Staff's progress of Faith Foundation.

Staff’s Progress

The staff members of Faith Foundation attended numerous programs to help them with skills required to formulated ideas and plans in their programs. For instance, all the staff members attended a program on substance abuse organized by the Alcoholic Anonymous Fellowship, Shillong, in Shillong. Ms. Maming and Ms. Maniung Niangti attended the Narcotic Anonymous Convention at Dimapur, Nagaland. They also attended a one month Basic Certificate course on Substance Abuse prevention organized by the Regional Resource Training Centre in Kohima, Nagaland. Further, Ms. Maniung attended the Unmanifesto campaign organized by the Community Youth Collective at Guwahati. She also became a part of the “Changelooms” fellowship program, an initiative by Pravah organization, Delhi. Katia Chakre, a volunteer of the Organization, along with Ms. Maniung attended a Basic Counselling workshop organized by the Bosco Institute, Jorhat. Katia Chakre also took part in a workshop on ‘Entreoreneurship’ at the Bosco Institute, Jorhat. Moreover, Ms. Shannon and Ms. Maniung, together they were present in a meeting and interaction session with the organization “Journey with Meaning” in Shillong. Youths from different parts of India were involved in the program.

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First Case

The first case intervention of the Organization was on two sisters age 10 and 7 who were separated when their parents decided to parted ways. The elder sister was living with the father and the younger sister was with her mother. When the mother died, the younger sister was illegally given to a woman who is an acquaintance of the mother. After a year, the elder sister was kidnapped and was illegally detained for a night by the same woman who has custody of the younger sister. The girl was brought back. However, the father feared the life of his daughters and therefore the sought the help of the Organization. Many suspected the woman to be a trafficker and proved to be unsafe for both the sisters. Faith Foundation along with a community based organization called Shishu Shiksha Ghar intervened on behalf of the sisters’ case that were at risk of being trafficked. The woman was arrested and both the sisters were placed temporarily in the safe custody of a Government run Shelter Home. These sisters are vulnerable and unsafe in the community where they lived and there will be no future if they are to be handed over to the father who is financially unstable. Therefore, with their father’s consent, these sisters are now placed at children’s home under the legal provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. They are now getting an education and their future looks bright. Faith Foundation continues to check up on these children every now and then.

(Written by Delanmi Massar, Intern of the Organization)

Activities of Faith Foundation in 2013.

Activities of the Organization

Some of the important activities conducted by Faith Foundation in the year 2013 were on four major issues- human trafficking, child sexual abuse, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Human Trafficking:

The organization participated in an awareness program organized by the National Domestic Workers Association Movement in Shillong. The target groups were women who are migrant domestic workers. They also took part in and awareness and training program organized by Shishu Shiksha Ghar which works on education. The social work students of St. Edmund’s College, Shillongg invited the Organization on an awareness program held at Anjali Community, Shillong. Parents and community members were present for the program. The organization also conducted an awareness program at St. Margaret’s girls’ school and students from class 8-12 participated in the program.

Child Sexual abuse:

The organization conducted an awareness program on child sexual abuse and orientation on the personal safety education for children at St. Margaret’s girls’ school. Parents of the primary school children along with the teachers were present for the program. The organization’s internees conducted a sensitization program on child sexual abuse. Social work students were very much benefitted from the program. Faith Foundation conducted a Personal Safety Educational Program organized by the SOS Children’s Village, Shillong under their Family Strengthening program. Adolescent girls and self-help women group of the village were present at the program. The Organization conducted an Awareness program on child sexual abuse at the Bosco Institute in Jorhat.

Substance Abuse:

The organization conducted programs on the issue of substance abuse at St. Margaret’s girls’ school, Shillong and SOS Children’s Village, Shillong. The organization also held programs on the disease of addiction/alcoholism and co-dependency in collaboration with the Alcoholic Anonymous fellowship at Sohra, Shillong.

HIV/AIDS:

The organization conducted an awareness/sensitization program on HIV/AIDS at Sein Jaitia School, Shillong and SOS Children’s Village. An important meeting and orientation program was also held at the Don Bosco Youth Centre, Shillong. The aim was to include the Organization’s program in different schools and to work together with principals, teachers, care takers and care givers of various child care institutions.

(Written by Delanmi Massar, Intern of the Organization)

First activity and program of Faith Foundation in 2013.

First Activity and Program

The first unofficial activity of the organization was on migrant workers of the National Domestic Workers Association, Shillong. They were called as resource persons and gave a talk on human trafficking. The money they got from their first activity helped them to open a bank account for the organization.

Officially, the organization first activity was a program to celebrate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26^th, June 2013. It was collaborated with the Social Work Department of St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, in their campus. The program included a talk on the issue of drugs abuse and the effects and consequences of drug abuse. A comic art competition was conducted on this theme and the competition was judge by a panel of judges that consisted of an artist, a faculty member and a member from the Social Development sector, Shillong. The students of the Social Work department also prepared street plays at various public places in Shillong.

The Organization’s first program was held at St. Margaret’s girls’ school, Shillong, 2013. It was the first school where the organization held their first school program. The program focused on human trafficking, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. The organization believes that schools are very important to implement their ideas and agendas.

In 2013, the organization was contacted by the SOS Children’s Village, Shillong. They were again called as resource persons to talk on issues relating to children.

Faith Foundation has a very unique way of implementing their programs. Firstly, all the programs are participatory in nature. The programs are full of activities and lots of interactions. It’s never a dull moment when a program is conducted. Secondly, the organization use communication tools in their programs. These communication tools help students to have an interactive session with the organizers. This way, a bond is build between the organizers and the students making programs interesting and a learning experience for the students. Faith Foundation’s main strategy is prevention. Prevention is a locomotive idea which the organization believes to be of utmost importance and that it is the only to protect women and children from further social abuse. The founders stress on four major components to tackle any kind of abuse meted out to women and children- consequences, impact, action and prevention. Their approach is purely based on the rights of women and children hold in society. It is a collective understanding of all the four founders to seek a practical and experiential approach to understand issues faced by women and children.

