The Archbishop of Hyderabad sought the assistance of the Bishop of Mangalore as on 1979 with a request to send missionaries to Bidar for the missionary activity of the Diocese of Mangalore. It was in 1982 the Bishop of Mangalore Late. Basil D’souza took bold step to adopt the whole district of bidar for Evangelization. In the year 1983 he invited the ‘Sister of Charity’ to assist them in the work of Evangelization. As further request the Arogya Matha Ashram was started on 9th June 1985 with a team of three sisters of Mangalore Province. As of now we belong to the province of Dharwad. As it was the felt need of concentrating more on hospital ministry, the community felt to have another community, thus Arogya Matha Ashram was bifurcated on December 2002 by Sr. Irene Fernandes, the then Provincial, and the newly community was named as Arogya Matha Seva Kendra.
Bidar is situated in the Northern part of Karnataka state. It is backward socially, economically, and spiritually. The greater part of the population consists of Hindus. Bidar was the Ecclesial Jurisdiction of Hyderabad. Due to the problem of language, priests from Andhra Pradesh could not render pastoral service to the region. Christians are a negligible minority. They were Christians by name under the influence of other denominations. Now it took a new turn and the new Diocese of Gulbarga was erected on 24th June 2005 covering the district of Bidar, Gulbarga, Bijapur and Yadgir under the able leadership of Rt. Rev. Bishop Robert Michael Miranda.
The community of Arogya Matha Ashram consists of 4 sisters including the superior. The superior is in charge of the Boarding and Sponsorship program of the Diocese. One sister is in charge of the Diocesan Higher Primary and High School. One sister is in charge of the Kindergarten belonging to the Sisters of Charity. One sister is the Centre Coordinator of Women Empowerment Programme of the Organization of the Diocese.
The Different areas of Apostolate
Faith Formation
Social Developmental Work
Formal Education – Kindergarten, Primary, Higher Primary and High School
Sponsorship Programme
Boarding – Children’s Home
The Arch-Bishop of Hyderabad sought the assistance of the Bishop of Mangalore as far as 1979 with a request to send the missionaries to Bidar and to adopt Bidar for the missionary activity of the diocese of Mangalore. It was in 1982 the Bishop of Mangalore took a bold step adopting the District of Bidar for evangelization. In the year 1983 he invited religious congregation to assist in to the work of evangelization. Initially in October 1983 one sister was sent to work in collaboration with 2 sisters of other congregations. The survey of the place revealed that health care was an urgent need due to the poverty and high incidence of leprosy. As a further request from the Bishop of Mangalore, to the Provincial Superior Sr. Raphael Gomes; Arogya Matha Ashram was started on 9th June 1985 with a team of 3 sisters including Dr. Sr. Immaculate Rodrigues who took up general health care and leprosy treatment.
We were bifurcated from Arogya Matha Ashram due to the pressing apostolic needs that arose in the course of time and erected as a community-‘Arogya Matha Seva Kendra’ on 28-12-2002. The new Hospital was inaugurated on 10-11-2002 with the activities of elimination of leprosy, general health, skin specialty and in-patient services. Other services like community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) for the differently able, Grihini School for the poor young rural girls was also taken up. The old dispensary building was handed over to Arogya Matha Ashram community, which was converted into kindergarten school in the year 2002. As per the decision taken with the AIFO team (AMICI) on 18th February 2011 that our dispensary was shifted to the old hospital in the month of June 2011 and the nursery of the Arogya Matha Ashram community was transferred to the Yesu Nilaya premises.
Bidar District is situated in the Northern part of Karnataka State. It is backward Socially, Economically and educationally. The greater part of the population consists of Hindus. There area few rich Landlords who own most of the land. The middle class people live by cultivation or by cattle rearing. Most of the people are daily wages and bonded laborers. Rich landlords who belong to the upper casts exploit them. Catholics were a negligible minority. They were Christians by name under the influence of other Christian denomination. Now the situation is improving after the adoption of the mission of Bidar by the diocese of Mangalore for evangelization. After 25 years of evangelization in Bidar Mission, which was run by diocese of Mangalore, a new Diocese of Gulbarga was erected in the year 2005 with Most. Rev. Robert Miranda as our Bishop.
THE VISION
Holistic health for all
THE MISSION
To reach the unreached and to care for the uncared for.
