To dream and dare

Kadiyala Kamala (in the pic, with her younger brother) could very well have been just another name in the list of residents of Seethampet village in the Kothavalasa Mandal of Vizianagaram District (Andhra Pradesh). That it still is. However Kamala is a well known name in the whole town of Kothavalasa. A little further into the city of Visakhapatnam, especially amidst the medical fraternity of the government facilities, the same Kamala is fast gaining popularity. Besides being the youngest government employee, Kamala is today looked up to by many a youngster, even her own seniors from school, college and nursing school. But this was not the case earlier.

Born the eldest in the family is not always a blessing, so did Kamala realise early in life. With a mother who did everything in her might to keep the family together, and a father who barely was there at home sober and attentive, it was up to Kamala to find her way to fulfill her passion of doing her studies so as to become a doctor. With no financial means of procuring the required study material, she would borrow them from her companions late in the night after they had finished their study, sit up the whole night and return the books early next morning, so that her companions could study again. The lit stove at home was not an everyday reality. Much less, the lunch box. It was her sheer determination to study that saw her secure 82% in her tenth standard board exam from the local Catholic missionary school, St Mary's. Having secured one of the highest ranks not only in her school but also in the vicinity of Kothavalasa mandal, some intermediate colleges offered her a free seat. She chose the one closest to her house, so as to be of help at home too.

It was during this time, as she contemplated, what next, that she began to speak to Fr K.T. Jose, the Rector of St John's Regional Seminary, whom she knew since her school days and who had often helped her with some books, uniform and class fees – thanks to the generous educational support of Fr Luigi Zuffetti, through Don Bosco Missioni, Italy. Thanks to his guidance she saw a beacon of light for the fulfilment of her dream of wearing the white coat one day.

Fr K.T. Jose explained to her the different options she could choose from and then recommended her to the St Ann's Nursing School at Malkapuram, an institute run by the St Ann's Sisters of Luzern (India), on the outskirts of the city of Vizag. That, according to Kamala, proved to be the turning point of her life. Today she cannot stop thanking and singing the praises of the Sisters who according to her, turned her life into a miracle. “They really taught me how to be the best of who I could be. It was from them that I learnt how to live, share, pray and love. I can never ever forget what they did for me,” shares Kamala. Everytime she utters 'St Anns' she almost jumps up in the air for joy! She is specially all praise for Srs Mercy Tom and Regi. She has imbibed the 'St Anns' spirit so much that listening to her speak English, none would doubt that she is from a purely rural Telugu background. All along Fr K.T. Jose was her constant guide and help.

Much before she completed her five year stint at the nursing school and notched the second best mark (84.3%), she was offered a top job at the Rajiv Gandhi Medical Institute, Visakhapatnam. Of the 20,000 job applicants for a mere 270 government posts, Kamala holds the record for being the youngest to be selected to date. Today, the 21 year old Kamala, with just a year of working experience at the institute, has been handpicked to undergo a specialised training in Visakhapatnam itself.

Though financially secure, she has not forgotten her early days. It is her mother that she loves dearly. Her example of hard work and love for the family are something Kamala cherishes most. Her father too is a changed man now. When asked as to what is the cause of this dramatic development in her life as well as that of her family, Kamala is quick to respond: “Jesus Christ and His gracious blessings!” Her initial dream of becoming a doctor has now a definite shape: she has set her mind on becoming the medical superintendent of the hospital. “Thus I can not only help people with their sickness but also get others to assist those in need and effect major health policies for the greater benefit of the poor,” is what Kamala is sure about. And her primary goal? To be the start of a series of success stories... to get others to dream dreams and have the will power to make those dreams come true.

Excellence seasoned with altruism: Bocha Ravi, the Chemical Engineer

It was just a year ago that Bocha Ravi, a youngster from a hamlet near Kondadaba (Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh) started his specialisation studies at Kanpur and now having completed that, has six job offers, given his excellent performance as a Chemical Engineer. But the story is far from over. “This is just a stepping stone to my real dream,” says Ravi. “I shall soon be an IAS officer in Vizag or Vizianagaram and empower the rural interior villages.” Now this is not just some wishful thinking but a determination which makes him see what he wants to be as clearly as the shining sun. Welcome, once again, to the life of Bocha Ravi.

