Volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity

by Verity Worthington Volunteer

Many people have asked me what draws me to Kolkata, and it’s a difficult question to answer. For my confirmation, way back in the last millennium, I received a book with daily quotes from Mother Teresa [“The Joy in Loving”]. I remember reading one entry which described a young girl visiting Kolkata from Paris. Mother noted that her eyes weren’t smiling, and sent her to work in Kalighat, where she found Jesus.

Perhaps I knew my eyes weren’t smiling either, because as soon as I finished school, I decided I would go to Kolkata to volunteer. Looking back I was certainly very young and innocent. I remember my journey from the airport, wondering if these people really slept on the streets, who owned the dogs and cows etc! It was akin to landing on another planet - many miles away from my all-girls school in rural England. However, I was soon captivated by the volunteer community; by the warmth and friendliness of the people and sisters. For the first time in my life I felt accepted for who I was, not for what I could do. I began working in a dispensary, and led a group of volunteers painting the park at Shishu Bhavan. It probably sounds cliched, but from the very beginning it became apparent that whatever we gave, we received much more.

Since that first visit nearly 10 years ago, I’ve returned many times to Kolkata, and have volunteered elsewhere with the Missionaries of Charity. Like many other volunteers, I enjoy sharing in the prayer life of the sisters as well as the apostolate. We began our day at 5am with morning prayer, and ended it with adoration. In a city as chaotic and noisy as Kolkata, the chapel becomes a vital part of the volunteer day. Mother’s Tomb is also a very special place to offer prayers and find moments of solitude. The volunteer community, under the care of Sr Mercy-Maria , is remarkably close

Sometimes it’s easy to become immune to the poverty in Kolkata – after all, everything is relative. However, volunteering is a very humbling experience. Kalighat especially is a very special place. It is a quiet place; a place where the tears of the dying and the tears of the searching meet; a place where east meets west; where boundaries are broken. I was continually humbled; at the lady who thanked me for helping her eat, at the lady curled up in the corner of her bed sobbing who let me sit with her ... at the woman with excrutiating burns who endured daily agony, yet raised her hands in gratitude to the doctor.
You’re reminded that it’s 2009 and people are dying without anything and anyone; forgotten by the world; rejected; unwanted; unloved. One lady in particular stands out in my memory – she had such sad eyes; our lives had been so different; different languages and cultures and customs; yet as I fed her, we were somehow united "together" in our humanity. That shared experience matters, and you realise that touching each other’s brokenness is where we find Jesus.

Every volunteer contributes a drop to the ocean of humanity, and it is certainly true that  the ocean would be less without these drops. It is so easy to look at the big picture; to see the thousands of suffering people, and forget that we can only do small things with great love - that the one person we serve at a given moment is Jesus. This was definitely apparent when on Christmas day we served food to thousands of people who queued so patiently at the gates of Shishu Bhavan. This is a passage from an email I sent home: "There is a chilly cold in the air at the moment, and as I walk to work past bodies wrapped in sheets on the pavement - I realise how close to that first nativity we are here. When we tend to the dying in Kalighat - when we give out blankets as we were this morning ... this is Christmas ... not fairy lights and tinsel. I find myself seeing the Holy Family on every pavement in this city - poor, needy and vulnerable; whole families surviving in this cold weather, on a patch of dirty pavement - one day to the next, one year to the next. They aren't busy preparing the turkey or wrapping last minute presents. They haven't sent any christmas cards this year, or decorated a tree. These babies know nothing of Santa-Claus, they don't have a stocking to hang at the end of their bed - yet they have something many people with all of those things will lack this Christmas. Perhaps it sounds cliched, but Mother Teresa was right, here people share ... they huddle under the same blanket; they share the little food they have with their neighbours. There is no room at the Inn for them either ...  they live in the cold, rejected by the world - and they do so with humility.
I was reminded this morning as we gave out blankets and rice, of the queues around the world in shopping malls at this time of year. People waited so long for these essential items, which they received with such gratitude. It is a lesson to us all."

I have met so many wonderful people during my time volunteering, and I consider the Missionaries of Charity to be my extended family. People think it is courageous, to go to Kolkata and volunteer – yet those who do so discover that far from being difficult, they are embraced and welcomed with such love. I would like to say my motive for volunteering was alturistic, but I needed them far more than they needed me. The irony is, it is easy to love in Kolkata, where the physical poverty is so great. As Mother said “you will find Kolkata all over the world if you have the eyes to see”; and this is the biggest challenge for long-term volunteers and indeed, for all of us.