THE OBJECTIVES:
To address the socio-economic life issues of persons affected with leprosy
To provide preventive medical services to enhance the physical wellbeing of the persons with leprosy
To promote and protect the rights of the leprosy affected people
To work for the sustainable life of persons with leprosy
To make a viable De-addiction movement in Bidar district through a community based approach/initiative.
To make a vibrant network among Volunteers, NGO’s, Government and church personnel to make it a joint venture project.
To reduce and eradicate alcoholism/ addicts among sponsored children’s parent, elder siblings, relatives, village youth, working section in the neighbourhood.
To counsel, treat and guide the de-addicts for a changed/transformed rehabilitated life.
To promote a healthy families, community through productive persons in the society
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HOLISTIC HEALTH TO THE PERSONS AFFECTED WITH LEPROSY AT BHALKI TALUKA:
This programme is supported by AIFO-AMICI Bangalore right from the inception of the AMSK organization. As of today Arogya Matha Seva Kendra Hospital has taken up the following activities:
Base line survey on Leprosy prevalence in Bhalki Taluka
Awareness on Leprosy eradication in the villages and in small towns of Bhalki Taluka
Door to door survey, detection and treatment of the leprosy cases
Medical treatment in the hospital both as out-patients and in-patients
Secondary care to the persons who are leprosy affected
Maintain individual case-study
Follow up of the persons affected with leprosy in the dispensary as well as in the villages
Secondary Ulcer care
Provided In–patient facility to the patients
General health and skin specialty services
Medical treatment for other general cases such as hypertension, diabetes, burns, respiratory infections, general ailments etc…
Availing Govt. Schemes
Collaboration with the District Leprosy Office of Bidar and Bhalki
Networking with likeminded NGOs and GOs
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GRIHINI SCHOOL FOR THE RURAL AND URBAN POOR SCHOOL DROPOUT GIRL CHILD:
This programme was started in the year 1997 with the support of AIFO-AMICI, Bangalore. The programme has given meaning to many young girls not only of Bhalki Taluka, but of the whole district of Bidar. The rural and urban poor school dropout girl children had learnt the trade of tailoring as well as lot of life skills, which were taught and are employed or self-employed and have made their lives a life of self-sufficiency. This programme continues today in the Arogya Matha Campus as a boost to the medical apostolate of the community now it is not supported by AIFO . -
‘ASHODAYA’ COMMUNITY BASED DE-ADDICTION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT:
The Ashodaya de addiction Programme which was started on an experimental basis under the Diocese of Gulbarga on February 2011. As of today 28 alcoholics have left alcohol consumption completely. This has given hope of a new life to the 28 families. The process is on and many have joined the Alcoholic Anonymous groups. The programme is carried out by a group of Social Workers under the leadership of the Superior and the Doctor Sister. The following activities are conducted :Baseline survey
Meeting with the Local Self Governance Members
Mass awareness
Awareness to the alcoholic patients and to their spouses
Counselling
Forming volunteers
Training
Review meetings
Visit to the villages and Meetings with the Alcoholics
Meeting with the Women SHGs in the villages
Taluka level AA Convention at Bhalki
Follow up of those Patients
Meeting with the School Teachers
Meeting with the Village Health committee
Treatment to the AA patients as outpatient and inpatient ( 10 days residential camp)
The impact of our work is seen: we conducted two camps and from this camps 28 clients are freed from alcohol .Many of the alcoholic’s addicts are interested to join this programme and take our help to get rid of consumption of alcohol and live as responsible members in the family and the society.
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Faith Formation
We do render our service in direct evangelization in collaboration with the Parish
Liturgical Animation.
Preparing children for sacraments and catechesis.
Building up inter personnel relationship during the family visits and participating in the small Christian communities(SCC)
Praying with the families and for the families.
Counseling the broken families.
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Boarding
The boarding (Children’s home) school was started on an experimental basis two years ago. The girls from V STD till X STD are under our care. They go to Divya Jyothi School. We help them to grow in the spirit of prayer, discipline and in academics. We also help them, as they are young girls, by understanding their feelings and the problems they undergo, and give full support and co-operation ultimately helping them to grow in values
At present the team of AMSK consists, Superior Sr. Angela Mendonca (nurse), a Doctor Sister, one Nurse Sister and one sister in charge of boarding, along with the Social workers and health workers..
