South India
Our history in South India
Unit South India started as Medical Mission Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kerala in 1944 and amalgamated with The Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries in 1953.
Starting with a hospital in Bharananganam in Kerala, today the sisters are involved in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
Website: https://www.mmssouthindia.org
Focus of our mission in South India
In Selud - Chattisgarh; Khandwa - Madhya Pradesh; Tamil Nadu; Kalamassery, Cochin, Kamakshi and Idukki - Kerala, we are involved in:
Social services with a focus on marginalised women and children
De-addiction programmes
Complementary healing therapies
Healthcare and HIV/AIDs
Sustainable agriculture / care of the earth
Peace and justice
Spiritual animation
Providing social services for marginalised women and children
In Selud - Chattisgarh ; Khandwa - Madhya Pradesh; Kodaikanal -Tamil Nadu; Mampally, Thiruvanathapuram, Kalamassery, Cochin and Kamakshi, Idukki - Kerala, we:
- Work with women, children, youth and broken families;
- Are involved with emotionally and mentally challenged persons;
- Collaborate and partner with the Church, government and NGOs in advocacy to combat violence against women, children and human trafficking;
- Collaborate with a childline ministry for protection of children who are abandoned, left alone, forced to beg, face early marriage or child labour, beg or experience physical and sexual abuse and child trafficking;
- Animate self-help women’s groups to encourage economic sustainability;
- Promote participation of village women in village governance; and
- Help to make government programmes available for the poor.
Delivering de-Addiction programmes
In Kerala and Bangalore - Karnataka, we:
- Coordinate rehabilitation and treatment of chemically dependent persons; and
- Facilitate counselling and training programmes
Using complementary healing therapies
In Ithithanam - Kerala, we:
- Coordinate the MMS-owned centre for holistic health and drugless therapies;
- Conduct healing and wellness programmes;
- Organise psycho-nutrition programmes;
- Offer residential programmes for people in crisis, people with chronic illness and people who need rest;
- Animate outreach, training programmes and retreats.
Delivering healthcare
In Kerala, we are:
- Offering direct medical care through our MMS-owned hospital;
- Coordinating community health programmes;
- Conducting nursing training programmes; and
- Offering palliative home care through a mobile clinic.
In Madhya Pradesh, we are:
- Organising community-based activities to support health teaching and healthcare;
- Teaching women to make a high protein mix and tonics for malnourished children and anaemic mothers; and
- Teaching women to use local herbs for treating common ailments.
Developing sustainable agriculture and care for the Earth
In Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, we are:
- Animating women’s and farmers' cooperatives;
- Promoting sustainable agriculture;
- Encouraging a more eco-friendly lifestyle;
- Supporting organic farming;
- Recommending renewal energy and rainwater harvesting;
- Involved in zero budget farming; and
- Offering programmes and retreats on holistic living.
Justice and peace
In Kerala, we:
- Participate in a wide range of networking and advocacy for justice;
- Offer support and help to juveniles in conflict-with-the-law;
- Develop advocacy with women around their rights; and
- Collaborate with the government on protection of women against domestic violence and abuse.
Spiritual animation
Spiritual animation involves us in:
- Pastoral care ministry;
- Parish ministry; and
- Organising retreats and renewal programmes.