 

 

 

 

Tips for volunteering

Many people have found volunteering to be the experience of a lifetime. Volunteers are welcome to help the sisters in their service to the poorest of the poor for a week, a month, or longer.The qualifications required for volunteering:

“Hearts to love and hands to serve!”
(Mother Teresa)

You are not required to call or write to the sisters ahead of time to go to Kolkata to volunteer. Simply “show up” for Orientation and Registration:

At:       3 p.m.
Nirmala Shishu Bhavan (Home for Children),
78, A.J.C. Bose Road, Kolkata – 700016

On:      Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Please bring your passport as you are required to show it to the Volunteers’ Coordinator at the Orientation.

Note:  Volunteers’ Coordinators are not available on Sundays and Thursdays.
Thursday is a day of prayer for the Sisters.

There is also no orientation and registration on the following days:
The Monday after Easter
August 22
September 6
December 26

Volunteers share in the works of love at the Homes for: the dying destitutes, children, and physically and mentally challenged children.

Details will be given at the Orientation.

For those who wish to join the sisters for Mass and Holy Hour at Motherhouse (54, A.J.C. Bose Road, Kolkata – 700016) or to see the Museum, the schedule is as follows:

• Holy Mass at 6 a.m. followed by breakfast
• Holy Hour at 6.30 p.m.; Thursday and Sunday at 6 p.m.
• Holy Mass and Blessing (with Mother Teresa’s Relic) at Mother Teresa’s Tomb on Fridays at 4.30 p.m.
• Viewing of the Museum and Mother Teresa’s Room: 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

 

Visiting Hours for our Homes: 9 a.m. – 12 noon and 3 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.

Volunteers must arrange for their own accommodations. Some of the nearest and cheapest places of accommodation are:

Hotel Circular, 177, A.J.C. Bose Road
Monica House, St. James’s Church, A.J.C. Bose Road
YMCA, 25, Chowringhee Road,
Hotel Maria, Center Point, Modern Lodge, Salvation Army Hostel, Sudder Street
Baptist Mission, near Baptist Church A. J. C. Bose Road

For those wishing to volunteer elsewhere. Please contact directly the regional house for the Country , where you plan to go. View list of houses of the Missionaries of Charity
in: Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, The Americas

by Verity Worthington

• If you are arriving in Kolkata by plane, take a pre-paid taxi from
  the airport – the desk is located on the right before the exit. This will not cost more than 200Rupees, but drivers will try and ask for more, so be prepared!
  -     Many volunteers find accommodation on Sudder Street, which has a
  host of backpacker type dormitories. Sudder Street is a 20minute walk from Motherhouse. Closer accommodation can be found at Monica House on A.J.C Bose Rd, opposite Shishu Bhavan, and at Bely Guest House – right next door to Motherhouse, above the WEB internet café. There is no need to book rooms in advance. Dorm beds cost around 100-150rupees a night.

• It is advisable to get your shots [Typhoid, Hep A and B, Tetanus] and bring with you any prescription medication you are taking. Personally, I did not take antimalarials, but these are available in Kolkata [as is most medication] much cheaper than in the west.

• You do not have to write to the sisters or call before you arrive. However, you do need to register as a volunteer before you can start working in the centres. To do this, bring your passport to Shishu Bhavan, located at 78 A.J.C Bose Road, at 3pm sharp, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Alternatively, Sr Mercy-Maria [the sister in charge of volunteers] issues day passes at breakfast in Motherhouse, [54a A.J.C Bose Road] after mass in the mornings.

 

Mass is at 6am every day at Motherhouse, followed by a breakfast of bananas, bread and chai. You don’t have to attend mass to get breakfast, but you’re most welcome. At 7.30 we say a prayer, and disperse for work. Volunteers are also welcome to Adoration, which is at 6.30pm every evening except on Thursdays and Sundays when it’s at 6pm.

 

• Be aware that many of the beggars working in the vicinity of Motherhouse are professional. It is difficult at first to understand the many levels of poverty in Kolkata, but it is not encouraged to give money to people in the street.

