Fr. Joe conducts an All India Kripa Staff Meet

 

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Kripa Foundation, reputed as India’s largest NGO that rehabilitates substance addicts and HIV/ AIDS victims is set for a  “quantum leap” that will see the brand’s global emergence, Fr. Joseph H. Pereira, its Founder Trustee, said in Mumbai on December 17, 2012. He complimented long-serving Kripa staff for their utmost dedication and sincerity, saying, these pioneers continue working despite facing severe constraints, terming it as a “grace of God.”

Fr. Joe made these remarks in his keynote address while opening the annual ‘Kripa Model of Recovery: Training Program for Standardization’ workshop at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Bandra (West), Mumbai. The four-day event was being attended by Kripa’s centre managers, program managers, counselors and other senior officials from all its centres across India. Fr. Joe said, Kripa is adopting the latest ‘holographic’ concept used by major corporations worldwide. He lauded the contributions made by Dr. Snehal Mehta, Director-Psychiatry, Dr. MS Menon, Director-Medicine, at Kripa, while tracing the NGO’s growth from a humble start in 1981 to its current status as India’s largest organization of its kind.

Addressing the first session, Fr. Joe revealed how Alcoholics Anonymous had entered Mumbai in late 1950s and his own efforts at starting an AA group at the Church of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel, Bandra (West), despite initial resistance from various sections of the society. “By the grace of God, I succeeded and some of our members were from the dreaded street gangs of Bandra (West), who are reformed and are Friends of Kripa,” he added. Mother Theresa, he said, continues to remain an inspiration for him and for other Kripa staff. While appreciating current and past workers at Kripa for their selfless contribution to the NGO, Fr. Joe pointed out: “They have given their lives selflessly for the benefit of others. Nothing other than selfless dedication matters. We have seen those with egos fall by the wayside over the years,” he added.

 Attendees were pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Dr. Francis Pinto, Chairman, Xandev Foundation, London, a Trustee of Kripa. Dr. Pinto, in his speech, disclosed, the Board of Trustees have embarked on an ambitious project that would shortly see all Kripa centres and facilities equipped with the latest technology gadgets that would make sharing of experiences and information seamless.

Other speakers at the training program included Dr. Snehal Mehta, Dr.MS Menon, Bosco D’Souza and Krishna Iyer, who spoke on a variety of topics including pre-screening of patients, symptoms of addiction and in-house programs aimed at empowering families of addicts to cope with the victim.

Submitted by
Ashwin Honawar
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