The testimony of Fr. Ajo Thelappilly, an Indian Catholic priest, a missionary for a decade in one of the poorest areas at the foot of the Himalayas. “The local Church here is still in its beginnings. The dream of being able to take the little ones out of work in the markets or in the hotels of the city.
Mumbai () – Missionary in a very poor area in western Nepal. With a great dream that is taking its first steps: to open a school in Dhangadhi to give a future to the children of those who live in this extreme periphery at the foot of the Himalayas. This is the missionary frontier of Father Ajo Thelappilly, an Indian Catholic priest of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), coordinator of the social works of Nepal Carmel Mata Samaj, an NGO active in Nepal for about ten years in the framework of the mission that this religious institute opened in the country.
“We arrived on March 22, 2011 – says Father Thelappilly – at the request of Bishop Anthony Sharma, a Jesuit and the first local bishop of Nepal, who died in 2015. We belong to the Province of Saint John of our institute, which in addition to the North India has missions outside of our country of origin Currently here in Nepal we are six missionaries active in four different missions: Punarbas and Parasan in Kanchanpur district and Dhangadhi and Phulwari in Kailali district all of them in the westernmost part of the country.
Compared to the capital Kathmandu, these are much more underdeveloped parts of Nepal. “Its inhabitants – continues Fr. Ajo – belong mainly to the Magar, Chhetri and Tharu groups, known for their ancient traditions and culture. Agriculture provides them with a basic livelihood, but in the local markets they earn very little from their products. From time to time, heavy rains fall in the region with consequent flooding, making life even more difficult.There are also people who are landless and completely dependent on daily work in neighboring India or in Dhangadhi, the largest city. in the area. Most of their children work in hotels and markets as child labor.”
In this context, the presence of the missionaries is carried out through the Nepal Carmel Mata Samaj, an NGO registered according to the rules and regulations of the Nepali government. Its council consists of seven Nepalese citizens, four of whom are priests of the Vicariate of Nepal. Nepal Carmel Mata Samaj carries out educational, health care and youth promotion programs for all strata of society. Now he is also about to open a school in Dhangadhi, which will bear the name of Carmel School.
The choice to focus on education is obviously not accidental: “This province, inhabited by 2.5 million people, has limited access to basic services,” says the Indian missionary. “The poverty index in official statistics reaches almost half of the population. They are also areas characterized by widespread gender and caste discrimination. The lack of adequate education and economic development are serious obstacles to well-being general population. Many schools are politically influenced and corrupt, and the quality of education takes second place. Most of these schools do not even have anti-seismic measures, despite the fact that this region is highly exposed to earthquakes” .
The participation of the local population in the new school project has been encouraging. “It was they – explains Fr. Thelappilly – who helped us obtain the land for the school and made it available to us at a reasonable price. The local schools also issued certificates of non-opposition, showing their interest in our school becoming reality. Even if they don’t have financial resources, the people here are always willing to provide their services in whatever we need to fulfill the dream of a quality school.”
A social work that is part of the commitment to announce the Gospel and support the small local Church, which is the heart of the work of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate in Nepal: “The local Church is still in its beginnings, but its presence makes itself felt in each activity”, concludes Fr. Ajo. “May God bless us all in serving his Kingdom.”
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