FIDESIndia (Fransalian Initiatives for Developmental and Educational Services in India) is the Service Agency of the Province for the missionary and developmental activities.  It is a registered voluntary organisation and functions as the official agency of the province with regard to social projects in our mission stations.  FIDESIndia engages itself in bringing positive and sustainable changes in the mission stations of the South West Province.  It is an expression of the Province of its commitment to the integral development of the human person and of the society particularly of the poor and the needy in the rural villages and urban slums.  The core-team of FidesIndia consists of Fr. Mathew Kozhuppakalam MSFS (M.A., PhD.), Director, Fr. Benny Marangolil MSFS (M.S.W.), Project Co-ordinator and Consultant and Fr. Shibu Thundathil MSFS (M.S.W.), Programme Co-ordinator.

We have many social and pastoral needs in our units. We take up various services with a long term planning.  Systematic and short/long term planning of our missions, seeking organized help through agencies, implementation of programmes that would yield lasting results and ensure the permanence of our presence in the areas taken up by us or entrusted to us have been the points of discussion at different times and at different level in the province.  The fruit of our planning and what we initiate in our missions taking personal interest and responsibility contribute to the collective growth of the People of God, the Local Church and the Mission of the Congregation.

Areas of concern

      Education of the poor children

      Homes and sponsorship programmes for children

      Supportive educational centres and Programmes for school dropouts

      Value Education programme

      Personality development programmes for children and youth

      Holiday camps

      Formation and nurturing of Self Help Groups

      Training and empowerment programmes for women

      Ministry to the aged

      Pastoral and faith formation programmes

      Construction of building for various ministries

      Awareness programmes in villages and slums

      Integral rural development programme

      Value based human communities

Major Projects taken up recently

SFS Boys’ Homes in the Province.

One of the major challenges in our missions is to provide educational facilities to poor children.  To meet this challenge the province decided to start Boys’ Homes in all our missions. Consequently we have Boys’ Homes in Hebbagodi, Kadissenahalli, Chintamani, Gokunte, Kengeri and Ulickal.  Preference is given to the children from our missions and then to others.  It has been decided to co-ordinate our Boys’ Homes in the Province under the management of FidesIndia.   It will be the responsible agency of the Province with regard to the admission, formation and education of the boys in our Boys’ Homes.  FidesIndia has resolve  d to have more Boys Homes in different centres of the province where the poor, destitute children need to be catered to.  It is also proposed that SFS Boys Home in Hebbagodi could be gradually reserved for High School and Higher Secondary children since Hebbagodi is well located as regards the prospects of higher education.  Similarly we are entering into discussion and collaboration with the sisters in our various mission centers to start Girls Homes.

Sunshine (Kiran)

Sunshine (Kiran) is another project of FIDESIndia for the children.  It supports more than 100 children annually for education.  The children belong to various age groups.

FIDESIndia-NEST Home

Besides co-ordinating the various Boys’ Homes in the province FIDESIndia has also started a children’s village in Bangalore called NEST (Nurturing and Educationg for Social Transformation) with effect from 2005.  This project aims at promoting the education of poor but gifted children.  It is an effort to promote them to professional competence.  NEST will have four homes in a cluster.  Each home will consist of 10 children with a mother and a nurse.  FIDESIndia envisages a few such NEST homes located at various parts of our province territory.

Integral Development Projects

FIDESIndia has taken up a four slums in the city and 12 villages in the outskirts of Bangalore for developmental works.  Efforts are made to form and nurture Self Help Groups for women and conduct free tuition centres for school going children.  One of the major objectives of this programme is to provide an opportunity for our scholastics in theology, to get involved in the grass root level developmental projects

Rehabilitation to Tsunami Victims

One of the major tragedies faced by our people in the recent times was the deadly Tsunami and we had appealed to our friends and benefactors to respond immediately and concretely to help the victims of this disaster.  Many people have been highly supportive, responding to our request for assistance.  The rehabilitation work was entrusted to FidesIndia, the social service wing of our province.  Immediate relief measures were extended such as - repairing of houses, clothes for the needy, repairing of nets and boats, note books and uniforms for school children.  

Three Rest/Watch Houses and one Store House at Kadiapatnam, Nagercoil

After further study of the situation it was decided to concentrate on one area for the rehabilitation services. In consultation with the diocese of Kottar we chose the parish of Kadiapatnam, about 15 kms. away from Nagercoil, for our action-programme.  To assist the people on a long term and permanent basis we have constructed three Houses and one storage House.  The entire village required community centres for their many activities. They had lost all such centres as they were located on the banks.  They call these centres Rest houses or Watch-houses. The fishermen wait in these houses watching the sea, repairing the nets and boats, praying together before they leave for fishing and the others wait on them here praying. We have built three such Houses in three streets. We have also built a Fish storing house in another street. These houses will serve the entire community and be a lasting assistance for them. 

Blessing and Inauguration

On 18 September 2005 our Provincial, Fr. Jose Parappillil MSFS inaugurated and dedicated these four houses to the living memory of the people who lost their lives as well as for the future activities and gatherings of the people in these areas.  The people were extremely touched by this generosity and concern for them. No other agency so far has undertaken such a project in that area. These are large halls and surely would prove to be a centre and locus of their village-living and collective- work.

We are also planning to construct a few private houses for those who lost everything but depend on the availability of more funds. At the same time we have already initiated adopting some children for education from these areas. It is felt that such assistance would have more lasting bearing on the growth of their life than other helps of infra-structure involving construction.  FidesIndia is working on this programme under the scheme of Distance-Education.  Your contributions would be highly appreciated assisting these hapless victims in a more substantial manner.