Volunteer meet became the opportunity for volunteers and staff of Wayanad Social Service Society (WSSS) to meet the Caritas India management and share their volunteering plans.  

Most Rev. Sebastian Kallupura, Chairman of Caritas India and Archbishop of Patna, and Fr. (Dr.) Paul Moonjely, Executive Director, Caritas India, visited the Wayanad Social Service Society, the official social service organisation of the Diocese of Mananthavady on January 11, 2022, to meet the volunteers and acknowledge their support in the fight against cancer through the Ashakirnam Cancer Care campaign. Around 80 volunteers from the diocese participated in the meeting.

“Wayanad Social Service Society and its affiliates such as Biowin Agro Research and Radio Mattoli are commendable in the development sector and Ashakiranam movement is providing remarkable services to the community people,” said Archbishop Sebastian while inaugurating the Volunteers meet. The Diocese of Mananthavady is exemplary in the social service movement of the country in the field of organic farming, tribal development, natural resource management and people’s organization,” added the Archbishop. 

The volunteer’s meet is conducted every quarter to plan the strategy and activities of the next quarter, share individual experiences and train volunteers on upcoming tasks. Ashakiranam Cancer Care Campaign started in 2016 at Mananthavady diocese for the welfare of the community. Around 1300 volunteers are registered under Ashakiranam Campaign and are actively involved in all the programmes and activities planned by WSSS for cancer care and prevention.

These Volunteers have established model resource mobilization approaches like setting up coin boxes, organic products shops, and special collections during festivals and auctions etc. Ashakiranam Dress Bank outlet is yet another model for the cancer patients support programme of WSSS. This is a humanitarian venture in extending supportive hands through Ashakiranam women Volunteers. This endeavour provides dresses to poor cancer patients.

“Ashakiranam campaign in WSSS is delivering honourable services into the life of community people. The efforts taken by WSSS to build and engage volunteers for cancer care activities are appreciative,” said Fr. (Dr.) Paul Moonjely in his keynote address. 

Presiding over the function, Vicar General of Mananthavady Diocese, Msgr. Paul Mundolickal expressed “the timely support and interventions extending from Caritas India to Diocese of Mananthavady & WSSS are encouraging us for sharing result-based activities in the society and making people life comfortable”. He acknowledged the financial assistance of Caritas India during the catastrophic floods of 2018-2019 which helped more than 7,000 families affected by the floods. In addition, 04 Caritas villages were formed in the Wayanad district supported by financial aid. 

Archbishop Sebastian Kallupura inaugurated the housing project jointly implemented by Wayanad Social Service Society and Biowin Agro Research on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Mananthavady Diocese. A total of 52 houses will be constructed under the Golden Jubilee Housing Scheme. WSSS selected the 50 most deserving families for this project and most of the beneficiaries for this project are poor cancer patients under the Ashakiranam campaign. Of these, 16 families live in rented houses without even owning a house. The remaining 36 families belong to the most vulnerable section including widows, families suffering from life-threatening diseases and families with Physically Handicapped persons living in makeshift sheds or dilapidated huts. All the families selected for this project are Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The housing project is being implemented at the field level by the local parishes in the area under the supervision of the Parish Vicars. The construction of the houses will be completed with the leadership of various organizations in the parish. The entire unskilled work such as preparing the site for the construction, fieldwork of the house and delivering the construction materials to the spot will be done by the Ashakiranam Volunteers in the parishes and diocese. The construction of the 500 sq ft houses will be completed by the end of April 2022. 

The program was also attended by Rev. Fr. Paul Koottala, Executive Director, Wayanad Social Service Society; Rev Fr. John Choorappuzhayil, Managing Director, Biowin Agro Research; Rev. Dr. Babu Chakkiyath, Boys Town Director; Rev. Fr. Jinoj Palathadathil, Associate Director of WSSS and P.A. Jose, Program officer of WSSS.