“All that I had was a passion to study and barely hundred rupees with me, when Fr Jose agreed to pay my entrance fees to the college. That is what has helped me to be what I am today...,” says Ravi amidst tears of nostalgic joy. Having stood third in the batch of 80 students (at IIT, Kanpur) and recruited within days of completing his engineering studies by nearly half a dozen Petrochemical industries, Bocha Ravi now stands a good chance to make a rich living. But Ravi has his eyes set on something else. “I'm not for accumulating money. I have my dream set and that I will achieve,” is what Ravi is sure of when lured by an offer to work abroad which certainly has a higher monetary benefit than the offers at hand.

With a fat paycheck assured, Ravi has not forgotten the little help he once received from a handful of well-wishers, especially St John's Regional Seminary, and in particular the person of Fr K.T. Jose (Rector). It was this sense of humble gratitude that saw this youngster walk through the gates of the Seminary, the job invitation letters in hand, to acknowledge in person, the great benefits that he received while still a school boy. That was just a day before he left for Delhi for a three-month training programme with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the offer he opted for.

After the training programme in Delhi, he plans to return to his village to take his aging mother, the only one whom he can call as family, along with him. For the mother, who has slogged it out through hard daily labour in the fields and construction sites, this achievement is certainly joyful. However, her true joy is not that he has become a successful job holder, but that he will certainly fulfill his dream of being an instrument of growth and empowerment for many more women (and families) like her. Mr Sastry, a resident and supporter of the educational dreams of quite a few young people in the village too feels the same.

Thanks to the generosity of benefactors, especially Fr Luigi Zuffetti and Don Bosco Missioni (Turin), that thousands of young people, like Ravi, have been and are being provided an opportunity to study and come up in life. The seminary looks forward to a day when more young people, inspired by Ravi and his life, take up as a challenge to redefine the socio-economic status of the remote villages of Kothavalasa Mandal.

Animation of the sponsored children and Parents

On Sunday November 14, 2010 as the nation celebrated Children's Day, the Seminary of St John's, Kondadaba had a extended celebration of the same feast. It was a day when all the children sponsored by the Seminary for their education were invited to the Seminary for a day of animation and input sessions, along with their parents. In order to make the most of the event, only the full time scholarship students and their parents were invited. In all there were 125 people in the campus for the day. The day of animation was planned and organised in order to bring further awareness of the need and importance of education in the lives of young people and the wonders a proper education can do in the life of not just the student but in the family as well.
The theme of the day was Education for leadership. Children as well as parents were exalted to be a model to their neighbours and excel in virtues so as to help other parents, children and young people to tangibly see the glories of a fruitful education. Fr Sagili Devadas, the Spiritual director of the Seminary, in his address emphasised this point. This sponsorship programme which was initiated and is sustained through the kind help of benefactors from Italy, especially Fr Zuffetti was first started in 1995. Thousands, since then, have benefitted from this novel and noble help.

The highlight of the event was the sharing of the participants. On being invited to share their experience of witnessing their children go through the rigours of formal education and come up in life, parents were very thrilled beyond words. The children were proud to be looked up to not just by their friends and villagers but by their own parents. It was very touching to see and hear their testimonies of how education has transformed their life and living.

The programme of the day commenced at 10.30 am and concluded with a personal chat with the Coordinator of the sponsorship, Fr KT Jose (who is also the Rector of the Seminary) sometime before 4 pm. Fr KT Jose was assisted by the two growth groups of Suvarthasunadam and Vidya Jyothi for the planning and organisation of the day.

Br Swarna Anil MSFS (B. Ph. I yr)

A life more than exemplary... Bocha Ravi Kumar

The life of this boy can certainly be called exemplary, not just for what he has today become but also for what he intends to do in the future. It is not just a story of a boy who rose from rags to riches but that of sheer determination and will power to do something challenging and noble in life. A thatched hut for a home, a sick mother for a family, a street light for a study lamp and an ailment that threatened his very sanity and almost led him to be an outcast were all that he had when he began his studies at the local school 15 years ago. Today the same lad (now a young man) has in hand job offers from 7 multi-national companies to join their team of engineers with a fat pay, besides a student enrollment letter cum grand scholarship from IIT, Kanpur with a monthly stipend of Rs 12,000. Welcome to the life of Bocha Ravi Kumar! Read on...

Extending a helping hand for Education

The whole campus of St John's Regional Seminary, Kondadaba was abuzz with nearly 500 school children, most of whom were accompanied by their parents, from nearly 8 neighbouring villages on July 4, 2010 and what brought them together was their zeal for pursuing their studies. Continuing the tradition of extending support for the educational process of deserving children, the community of St John's, Kondadaba chose this day to distribute notebooks to the children, the first of the many forms of support to those who otherwise will not enter the portico of any school.

Read more...