A bunch of giggling girls smile towards the camera as I click a few photos of them. As soon as the photos are clicked they gather around to look telling me which photo has come out the best. I leave with a promise to email the photos while they reply with a chorus of ‘Thank you’.
These girls reside under the care of three ‘Cluny sisters’ at the St. Anthony’s Home located at Senaulim in Verna. Nestled within a quaint Portuguese-styled house surrounded by mango, chikoo, guava, kokum and blackberry trees, the home offers a place for the all-round development of the girls.
Sister Matilda Carvalho, Superior, says, “The first preference is for orphaned children, second preference for a child without a mother and then for children from destitute or broken homes.”
There are currently 20 girls at the home with newcomers coming in at the end of May. Most are from Goa with just a few from other states. Children of all religions are taken in at the home.
There is a special focus on education with the sisters seeing to the girls’ tuition after they return from school. They follow a set timetable at the home with time devoted for games, chores, prayer, studies, recreation and yoga. Activities such as drawing competition, speech competition and crib-making competition (during the Christmas season) are also conducted. An outing for the girls is also organized annually which mostly involves an overnight stay.
The home is run by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny. The congregation is dedicated to St. Joseph and Cluny (a place in France) was the site of the first house, thus the congregation got its name. There are three other houses in Goa; a home for the aged in Nagoa, a technical institute at Vasco and the Dr. Roque Ferreira Memorial Hospital in Verna.
The house where the girls stay has a considerable number of rooms with a garden at the front. Right opposite the house is a hill with a view of Vasco from the top. Sister Matilda tells me that during their vacation the girls enjoy climbing to the top accompanied by one of the sisters.
The house with the adjoining land was donated by the de Mello family. The children of the house included a Bishop, a priest and a cloistered nun. The home was inaugurated in 1976 and the priest, Fr. Carlos S.J. came himself to hand over the documents and celebrate the first mass. The descendants of the family still visit the home till today.
Sister Matilda tells me that while there are some difficulties in running the home, they try to overcome them. The home is maintained with “what people give,” adds Sister Matilda. Donations in the form of provisions, food and money are accepted at the home.
People and charity groups also volunteer their time. One such group visits regularly to encourage learning through various practical activities. Another group collects extra food from parties and delivers it to the home.
Sister Matilda proudly tells me that they have married three girls from the home while another three have devoted their life to God as religious sisters. Another girl is pursuing general nursing. Five of the girls currently residing at the home were a part of the winning rugby team in an inter-school competition and one of them recently went to Meghalaya. The girls participate in cultural programs and present song and dance performances for occasions such as Easter and Christmas.
Sister Matilda says, “Since St. Anthony’s Home is an orphanage, any orphaned children are always welcome at this house. Even a child without a mother and children from destitute homes of all religions are accepted.”
The home is a haven for the girls where they are free to be children while at the same time to learn and grow in a safe and nurturing environment.
For further details contact Sister Mary Matilda Carvalho, Superior stanthony_goa@rediffmail.com or 8975686437
