NEWS

Let’s make it our business
to keep reinventing the meaning of SERVICE!

When I think a moment about survival in extreme conditions, or the plight of the displaced in tribal or religious conflicts, one of the things that thrills my heart is the resilience of traditional people in many parts of Africa and the south-east Asia.

How fair is the organisation of social care service in these parts of the world?
What are the disparate characters that define the meaning of social care service?

I took a flight one day in April 2006 to find the meaning of social care service in relation to Africa, or one country of Africa. I found one ‘Distribution Centre’ they call the EU-Care (or Eucharistic Care). This is a Catholic charity agency in the Archdiocese of Owerri community in Nigeria. Numbering not less than 300, the ‘less fortunate’ and the most-in-need of the community comprise all age groups. Refugees from the northern part of the country are welcome too.

The first impression on the heart of anybody entering that premises is the magnificent creation of a generosity. Wedded to generosity is the concept of service - a giving of yourself to better the lives of others, the community, the world. It’s an attitude, resilience, and an energy that maintains the flood. A service giving, and is sustaining, without pay or reward.

Excited I was when I saw the priest in-charge and his very small number of staff accelerating the free flow of clothes, food, money and advice, and everything positive in their lives. Good deeds, volunteering, changing or distributing a few clothes, feeding the old among them with insufficient foods. These are some of the methods to spread the meaning of social care service, the priest told me: I’m not prescribing service as simply something you’re “supposed” to do, nor is it drudgery. Rather, it’s about understanding what you’re moved towards; then doing it. ‘The real meaning of service is doing what comes out from your heart, mind and soul’

In the world of the humanitarian agencies, my mission can be described carefully as a situation analysis or needs assessment; in other worlds, simply, it will be a fact-finding assignment.

The situation was found to be extremely miserable for the many homeless, ravenous people, but the EU-Care have no live-in care accommodations for them. The practice of care is therefore centred on Economic Rehabilitation. Since founded in October 1992, the EU-Care has extended its services only on these methods to many who are in most need of assistance, thus bringing hope back to their lives.

For the EU-Care, there is an operating manual that they always have ready to use in the care practice. The manual is extending Jesus Eucharistic love to the poor and needy through the following rehabilitation and relief services:

EU-Care Loans: Loans of varying amount (generally modest) are given to individuals to engage
in self-supporting economic activity.

EU-Care Scholarship: Scholarships for social education to cover tuition only are awarded to insignificant few students from the most-in-need families or refugees.

EU-Care Job Scheme: This scheme provides opportunities for skills acquisition for the young, disabled or without parents. Assistance is also given for the provision of tools for those who have trained for self-employment but have no tools to begin on their own.

EU-Care Relief: Under this programme, assistance is given to persons who have immediate material needs. Numerous “distressed” persons who call at the EU-Care office daily are given little hand-outs of money, food, or clothes to satisfy their immediate financial, food, clothing or transport needs. Three-quarters of the “distressed” persons seriously want live-in care, but the EU-Care is not able to provide lodgings, housing needs. Ninety-nine point nine percent of both the ‘less fortunate’ and the most-in-need of the EU-Care assistance belong to this category.

What do they need now to continue in this service?

They need your support, however large or small.

Contact Social Care World today.

Tell your friends and family members about SCW, and EU-Care doing difficult work with bare minimum resources.

Send your donations to SCW by the best possible means of your choice.