Contribution of mother Teresa towards society
Institutions established by Mother Teresa
Missionaries of Charity:- Missionaries of Charity, an international organization to help the extremely poor .The Missionaries of Charity was founded in Calcutta on 7 October 1950 by Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, an Albanian and former Sister of Loreto, who became universally known as Mother Teresa.
In 1946 Sister Teresa, a geography teacher, was inspired to begin "a mission of compassion and love to the poorest of the poor…." In the 1950s and 1960s, many young women joined the congregation, which spread to Darjeeling, in Bengal; Goa; and Trivandrum, in Kerala, among other places throughout India. On 1 February 1965, when the Holy See accepted the congregation as one of pontifical right, there were over three hundred sisters. Their first overseas mission was to Cocorote, Venezuela, on 26 July 1965. The sisters opened houses for the destitute, day-care centers, and soup kitchens in Haiti, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil in the 1970s, and in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, as well as in the Caribbean in Trinidad, Grenada, Jamaica, and Guyana, in the 1980s.
Kalighat the home of the Pure Heart (Nirmal Hriday):
It was formerly known as Mother Teresa’s Kalighat Home for the Destitute is a hospice for the sick, destitute and the dying established by St. Mother Teresa in Kalighat, Kolkata, India. Before Mother Teresa sought permission to use it, the building was an old abandoned Hindu temple to the goddess Kali, the Hindu goddess of time and change. It was founded by St. Mother Teresa on her 42nd birthday in 1952, two years after she established Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. St. Mother Teresa opened this free hospice in 1952, next to the famous Kalighat Kali Temple in Kalighat Calcutta. With the help of Indian officials, she changed an abandoned building which previously served as a temple for the Hindu goddess Kali into the “Kalighat home for the dying”, a free hospice for the poor. Later on she changed the name to “Kalighat the Home of the Pure Heart (Nirmal Hriday)”.
Until the Mother Teresa was alive, she worked for the society in various sector like education, helping to the poor, etc. but after she passes away ; institutions keeps their work continue. Various institutions are still working like Mother Teresa Charitable Trust, Mother Teresa Foundation Organization, etc.
Contribution in different sector
Education:- Education is the basic need of the society. MTCT extends its helping hand to those who are deprived of the basic Education in whatever way it is possible. They have also initiate students of college/universities to form five members teams and take care of the poor students who need help on food, boarding, clothes, books, fees etc. Let us extend our helping hand for this deprived section of our society. We also work to ensure that every village has a well equipped, well staffed, well functioning and well attended primary and upper primary school providing elementary education. They focus on children from low income communities enabling them to maximize their potential and change their lives. By this mission, they are confident that thousands of underprivileged children will have a bright future.
Housing the poor:- MTCT helps to turn expectations into real reality by transforming lives through the provision of safe, decent and affordable homes. A decent home opens the door to improved health, greater economic opportunities and increase community cohesion. They act as catalyst for such transformations, often achieving great success by working with like minded partners. The entire communities are also transformed when partners support us by providing power, water and sanitation facilities. MTCT works partnership with local, grassroots non government organizations, micro finance, institutions and other partners throughout India to provide decent housing. MTCT wishes to charge this and tries to lend helping hand to make one room, one toilet scheme which costs Rs.50000/ per house.
Computer literacy program:- In the modern world, the computer plays a major role in economic development. It is imperative for the younger generation to fully equip themselves with the computer knowledge to enable them o earn a decent livelihood. While the urban youth gave sufficient avenues to learn how to use a computer, the rural youth (either for want of well equipped infrastructure or economic constraints) are denied such facilities and therefore lag behind in the social structure. The Mother Teresa Rural Computer Program as an extension to promote the technical knowledge of the rural youth and reduce the urban-rural divide.
Youth empowerment:- Rural self-employment Training Institutes are promoted for the purpose of providing opportunities to rural youth for their skill upgradation to self-employment. The training programme are entirely free of cost. On an average they offer around 34 skill development programme on different areas in a year. All the programme are of short duration ranging preferably from 1 to 6 weeks. This scheme aims at proving basic technical and entrepreneurial skill to the rural poor in the age group of 18-35yrs and thus enables them to take up income generating activities. The training include free computer coaching, free tailoring units, designing, art candle making, catering etc. out of total beneficiaries 50% are women. Their training centers are well equipped with component trainers.
Health hygiene:- Basic sanitation and good hygiene are fundamental for a healthy, productive and dignified life. MTCT create awareness on the vital health issues, also provides curative services through various clinics. MTCT steps in to deliver health at their doors through its Health Units. Issues like reproductive health, immunization, AIDS awareness, related to preventive care are focus areas of our health interventions. Mother Teresa Forums volunteers conduct health detection programme camps like eye camps, general checkup, blood donation etc .in various parts from village to state capitals at regular intervals. They also provide free ambulance services.
Handicapped rehabilitation: Rehabilitation of people with disabilities is a process aimed at enabling them to reach and maintain their optimal physical sensory, intellectual, physiological and social functional levels. MTCT ensures that every person with special needs, irrespective of kind, category and disability is provided treatment and education in an appropriate environment. To work with persons with disabilities and other needy persons towards their welfare, rehabilitation, development and integration to sensitize common people about the condition of deprived children and to provide timely therapy and expert guidance which would help minimize physical disabilities and maximize the functional output of the challenged people.
Natural calamities:- When natural disasters strike, the MTF Volunteers plays a role in responding. Resources and employee support are mobilized to assist the affected communities. In many cases, MTCT is in a unique position to address the particular needs created by natural disaster. When natural disasters and humanitarian crises strike, communities are often devastated and left vulnerable, having little access to some of life’s essentials such as food, clean water, shelter and basic services. MTCT responds to disaster victims, ranging from home fires that affect a single family to hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami and flood that impacts thousands.
Old age homes:- People above 60 years of age are considered as ‘old’ and as constituting the elderly segment of the population. MTCT have been raising resources to protect the rights of India’s elderly and provide relief to them through various interventions. Old age people who have been abandoned by their children’s have been supported by the Mother Teresa Charitable Trust.
Award achieved:-
l Padmashree(1962)
l Bharat Ratna (1980)
l Medal of freedom by USA (1985)
l Nobel prize (1979)
l Order of merit (1983)
l Grand order of Queen Jalena(1995)
l Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding(1962)
l Congressional Gold Medal (1997)
l Order of Australia (1982)
l Patronal Medal(1979)
l Albert Schweitzer International Prize(1975)
l Presidential Medal of Freedom(1985)
l Pacem in Terris Award (1976)
l Golden Honour of the Nation (1994)
l Templeton Prize (1973)
l Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding(1969)
l Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971)
l Balzan Prize for Humanity, Peace and Fraternity Among Peoples(1978)
Famous thoughts of Mother Teresa:-
“Never worried about numbers, help one person at a time and always start with a person nearest.”
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”
“Peace begins with a smile.”
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
“God doesn't require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.”
“Live simply so others may simply live.”
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”
“A life not lived for others is not a life.”