• There are many places to eat around Sudder Street, with Blue Sky Café being a favourite haunt amongst volunteers. On AJC Bose Road, Delhi-Dabar serves cheap rice and dahl at lunchtime, and fantasti  khati rolls [a Kolkata speciality] in the evenings. Hotel Circular, on the other side of A.J.C Bose Road, offers a range of cuisine, but be prepared for slow service! Alternatively, if you have cooking facilities, there are many bazaars which sell fresh fruit and vegetables, and there is a
  supermarket chain called MORE, located at New Market, and Elliot Road.

• For treats, Flury’s on Park Street offers wonderful cakes and
  afternoon tea. Kolkata also has a KFC on Middleton Row, and a pizzeria called Fire and Ice on Camac Street. Be kind to yourself, volunteering can
  be hard work. If you’re in need of a break, you could also head to
  the Forum on Elgin Road, where there is an INOX cinema showing western and Indian films.

• Do be careful of the water; make sure you drink bottled water, and
  check the seal first.

• Be prepared to wash your clothes in a bucket! One thing I’ve learnt over the years is to wash my clothes every day, otherwise it is really hard work! You can buy detergent  [brands like Ariel] at many street stalls. Soak them first, and then get scrubbing!

• You can receive mail at Motherhouse, kept in a box in the breakfast
  room. Letters should be addressed c/o Sr. Mercy-Maria MC, Missionaries of Charity, Motherhouse, 54a A.J.C Bose Road, Kolkata 700016, West Bengal, INDIA.

If you’re working in Kalighat, Prem Dan or Daya Dan, you will need
to get a bus to work. It is advisable to keep a ready supply of coins, as the conductors don’t like giving change. It costs 4rupees from Motherhouse to Kalighat.

 

 

• Thursdays are volunteers day off. There is no breakfast on Thursdays, but there are often volunteer activities arranged such as visits to Titagargh, the leprosy centre run by the MC brothers.
   
• Take a deep breath, a journal to write in, and be prepared for a life changing experience!

 

 

Contact Information

Many people have found volunteering to be the experience of a lifetime. Volunteers are welcome to help the sisters in their service to the poorest of the poor for a week, a month, or longer.
For those wishing to volunteer in Calcutta, please write directly toSr Mercy-Maria , who is presently in charge of the volunteers at our Motherhouse:
Missionaries of Charity
Sr Mercy-Maria MC
54/A A.J.C. BOSE ROAD
CALCUTTA 700016
INDIA
Or call: Tel : 91-33-2249-7115 or 91-33-2217-2277

For those wishing to volunteer elsewhere. Please contact directly the regional house for the Country , where you plan to go. View list of houses of the Missionaries of Charity
Regionalhouses in: Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, The Americas

Europe

 

For England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Ireland, Iceland:
Missionaries of Charity
177 Bravington Road,
London W9 3AR
England, U.K.
Tel.: 44-208-960-2644

For Spain, France, Portugal, Morocco, Switzerland:
Missionaries of Charity
Paseo de la Ermita del Santo, 46
28011 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: 34-91-463-3744

For Northern Italy, Vatican:
Missionaries of Charity
Piazza San Gregorio al Cielo, 2
00184 Rome, Italy
Tel.: 39-06-700-8435

For Southern Italy:
Missionaries of Charity
Vico Panettieri Ai Tribunali, 44A
80138 Napoli, Italy
Tel.: 39-081-440-3000

For Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Holland, Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark:
Missionaries of Charity
Elisenstrasse 15
45139 Essen, Germany
Tel.: 49-201-235-641

For Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia:
Missionaries of Charity
Dom Sw. Jozefa
Ul. Poborzanska 33
03368 Warsaw, Poland
Tel.: 48-22-614-5074

For Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece:
Missionaries of Charity
Rr. Kajo Karafili, 42
Lagja 4
Tirana, Albania
Tel.: 355 42-39296

For Russia, Armenia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia, Finland:
Missionaries of Charity
Ul. Chechulina, 13
105567 Moscow, Russia
Tel.: 7-095-308-9383

Africa

For Egypt, Libya, Malta, Northern Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria:
Missionaries of Charity
43 Rue Kamel Sidki
Fagalah, Cairo, Egypt
Tel.: 20-2-590-4326

For Ethiopia, Djibouti:
Missionaries of Charity
Post Box 21871
Shoa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Tel.: 251-1-550-895

For Kenya, Tanzania, Southern Sudan:
Missionaries of Charity
Post Box 32778
Nairobi, Kenya
East Africa
Tel.: 254-2-781-803

For Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi:
Missionaries of Charity
B.P. 1174
Kigali, Rwanda
Central Africa
Tel.: 250-5-74575

