Ecumenical
Conference of Charity
|
News - April-June 2006 |
| Then I will thank you in
the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.Psalm
35:18 |
| It has been a remarkable 10 years
that has helped sustain the continuing work of the ECC. Our most
grateful thanks to all who welcome and support the ECC volunteers,
generous benefactors, pastors, beneficiaries and above all, Our
blessed Lord who in His providence has led us gently step by step.
We have always strived to maintain the original intent of our founders: |
| | To recognize the great human potential of each individual |
| | To offer those in need a hand not a handout |
| | To serve as a catalyst to address any 'special needs' situations |
| | To channel funds to those in crisis situations. |
Since we first started in 1996 financial support has been raised to assist people facing problems that are beyond their resources. For some, a death in the family, health problems and other difficult circumstances can lead to grave financial difficulties. The ECC helps support them so that they have the resources to make it through the crisis. And for many it is only the beginning of a process which will slowly but surely help them regain their self-esteem, their pride and confidence. Often churches refer these people to the ECC for help. We have a vetting committee that goes through the different applications for assistance and suggests the type of aid to be given. The majority of our funding has gone towards education, both in the form of block grants and individual tuition assistance. You will realize that there is more to having just a shelter, clothing and food for these people. There is love and compassion which enfolds these desperate and helpless people. When you donate to the ECC you are actually changing lives. You will be giving someone in need the precious gift of a second chance at life. Some of these people we encounter are so desperate that they may end up in the morgue if we do not reach out to them - we hope to restore dignity and self reliance to these people. The ECC has gained widespread support that has allowed us to expand the number of cases helped each year. The ECC also supports countless more by directing them to other resources that they did not know were available to them. To all of you who have assisted with food provisions, clothing and funding, we cannot even begin to thank you for your generosity. Our heartfelt thanks to each one of you. Because there is hunger, because there is pain, because there is misery these are reasons we are here. We help simply because there is a need. Our Outreach It has been a busy three months. It is not just financial assistance we render. We have to coordinate with authorities from hospitals, immigration, embassies, communities, consulates, airlines, travel agencies, media, churches other institutions. We also spend time with the individual / family in the hospital or their homes. |
 |
A man from Chennai, India expired in Bahrain due to some illness. The brother was not able to pay for his own ticket to accompany the corpse. He was assisted with a one-way ticket costing BD 80. |
|
|
Ethiopian domestic worker in coma for nearly three months was assisted with BD 400 to be repatriated as a stretcher case to be accompanied by a nurse. Unfortunately, no airline has been willing to assist so far. |
|
|
An Indian barber with cardiac problems and bread winner for his family of 11 members was assisted with BD 80 for a one-way ticket to India. |
|
|
An abandoned Indian housewife and her daughter were assisted with BD 300 to help them start their lives afresh in India. |
|
|
We had pledged to assist a comatose Indian labourer with BD300 for his repatriation. Although the man passed away in Bahrain the money was sent to his parents in India. |
|
|
An elderly Polish man who has been out of a work for some time now and requires a hip replacement surgery. BD 300 has been pledged for this. |
|
|
An elderly Pakistani lady was assisted with BD 60 for her cataract operation to be done in Pakistan. |
|
|
An Indian domestic worker who was physically abused by her employer and was in no condition to work here was given a one way ticket to India costing BD 91. |
|
|
An Indian domestic worker had to rush to India as one of her two children in India was very ill. BD 100 was given to assist her. |
|
|
A Pakistan student of a professional Institute could not continue his studies due to the loss of his father's job. The ECC paid BD 200 upfront so that the student would be allowed to continue his studies. In the meantime the boy would also be given part time jobs by the Institute to pay for his future modules. |
|
|
An Indian labourer who arrived in Bahrain only three months ago was comatose after a fall in the bathroom. BD 200 has been pledged to repatriate him as stretcher case. ECC is coordinating with other Charity groups in Bahrain to repatriate him. |
|
|
An Indian, male attempted suicide due to inability to repay loan sharks in India who had been harassing his family back home. The ECC assisted him with BD 200 before he was deported. |
|
|
A Sri Lankan domestic worker fell while cleaning the 2nd floor
window & injured her spinal cord. She has two children & her husband
is a labourer back home. We assisted with BD 200 towards her medical
expenses. |
|
|
A Pakistani family was aided with BD 100 to help through their time of crisis. The father works as a messenger, the mother died of cancer in March, the son is paralysed below the waist and the daughter who had managed to find a job was not paid for 3 months. |
|
|
In the meantime, provision of rice, lentils, oil, tea, sugar have been supplied to an Indian family, a Sri Lankan family abandoned by the bread winner, a Pakistani widow and a Sri Lankan domestic worker who had a road accident and was out of work. Approximately BD 250 was spent. |
|
|
We had a request from Sacred Heart School for assistance with fees of children from six different families. After thoroughly vetting the cases a cheque for the amount of BD1,022 (discounted by the Sisters of Sacred Heart School) was handed over to the Principal. |
|
|
Our volunteers regularly spend time with the individuals and families that we vet or assist in any way, cheering them up and bringing them God's love and compassion. |
| Our Donors
Because of our many programmes and commitments we never have a safety net of funds. We depend entirely on contributions and fundraisers. Adieu We bid adieu to Mrs. Rani Susai who was an active volunteer. Being a teacher herself, she was very involved with the Sponsor-a-Child programme and also vetting cases from the Tamilian community. We wish her the very best. Fundraiser Gala Dinner & Dance (11 May 2006) We would like to thank all of you who contributed to the success of our fundraiser and for your continued support and donations towards our programmes. As a charity organization, the ECC is reliant on the community to raise funds. Thanks to the generosity of various corporate entities, congregations and individuals, we would be able to reach out to many more needy individuals. We know we can speak for them when we offer you their thanks alongside ours. MECC Seminar in Bahrain Role of the ECC Clergy and laypeople from the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches, Representatives from the Middle East Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Council of Charity were present. The seminar is part of a series of seminars that was decided by the MECC Gulf Support Group in Abu Dhabi last year to take place in all the countries in the Gulf during 2006. The ECC spoke about the work of the ECC and some of the difficulties being faced. Besides the constant need for more funds to fulfill its commitments a major difficulty is the lack of volunteers. The ECC only have 14 volunteers from some of the churches in Bahrain. There is an urgent need of spiritual support and pastoral care from the clergy towards the volunteers. The ECC also wants to broaden the representation from the different churches, particularly the Kerala churches, so that the ECC is seen and used as a resource by the whole Christian community in Bahrain. Volunteers Required And this is where YOU come in. If you have a couple of hours a month you could devote to a meeting and a follow-up piece of action, such as: |
| | sort out goods or man the Charity Centre a couple of hours a week |
| | visiting the sick in the hospital or home |
| | visit those whom we assist and spend time with them |
| | assist with vetting cases |
| | spend time with needy individuals and families |
| | provide transportation |
| | Liaise with the concerned authorities or institutions |
| | offer your services free at fundraising events |
| | donate furniture or equipment you no longer have use for |
| | suggest ways and means of raising funds or reaching out to the needy |
we need YOU. To find a rewarding way to give back and make a difference, please contact us |
The
Ecumenical Conference of Charity
P O Box 54193
Adliya
Kingdom of Bahrain
(Physical Address: St. Christophers Cathedral, Opposite
Police Fort, Manama)
Tel: 39440319, E-mail:
eccbahrain@yahoo.com
