soon to be retirement, I accepted and we began the process to obtain the necessary papers to enter Papua New Guinea.
On his way back to Papua New Guinea from the United States in August 2006, Father Phil stopped off in Cochin to meet me and bring me back to Papua New Guinea and on 23rd August we departed for Port Moresby.
My first impression of Papua
New Guinea was that it is a very hot place as I had spent most of my working
life in the beautiful cool hills of South India! Fortunately, I did not spend
long in Port Moresby, which everyone told me was not a true picture of PNG,
and flew to Vanimo where the children from the Senta gave me a great welcome
as I stepped off the ’plane. There were banners “Welcome Mary Tresa to
Senta Bilong Helpim” and garlands of beautiful flowers for myself and
Dr. Elizabeth Lewis, who travelled up with me. I felt most welcome and
very much at home with the lovely children and staff of the Senta.
After a few days to settle in, I began my work among the children, who range in age from 5 years to 30 years! I found that some of the more disabled were not getting the treatment they should as the volunteer staff found them too difficult to care for. However, with lots of encouragement the morale of the Senta and the care of the children has picked up and the place is a joy filled environment as one might expect from a dedicated team of young Christians who strive to please their Lord.
One of the aims of a centre
such as Senta Bilong Helpim should be to help rehabilitate the children to
such an extent that they can fit back into their village life and contribute
to the life of their family and village as much as possible. One of the
projects we have started is a garden that will help the children to assist
their parents and also provide an opportunity for them to earn some money. For
instance, we are planning to grow orchids, for which PNG is famous, as we hope
that we can sell the flowers to exporters who will in turn sell them in
Australia.
Much of my time has been taken up with finding funding to keep the Senta on a sure financial footing and I am very grateful to the many benefactors in Australia who assist us. I am especially grateful to the boys and girls at St. Charles’ School at Templestowe (* note 1) who have been very good to us.
The Senta Bilong Helpim was started some ten years ago by Br. James Coucher CP because he saw a need; today the Senta continues and shall continue so long as the need persists and so long as there are people willing to help. “When you did this to these the least of my children, you did it to Me.” (Mt. 25:37).
May your involvement with Senta Bilong Helpim be for you a blessing and know that you are very much part of the community here in Vanimo.
May God bless you all,
Mary Tresa Kuzhiveli,
Clinical Director.