Education Sponsorship Programme

It is in the meeting of the Board of Directors of Welfare Services Ernakulam held on December 20, 1994 , that the decision to start Education Sponsorship Program was taken. Fr. Jose Thelakkatt, the Treasurer-cum-joint Secretary of welfare Services, suggested about a programme to assist poor and intelligent students with sponsorship of people of good will, that could be started as memorial of the centenary of the Archdiocese. Mar Jacob Manathodath , Auxiliary bishop of Ernakulam who presided over the meeting entrusted him the task of drawing up a clear picture of the project and appointed him in charge of it. It was also decided that the programe should be a part of Welfare Services Ernakulam, but functioning with operational independence with a separate bye-law and a Board of Directors.

Fr. Jose prepared the bye-law in consulation with experts and worked out other details of the project taking into account the various views, opinions and suggestions of priests, religious and laity that emerged in the series of meetings he organized in forane, zonal and diocesan levels. He led the sponsorship mobilization campaign traveling to every nuke and corner of the Archdiocese addressing gatherings, meeting prospective sponsors individually, arranging sponsors meeting in which sponsors handed over contributions to the bishop or other dignitaries, contacting by mail or telephone to priests and laity working out side etc. The bishops of the Archdiocese offered full support and the priests, religious and laity whole heartedly by cooperated in the movement.

Inauguration

The project was inaugurated by His Eminence Cardinal Antony Padiyara on July 30, 1995 receiving contribution from few sponsors during the solemn concelebrated Holy Eucharist at St. Mary’s Basilica Ernakulam which marked the inauguration of the centenary celebrations.

His Eminence Cardinal Simon Pimento formally inaugurated the massive fund collection campaign on February10 , 1996, during the valedictory public meeting of the conclusion of the Centenary celebrations at Marine Drive Ernakulam. He did it by receiving the sponsorship amount from the representative of sunday school students of St. Georges Forane Church Angamaly.

Sponsors Meetings

The main strategy of fund raising was arranging sponsors meetings in which sponsors handed over the sponsorship fund to the chief guest of the programme often the Bishop. A series of sponsors meeting were organised during 1995-97 in the diocesan, zonal , forane, parish levels.

OFFICES AND STAFF

Period	Office	Secretary	Program co-ordinator
30-07-1995 08-11-1995	Service Centre Ponnurunny	Mr. K.V. Anto
09-11-1995 25-02-1997	Aiswaryagram	Rev. Sr. Maria Davis CMC
26-02-1997 20-06-1997	Ambunad
21-06-1997 02-12-1997	Thaikkattukara	Mr. Prabeesh Rev. Sr. Sheenet F.C.C.
03-12-1997 12-05-1998	Renewal Centre Kaloor	Rev. Sr. Alonsa F.C.C.
13-05-1998 02-05-2007		Rev. Sr. Agnel F.C.C.	Miss. Rajom Thampi