St. Elizabeth Convent - School for the children of poor fishermen
Where?
A charitable institution, situated in Fort Kochi at the west coast of Kerala, South India.
Address:
St. Elizabeth Convent
Kattiparambu
Kannamali P. O.
Cochin 682 008
Kerala, India
Who?
Sponsor is the Order of St. Elizabeth, a congregation of 15 Franciscan Sisters, who form the state-registered institution “Kerala Society of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary”. At the convent, the Sisters run a school, a kindergarten, and an embroidery workshop, where young women are given the chance to contribute to their family’s livelihood. Very often, this is the only source of income for these families.
The Mother Superior of the convent is Sister Rose Paul.
Purpose of the institution
The Franciscan Sisters care for a community of 800 families on the costal strip south of Fort Cochin. The Sisters are engaged in teaching the children of fishermen from pre-school on. They strive to prevent the members of the community from sliding into absolute poverty, which is very often connected with drug consumption. Thus, they mainly support women and children, who bear the brunt of all the problems that the industrialization of fishing arising is causing in these difficult times.
Current call for donations
Follow up primary school with vocational training
We have established an education fund to help those talented girls and boys who leave school after seven years primary education, at the age of about 12 – 13, to get access to a qualified vocational training.
If it is not possible to place them in a higher school, the best that they can hope for is work as unskilled labourers, and they, especially the boys, then become easy prey for both drug peddlers and excessive consumption of alcohol.
In addition, we are looking for donors: firstly, to make qualified training possible for some of these talented children; for example, to move young girls who are endangered through being in broken families, into a living-in hostel with integrated schooling; and secondly, concerning the small children, to relieve the poorest members of the community of the costs for school books and uniforms.
Costs per student p.a.:
Uniforms 1000 Rs
Books 1000 Rs
Fees 1000 Rs
Tuition 1000 Rs
Hostel 6000 Rs (or costs that arise for transport services)
The school costs vary from the 10th class onwards depending on the marks of the respective child, the economic situation of the family and the status recognized by the state.
Total costs for the year 2010: 4400 CHF
für 15 kleine Kinder 2100 Sfr
und für 10 begabte Jugendliche 2300 Sfr
We are trying our best to raise funds for a further year, to ensure the Sisters a bit more safety in their planning.
