“My husband died of a sickness in 2019. He was an overseas returnee from Qatar. He had worked in middle east countries for more than 15 years. Unfortunately, he could hardly save. I have three children. Eldest daughter is doing her graduation in Cuddalore, the second daughter is in Class 12 and my son is in Class 8. I was the only breadwinner of the family. Since the time I fell ill, there was no one to take care of my family. I received support for my treatment. Now I feel that I will recover soon,” said Ms. Mercy, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu.
Ms. Paulinal from Villupuram, Tamil Nadu shared, “My husband could not find a job after his return from Dubai during to Covid-19 pandemic. I was struggling to meet the daily needs of the family. Paying the school and college fees of my children was not possible. I was given Rs. 25,000 to start a small business. I opened a chicken shop, and it is running well. Now I can pay the fees of my children. I see a ray of hope and feel confident about my future because of the assistance I received to start a shop. This was a great help at the right time,” said Ms. Paulinal, Tamil Nadu.”
The services of Jesuit Ministry to Migrants External (JMMEx) to overseas migrant labourers are very much focused in 225 rural villages of Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Tiruvannamalai districts. Overseas migrants were reached out to with dry ration during the pandemic, livelihood support, medical expenses, skill and entrepreneurship training.
Fr. Velangani
Director, JMMEx