In a land torn by strife and violence, Eden Gardens, a children’s home, seeks to bring that little bit of paradise back
Kohima | August 30 : ……She had been driven out from home by her mother, one morning before breakfast, a year ago when she was barely three and half years old. Nino took twelve months to begin speaking…..
…..When he first came, Lemo could barely stand. He was severely under nourished. His father had been shot dead. His mother barely earned enough to keep the family together. Having moved from one relative’s home to another, unwanted he finally came to Eden Gardens, he now plays in the Village football team…
……the story of Athili Mao from Makhan aged 16 is: “My father was a police inspector. He was killed by the militants in an ambush. Then my mother remarried. Some of my relatives brought me here”.
Such are the horrifying stories of children who are brought to Eden Gardens a Children’s Home situated in Khuzama.
In a land torn by strife and violence, Eden Gardens, a children’s home, seeks to bring that little bit of paradise back. Started in 1975 on the 15th August by Rev. Father Coelho, the home is now 32years old.
According to Father Raymond D’ Souza SJ, who runs the home after the death of his friend and founder in 1990, Eden Gardens is an attempt by the Jesuit Order to focus attention on the group that ‘misses the bus’ in any developmental programme. The aim here is to give lesser privileged children ‘hope’ by providing quality education and a loving home to stay in.
Eden Garden currently has 215 children out of which 94 are orphans and the others are from remote places where their parents are too poor to provide proper education. These children consisting mainly of Nagas and Manipuris are usually identified/recommended by the village Pastors or the Parish Priests. Eden Garden though founded and also funded by Catholics, it practices no caste or creed system. The children are from various religious backgrounds.
Father Raymond informs that the home has a strict ‘no conversion’ policy; in fact it has been 20 years since he has not baptized anyone into the catholic faith. Talking on this often sensitive topic, Father Raymond says that the home was started to help and educate poor children, even when a child from the Home wishes to join the Catholic faith, they have to be baptized by their respective village Priest. Currently there are 8 helpers (three cooks) who work round the clock to manage the 200 plus children.
More than 2000 students have benefited from the charitable home and most have gone ahead to do exceedingly well in life. All the children in Eden Garden have access to education. They are being sent to Sacred Heart School in Khuzama while the older ones go to college in St. Josephs, Jakhama. Still more are doing various professional courses in and around the country.
It may be mentioned that two years back, a certain girl from the home achieved the 42nd rank in HSLC.
The philosophy of Eden Garden is simple: “Each one is not only one but also a family. If we save one, we save a family. Each family will save two or three families in their turn. Regular small- scale alms giving only perpetuate and never put an end to poverty. One at a time makes it a small and manageable number. Providing an education and locally relevant skills, along with proper management of funds, we believe, can make all the difference”.
Vocationalised agricultural education is probably the most important route to addressing the local challenges of illiteracy, low productivity and oppression of the marginal farmers.
The children at Eden Gardens are encouraged to be self sufficient and these are taught through farming/gardening. They grow all seasonal vegetable and fruits and in an ‘emergency’ they can always come up with interesting jungle vegetables. Eden Garden is slowly emerging as a viably proposition, not only as a home for the destitute and marginalized children, but also as an emerging agro- industrial training centre.
Eden Gardens is funded by the ‘Nagaland Jesuit Educational and Charitable Society’’ and also by friends and well wishers but like every charitable home, it is always a challenge to get to the end of the month. Each child costs Rs. 18,550 per annum for clothes, warm bedding, board and lodging, school books and medicines. Besides these the Eden Gardens is also trying to bring up an effective training centre to provide an entire range of locally relevant agro- industrial skills and vocational training.
Talking about the financial status of the home, Father Raymond says that his children do not lack the most precious commodity- love, but often it becomes difficult to provide them with many material essentials and adds that the Home will be glad to accept anything that one may think necessary for a growing child.
