Padmesh Prabhune –
The Mission to Seafarers, an NGO providing help to over 1.89 million seafarers in over 200 ports around the world is all set with their growth plans for India.
Speaking to Marex Media exclusively during their visit to India, The Ven. Dr Peter Rouch, Secretary General, The Mission to Seafarers, along with the Revd John Attenborough, Regional Director, Middle East & South Asia, Chaplain, Cyprus Port, confirmed about the happenings.
Dr Rouch, said, “The Mission to Seafarers provides help, be it spiritual, physical and /or emotional, to all seafarers and their families. “In India we have been focussing with the ‘Family Support Network’ programme in the port city of Tuticorin and shall be happy to look forward across the country in a phased manner.”
He added, “Seafarers are isolated from their families and the rest of society, spending many months at sea bringing us 90% of what we have. Having the breadwinners stranded out at sea or in foreign ports has a considerable knock-on effect on the emotional and economic welfare of their families at home”.
Elaborating further on the program in Tuticorin, Attenborough said, “The response program included identifying and providing seafarers’ families with vital supplies especially when most of these households have a single earner.”
The NGO provides Financial, Medical, Educational aid, along with a wellness program. The Tuticorin team has provided vital aid to over 1,000 seafarer families who have been unable to work due to the challenges of joining vessels.
“We have been visiting seafarers, listening and letting them know we care, by providing homecare centres, a ‘home away from home’ where they can go and relax, speak within community members, watch TV, play pool, send money, buy a snack or two. We provide transportation to take them to the centre or to the mall.”, Attenborough said.
During COVID 2019 their team of volunteers – identified and provided families in need with essential commodities such as food and PPE kits to protect them against the fast-spreading virus.
Attenborough informed, “The COVID-19 response programme, which we implemented with the help of local volunteers and parish priests made a significant difference to the seafaring community as well as 66 families from the fishing community.”
The team includes chaplains, interns, employees and volunteers. The Mission has a board of directors who work with the Senior Chaplain to fulfil their mandate.
Marex Media