Bishop Thomas Dabre inaugurates Suryodaya Ashram Trust, Mokhada
Children of Mokhada enjoying at Various programs
Children Study hard in the mornings and in the evenings
Sharing is the biggest value of caring
Prepare your meals, children cook themselves once a while
Xmas, time to celebrate and share

About Suryodaya Ashram Trust

Suryodaya Ashram is one of the recently started mission centre of the diocese of Vasai in Mokhada Taluka of Thane District. Mokhada is about 130 k. m. from Vasai and about 170 k. m. from Mumbai. Yet it has remained by enlarge a very backward taluka in all its aspects. It is predominantly tribal taluka lacking in basic infrastructure, basic health and educational facilities.

The diocese of Vasai, under the leadership of Bishop Thomas Dabre, thought of bringing a new sunrise (Suryodaya in local language) to this taluka which is the first one to see the sunrise in Thane District. Yet the darkness of deaths through malnutrition, ill-health and backwardness in all its aspects, prevails.

Suryodaya Ashram through its activities is conducting medical camps weekly and supplementary classes daily for the tribal students in trying to bring the light sunrise in this gloom of darkness for the last six years.

SOCIAL ECONOMIC SCENARIO

Mokhada is one of the talukas in a Thane District of Maharashtra. It is about 160 kms from Mumbai via Manor on Mumbai Ahmedabad National Highway. It has a population of fifty five Thousand people and is 95% Adivasi. The rest belong to Muslims and Hindus.

Mokhada is one of the most backward Talukas of India. It lacks basic social infrastructure like roads, hospitals, sanitation schools etc. Being remote and cut off from the main stream, very few Government officers are willing to work. Most of them take their posting in Mokhada as a demotion.

Politically there are two major parties the Shiv Sena, Bhartiya Janata Party combine and the Nationalist Congress party. There are also C.P.M. and R.P.I. but they are comparatively less powerful.

Corruption is rampant in Mokhada. There have been many cases of public works shown on paper as done but in reality there is nothing or half done projects. Much of the Government money is misappropriated by the Government officials who are hand in glove with the contractors.

The health and education fields are in pitiable conditions. There is a rural hospital which caters to common illness but major cases are referred to hospitals in Nashik which is about 60 kms from Mokhada. Being ill-literate and poor most of the patients are taken back home by their relatives where they do not recover. There are about five NGOs working in Mokhada but much remains to be done specially with regards to Health, Education and Employment.

Holistic Development and welfare of the Tribals and the marginalized of Mokhada Taluka

The members of Suryodaya Ashram, Mokhada are committed to the holistic development and welfare of the tribals and the marginalized people, esp in the field of Health and education.

We hope and strive to achieve this goal through selfless and dedicated service in the areas of Health, Education, Employment generation and all that is necessary to ensure and maintain the human dignity and cultural values and richness of that wisdom we work with.

We deem it paramount the emergence of local leadership from among those we work with through animation and participatory method so that ultimately they are capable of solving their old problems and shaping their own destiny.

1. By the end of 2015, people of Mokhada Taluka will have fairly good access to basic health care and the villagers of 20 remote villages will have enjoyed basic good health.

2. By the end of 2015, the general mortality rate of the people in Mokhada is reduced by 60% and the people of 20 villages will have round the clock medical help reducing the mortality rate by 90%.

Mokhada is one of the most backwards talukas of Thane District in Maharashtra. The healthcare record is very dismal. There is no major hospital. The Government run rural hospital has inadequate facilities as a result patients with serious ailments are referred to hospitals in Nashik or Thane,which are 60 Km and 140 km respectively. 95% of the population of Mokhada is Adivasis (tribals), due to abject poverty and lack of education, these tribals never go out of their villages, much less to the cities for any treatment for themselves or their near and dear ones. The two Primary Health Centers are in bad condition with hardly and facilities and personnel. Hence most of the tribals go to the bhagats (village witch doctor) who demand blood of goats and cocks to appease Gods who have brought this sickness. Obviously the patient gets worse as even after borrowing money for the treatment by "bhagats" the patients gets worse and eventually die.

News of deaths from malnutrition of children is in the regular feature. Deaths from preventable disease due to lack of proper medical facilities and proper education on health and hygiene in a tragedy of Mokhada Taluka

Suryodaya Ashram has been conducting medical camps in Ghosali, one of the villages in Mokhada Taluka for the last six to seven years, relying on the donations given by kind hearted people,but to continue this noble work we need financial support.

We are aware that we need to prevent diseases, so we intend to train 20 health workers from 20 villages who will train their people in proper health and hygiene and prevent diseases. They will provide medicines in the villages itself before the sickness grows.

Suryodaya Ashram has taken initiative in this matter and has been conducting weekly medical camps since last six years. Thousands of patients have benefited and hundreds of lives have been saved.

However it needs financial backing as the numbers of patients are growing every week. There is an urgent need to provide medical relief to the people in Mokhada in the short term and to educate them in prevention of diseases through the service of health workers in the long term.

Download Suryodaya Ashram Trust Report

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