Readers may kindly note the address and contribute in cash or kind:
The Director
Eden Gardens, Children’s Home, Khuzama,
C/O Nagaland Jesuit Educational and Charitable Society
Post Box 117, Kohima- 797001, Nagaland. India.
…..When he first came, Lemo could barely stand. He was severely under nourished. His father had been shot dead. His mother barely earned enough to keep the family together. Having moved from one relative’s home to another, unwanted he finally came to Eden Gardens, he now plays in the Village football team…
……the story of Athili Mao from Makhan aged 16 is: “My father was a police inspector. He was killed by the militants in an ambush. Then my mother remarried. Some of my relatives brought me here”.
Such are the horrifying stories of children who are brought to Eden Gardens a Children’s Home situated in Khuzama.
In a land torn by strife and violence, Eden Gardens, a children’s home, seeks to bring that little bit of paradise back. Started in 1975 on the 15th August by Rev. Father Coelho, the home is now 32years old.
According to Father Raymond D’ Souza SJ, who runs the home after the death of his friend and founder in 1990, Eden Gardens is an attempt by the Jesuit Order to focus attention on the group that ‘misses the bus’ in any developmental programme. The aim here is to give lesser privileged children ‘hope’ by providing quality education and a loving home to stay in.
Eden Garden currently has 215 children out of which 94 are orphans and the others are from remote places where their parents are too poor to provide proper education. These children consisting mainly of Nagas and Manipuris are usually identified/recommended by the village Pastors or the Parish Priests. Eden Garden though founded and also funded by Catholics, it practices no caste or creed system. The children are from various religious backgrounds.
Father Raymond informs that the home has a strict ‘no conversion’ policy; in fact it has been 20 years since he has not baptized anyone into the catholic faith. Talking on this often sensitive topic, Father Raymond says that the home was started to help and educate poor children, even when a child from the Home wishes to join the Catholic faith, they have to be baptized by their respective village Priest. Currently there are 8 helpers (three cooks) who work round the clock to manage the 200 plus children.
More than 2000 students have benefited from the charitable home and most have gone ahead to do exceedingly well in life. All the children in Eden Garden have access to education. They are being sent to Sacred Heart School in Khuzama while the older ones go to college in St. Josephs, Jakhama. Still more are doing various professional courses in and around the country.
It may be mentioned that two years back, a certain girl from the home achieved the 42nd rank in HSLC.
The philosophy of Eden Garden is simple: “Each one is not only one but also a family. If we save one, we save a family. Each family will save two or three families in their turn. Regular small- scale alms giving only perpetuate and never put an end to poverty. One at a time makes it a small and manageable number. Providing an education and locally relevant skills, along with proper management of funds, we believe, can make all the difference”.
Vocationalised agricultural education is probably the most important route to addressing the local challenges of illiteracy, low productivity and oppression of the marginal farmers.
The children at Eden Gardens are encouraged to be self sufficient and these are taught through farming/gardening. They grow all seasonal vegetable and fruits and in an ‘emergency’ they can always come up with interesting jungle vegetables. Eden Garden is slowly emerging as a viably proposition, not only as a home for the destitute and marginalized children, but also as an emerging agro- industrial training centre.
Eden Gardens is funded by the ‘Nagaland Jesuit Educational and Charitable Society’’ and also by friends and well wishers but like every charitable home, it is always a challenge to get to the end of the month. Each child costs Rs. 18,550 per annum for clothes, warm bedding, board and lodging, school books and medicines. Besides these the Eden Gardens is also trying to bring up an effective training centre to provide an entire range of locally relevant agro- industrial skills and vocational training.
Talking about the financial status of the home, Father Raymond says that his children do not lack the most precious commodity- love, but often it becomes difficult to provide them with many material essentials and adds that the Home will be glad to accept anything that one may think necessary for a growing child.
Readers may kindly note the address and contribute in cash or kind:
The Director
Eden Gardens, Children’s Home, Khuzama,
C/O Nagaland Jesuit Educational and Charitable Society
Post Box 117, Kohima- 797001, Nagaland. India.