For Republic of South Africa, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Seychelles:
Missionaries of Charity
76 St. George’s Street
2198 Bellevue East
Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
Tel.: 27-11-487-1842

For Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroun, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad:
Missionaries of Charity
B.P. 185
Yaounde, Cameroun
Africa
Tel.: 237-3-231-1675

For Ivory Coast, Benin, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Mali, Togo:
Missionaries of Charity
12 B.P. 186
Abidjan 12, Ivory Coast
West Africa
Tel.: 225-21-361-680

 

Asia

For India:
Mother House
Missionaries of Charity
54/A A.J.C. Bose Road
Calcutta 700016, West Bengal
Tel.: 91-332-2249-7115

West Bengal (Calcutta), Bihar
78 A.J.C. Bose Road
Kolkata 700014, India
Tel:      91-33-2175267

West Bengal (Siliguri), Sikkim, Bihar, Nepal
H/185 Pradhan Nagar
P.O. Siliguri, 734403
Dt. Darjeeling, W.B., India
Tel:      91-353-511519

Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam
Nongrimbah Rd., Laiturnkhrah,
Shillong 793003, Meghalaya, India
Tel:      91-364-226548

Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Bharalumukh P.O.
Guwahati 781009, Assam, India
Tel:      91-361-541244

Bihar, Jharkhand
c/o Catholic Church
Hinoo P.O.
Doranda
Ranchi 834002
Jharkhand, India
Tel:      91-651-503103

Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Chattishgarh
P.O. Jinsi
Jehangirabad
Bhopal 462020, M.P., India
Tel:      91-755-574867

Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow), Uttaranchal
5, Sapru Marg
Lucknow 226001 U.P., India
Tel:      91-522-227492/283416

Union Territory (Delhi), Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir
12 Ooninissioner's Lane
Alipur Road
Delhi 54 U.T., India
Tel: 91-11-3950181

Gujarat, Rajasthan
Makarpura Road
Baroda 390010
Gujarat, India
Tel : 91-265-643105

Maharastra (Bombay), Goa
Church Road, Vile Parle (W)
Mumbai 400056 Maharashtra
India
Tel:  91-22-618-4068

Orissa
Plot No. 13
Bhubaneshwar 751007
Orissa, India
Tel :     91-674-503530

Andra Pradesh
Vijayawada 520013
A.P., India
Tel:      91-866-521460

Tamil Nadu, Union Territory, Andamans
71, West Madha Church Road
Royapuram
Chennai 600013 T.N., India
Tel:      91-44-5953078

Kerala, Karnataka
S.R.M. Road, Ernakulam
Cochin 682018, Kerala, India
Tel:      91-484-401611

For Jordan, Israel, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine:
Missionaries of Charity
Post Box 9645
Amman 11191, Jordan
Tel.: 962-6-552-4218

For Philippines:
Missionaries of Charity
1030 Tayuman Street
Tondo 1012, Manila
Philippines
Tel.: 63-2-255-0832

For Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Sakhalin Island (Russia):
Missionaries of Charity
656-25, Gojandong Ansan City
Kyeonggido 425-020, South Korea
Tel.: 823-45-402-0892

For China (Hong Kong, Macau), Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand:
Missionaries of Charity
Nam Cheong Estate, Block 6
Cheong Chit House
Shumshiupo, Kowloon
Hong Kong, China
Tel.: 852-2-386-7707

For Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan:
Missionaries of Charity
Ul. Nusamuhamedova, 29
700077 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Tel.: 99-871-267-1634

For Bangladesh:
Missionaries of Charity
26 Islampur Road
Dhaka 1100, Bangladesh
Tel.: 88-02-739-1116

For Sri Lanka:
Missionaries of Charity
Shanthi Nivasa
81, St. John's Way
Colombo 15, Sri Lanka
Tel: 94 11 252 5995

 

Oceania

For Australia, New Zealand:
Missionaries of Charity
P.O. Box 337
Surry Hills, N.S.W. 2010
Australia
Tel.: 61-2-9318-2881

For Papua New Guinea:
Missionaries of Charity
P.O. Box 926
Boroko, Papua New Guinea
Tel.: 675-321-2201

The Americas

For Eastern U.S.A. and Eastern Canada:    
Missionaries of Charity
335 East 145th Street
Bronx, NY  10451
USA
Tel.: 1-718-292-0019

