History
Our story starts way back, when MSMHC sisters started their work in Jeriko Khualbuk...
Ferrando Integrated Women Development Center – Peace Home was started in the year 2005, to help women and young girls live more dignified and purposeful lives. It is run by the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, a rare initiative of the sisters in the North East.
The center provides services to recovering drug users, alcoholics, sex workers, those infected with HIV and other vulnerable women and children and persons with disabilities in the society.
The congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, the first indigenous congregation in North East India was founded on 24th October 1942 at Guwahati, Assam by His Excellency, Stephen Ferrando, SDB., DD., The then Bishop of Shillong. The congregation is especially dedicated to women and children in rural areas. It has 156 centers and works in 48 dioceses of India, Italy, Africa and USA. The members number over one thousand and belong to 45 ethnic groups of India.
The congregation, having made substantial contribution towards the growth and development of the society in North East India, and being aware of our universal commitment, we continue spreading our wings to the rest of India and the world around. Our strong conviction to give the best we can for the world urges us to move on forward.
Strategies
- To provide institutional based services for women in difficult circumstances.
- Institutional based services for children in need of care and protection.
- Advocacy for empowering domestic workers - children and adults to prevent exploitation and to promote the dignity of their labour.
- Initiate skills development through vocational training for economic empowerment of young girls and women.
- Initiate community based rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities and their families
- In-house capacity building as well as for community based organizations to increase knowledge and keep up to date with new developments.
- Documentation and action research in order to share experiences and learnings.
- Build, strengthen and maintain networking and partnership with government, non-government and community based organizations.