(Written by Delanmi Massar, Intern of the Organization)

A new beginning for Faith Foundation.

A New Beginning

Finding a purpose in life is a revelation to actually start living and worthy to uphold a privilege and to actually use that privilege to help the less fortunate ones. These four founders of the Faith Foundation followed their callings in life and formed an organization to help those that need their guidance and assistance with relevance to living a healthy and prospective life in society. For these four young women, establishing an organization was just a stepping stone to validate their ideas and beliefs. True, it wasn’t a joy ride with lullaby songs for these four young women before establishing their organization. Many trials and errors were very much part of the process leading up to the formation of the organization. It was just an idea that all these women shared that furthered the prospects of establishing an organization. Ms. Maniung, while away and still pursuing her Masters, had an idea to establish an organization of her own related to substance abuse. Little did she know that Ms. Shannon and Ms. Bari were also planning to establish an organization related to human trafficking and HIV/AIDS. It was only later when Ms. Maniung finally came back to Shillong after her studies that she met Ms. Shannon and Ms. Bari and came to know about their plans and ideas. Ms. Mahming, on the other hand, knew about the plans to establish an organization since 2012 and was a part of all process leading up to the formation of the organization.

All three women never looked back after this and went ahead and made a plan and vowed to establish an organization in Shillong. When Faith Foundation was established, the first year was more of agenda settings and networking in and around Shillong. Ground work was also important for the organization to know the reality and to comprehend the issues prevalent in society and Shillong in particular. With Ms. Maniung’s award from her Institute, it helped the organization to set up a proper working office for the organization. They also received a little bit of financial help from friends and loved ones. It was a tough first year for them as their budget was low and whatever they had was spent on building their important programs and strategies and other inevitable requirements for the organization. Bah Demand Jyrwa, one of the board members of the organization, met all the four founders one day and listened to their genuine ideas and plans for the organization and he felt the authenticity and sincerity of all the four women towards the organization and with this he donated a little out of goodwill for the organization which went on to helped the organization in more ways than one. Office hassle was another major problem for the organization. However, after moving from one working place to another, they finally found a proper working place at Bara Bazar, Shillong, in April, 2014, given to them by a well wisher of the organization. These four founders made a lot of sacrifice to established Faith Foundation. They quit their jobs, started the organization penniless and still had the courage to move forward with their beliefs and aspirations are commendable and more power to them.

(Written by Delanmi Massar, Intern of the Organization)

Faith Foundation (2013)

Faith Foundation (2013)

Faith Foundation is an organization founded by four young courageous women. These women came together to ponder on safeguarding the rights of women and children and protecting them from the shackles of society. Their passion became a purpose to educate issues relevant to women and children in society. Thus, Faith Foundation was formed by Ms.Shannon Dona Massar, Ms.Darhmingliani Hloncheu, Ms.Maniung Niangti and Ms.Barida Laloo.

The idea to form this organization was on the minds of these thoughtful women. However, to leave behind footprints and give back something to the society was not to be an easy task as experienced by the founders of this organization. In the year 2011, a seed of thought was implanted on these founders. It was this seed that brought Ms. Shannon Dona Massar, Ms. Barida Laloo and Ms. Maniung Niangti together for the first time to ponder on this seed of idea to form an organization in Shillong. Ms. Darhmingliani Hloncheu or as she is fondly called Mahming has a different story to tell. She was working for a different organization at the time and unknown to her were the developments of an organization that she will later on become a rightful founder. Ms. Mahming was on one day asked whether she was willing to join the organization and become a legit founder and without any hesitation, she said yes.

In the year 2012, the bylaws of the organization were formulated. There were intense meetings and discussions on the development of the organization. Their idea to form an organization became somewhat stagnant due to their commitments to their different jobs. Meetings after meetings happened but nothing became progressive. Finally, towards the end of 2012, all the four women took a stand and left their individual jobs and came together to ponder on progressing further with their idea to form an organization. It was in the year 2013 that the organization so eagerly awaited by all the four women finally came to light when Ms. Maniung received an award from Bosco Institute, Jorhat. This award was meant for those students of the Institute who wants to establish a non- profitable organization to cater to the social service in society and Ms. Maniung was considered for the award. The award in the form of a fund helped them to kick start the organization. Patience and perseverance were the guiding forces for these four women that led them to establish the organization we now know as Faith Foundation with a vision to “Restore, Reconnect, Empower and Freedom”. Faith Foundation deals with four important social issues- Child Sexual Abuse,Human Trafficking, Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS.

(Written by Delanmi Massar, Intern of the Organization)

The journey so far...17th July 2013

On the 17th of July 2013,Faith Foundation conducted an awareness program on substance abuse and on the basics of HIV AIDS for the children at SOS Children's Village, Barapani..our four interns from Bosco Institute, Jorhat also joined us and presented a special program for the kids. This was our first program with SOS Children's Village and the beginning of a relationship between Faith Foundation and SOS. We are happy and proud to say that we were able to conduct many other programs with them from this day on wards.

The journey so far...June 26th 2013

26th June 2013 being an "International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking", Faith Foundation had a program with the social work department of St.Edmund's College in their campus..the program includes a talk on the issue of drug abuse by Maniung Niangti and Barry from MSNP+, a comics art competition on this theme & a street play by the 2nd year BSW students in the campus, in Don Bosco square and Mothphran...the winners of the comics art competition were also announced on this day.