For Central U.S.A. and Central Canada:
Missionaries of Charity
3629 Cottage Avenue
St. Louis, MO  63113-3539
USA
Tel.: 1-314-533-2777

For Western U.S.A., Western Canada, Mexico (Tijuana):
Missionaries of Charity
164 Milagra Drive
Pacifica, CA 94044
USA
Tel.: 1-650-355-3091

For Mexico, Cuba:
Missionaries of Charity
Calle Galeana 225
Colonia Santa Fe
Mexico D.F.  C.P. 01210
Mexico
Tel.: 52-55-5570-5425

For Haiti, U.S.A. (Florida), Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands:
Missionaries of Charity
727 N.W. 17th Street
Miami, FL  33136
USA
Tel.: 1-305-545-5699

For Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama:
Missionaries of Charity
Apdo. 94-2200
Coronado, San Jose
Costa Rica, Central America
Tel.: 506-229-4269

For Venezuela, Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia:
Missionaries of Charity
Apdo. No. 12
Catia La Mar
Municipio Vargas
Venezuela, South America
Tel.: 58-212-351-2313

For Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia:
Missionaries of Charity
Apdo. 2726
28 de Julio 2821
Lima 100
Peru, South America
Tel.: 51-14-742-534

For Brazil:
Missionaries of Charity
4947 Avenida Brasil
Bonsucessso
CEP 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro
Brazil, South America
Tel.: 55-21-2270-0619

For Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay:
Missionaries of Charity
Calle Posadas 1848
1643 Beccar San Isidro
Buenos Aires
Argentina, South America
Tel.: 54-11-4723-0873

Experience:

Working at Kalighat was a life-changing experience

“I Thirst” defines my experience serving the poorest of the poor  

“I Thirst” defines my experience serving the poorest of the poor  

by Sam Ballou Volunteer

“I Thirst” These two words said by our Lord Jesus as he hung upon the cross defines my experience serving the poorest of the poor along side with the Missionaries of Charity. It is this infinite thirst that we seek to quench in every small act of love we give to the poor. I am grateful to God for this time that I have been blessed with, here in Kolkata. In every difficult moment, God’s grace is always there to help get through the trial, no matter what situation we may find ourselves in. God’s Love and Mercy is very much alive and at work here. In each of the Sisters, Brothers and Fathers smile, the love of Jesus is radiated throughout the world.

Working at Kalighat was a life-changing experience

by Marissa Turner Volunteer

One of the sisters told me that volunteers usually cry twice – on the first day of work and on the last.  For me, that statement was true.  The first tears were tears of shock and disbelief, fear, sorrow, and helplessness.  The final ones were those of thanksgiving, beauty, friendship, parting, and love.  Working at Kalighat was a life-changing experience, and I feel blessed to have spent three months working there.

I worked the morning shift at Kalighat, which meant that a lot of the household chores needed to be done.  Laundry, dishes, baths, meals, and medicines – all of these things are done every day.  In each of these things there is a sense of peace and simplicity and grace; somehow no matter how much or how little work there is, it all gets done.  The other volunteers and the sisters radiate joy and love in all that they do, and I always pray that I can do the same.  Perhaps the most special moments of the day come about when interacting with the patients.  Whether it’s a smile, a massage, or just sitting in each other’s presence, a special bond is formed – one that transcends language and culture.  Another honor, probably the greatest in my mind, is sitting with women as they pass from this life.  Trying to give any comfort possible and being there so that they don’t die alone: I cannot think of a greater honor than that!

Although blessings abound at Kalighat, there are also many challenges.  Witnessing the pain and the loneliness that so many of the women experience day after day is not easy.  My heart broke every time a patient would start crying or when she screamed and her body writhed with pain.  Those things do not get easier to handle each time they occur, but maybe we just recognize that those experiences, too, are a part of this life.  Another challenge is not being able to do all of the things that you want to be able to do to stop the suffering.  If only I had other medicine or more technology or more knowledge of this disease or if I knew the language or how to stop the injustices that are done to these women, but we all have one undying connection: we are human.  So we do our best to minister to the human person inside each one of us!

Kalighat, especially the women there, has forever changed my life!  I have learned that life is extremely fragile and should not be taken for granted; I have been humbled time and time again; I have seen great acts of love even in the midst of extreme pain and suffering; I have found out that poverty is a complex problem; and I have lived life in the moment.  I know that I gained more from Calcutta and Kalighat than I was ever able to give.  The two will always hold a special place in my heart.