12th FMA-NDF annual meet on child rights at Wadala, Mumbai

📅 December 02, 2015 • 📍 Wadala

The 12th FMA-National Development Forum (FMA-NDF) Annual Meet, themed “Child Rights: Envisioning Sustainable Changes,” was held at Mazzarello Youth Welfare Centre – Wadala, Mumbai, from December 2–5, 2015, with 28 participants. The Eucharist, celebrated by Fr. Joseph Xavier SJ, included a symbolic offering of the national flag and a lamp, carried by Sr. Isabella Alphonse, National Co-ordinator of FMA-NDF, and the Social Development Co-ordinators (SDCs) of the six Provinces, entrusting the vision and mission with the marginalized. The inaugural moment, compered by Sr. Moksha Anthonappa, welcomed Sr. Ritha Dora Thomas, Provincial of Mumbai Province, Fr. Joe Xavier, Sr. Isabella Alphonse, Mr. Joachim Lourduswamy (Representative of via Don Bosco - Belgium), the six SDCs, and all participants. After a special participatory prayer, students of Auxilium Wadala performed a classical welcome dance, followed by a moving skit and dance by youth from Pratham Institute in Govandi. Sr. Isabella Alphonse then officially welcomed the gathering. Messages from Mother General Sr. Yvonne Reungoat and General Councillor Sr. Lucy Rose Ozhukayil were read out. Sr. Ritha Dora, in her message, stated, “Vision without action remains a dream. Our actions become effective and fruitful only when we respond to the urgent need of the poor and marginalised and give them a voice, restore their dignity and rights." She expressed certainty that the gathering was an expression of solidarity with the many young people in the country who are exploited, marginalized, and neglected, believing that encountering these challenges would spur greater zeal and help find new ways to be involved in people's lives. In her keynote address, Dr. Sr. Gracy Fernandes of Nirmala Niketan Institute advised that to bring about realistic change, risk factors in every area of a child's life must be considered. The inaugural function concluded with the release of the 11th Annual Report of FMA-NDF by Sr. Ritha Dora Thomas. Subsequent activities included: sharing of annual reports by each province and Sr. Isabella Alphonse; a session by Mr. Joachim Lourduswamy on “What makes an NGO financially Sustainable”; sessions by Ms. Farida Lambay, Co-foundress of Pratham Institute, and advocate Ms. Sharon Rodrigues on child rights, focusing on the state of education, the current legal system, and social response, along with sharing experiences; exposure visits to organizations working with children: The Government Children’s Aid Society in Mankhurd, Pratham Institute for Vulnerable Children in Chembur, Salaam Baalak in Charni Road, and Aarambh at Byculla. Finally, participants worked on finalizing a three-year implementation plan for the child protection policy, which had been intensely studied by the provinces over the past six months. The NDF core-team also briefly met to chart a way-forward plan. The annual meeting concluded with creative expressions of thanksgiving to all responsible for the event's success.