Kerala - Kochi   

YWCA celebrates 80 years of service

DOWN MEMORY LANE: Veterans of the Young Women's Christian Association and others after celebrating the 80th anniversary of the association in Kochi on Thursday. — Photo: Mahesh Harilal

The Ernakulam YWCA has come a long way. It has been treading the path of service by implementing several programmes meant for women and children. It was a memorable Thursday for the organisation as it celebrated its eightieth birthday.

It was in 1926 that the YWCA came into being in Ernakulam. It took another decade for the YWCA to have a maternity and child welfare centre at Kadavanthra. In 1939, the association moved into a new building and the inauguration was by Her Excellency Lady Linlithgow. In 1942, a nursery school was established and three years later Lady Wavell laid the foundation stone for the Association's double-storey block. In 1950, it was the commencement of sewing and adult literacy classes for the women of Kadavanthra, apart from a medical centre with the help of the Girinagar Sunday School.

In 1952, the Sosa Mathew nursery school was established, named after the first national secretary of YWCA (1942). In 1978, the YWCA acquired GCDA's working women's hostel at Gandhinagar on a ten-year-lease and two years later established a retirement home for women. 1987 marked the construction of the Association's working women's hostel and in the year 2000 the construction of `Salom' — home for senior women citizens was completed.

It was on October 26, 1926 that Ms. V. Varghese of Kochi brought together a group of caring and conscientious women for a prayer meeting. The purpose was to find proper accommodation for students and working women in the city. Soon after, the YWCA hostel was born. It functioned from a rented house with five students as residents. Even today, the association believes in the core values — the mental, spiritual, legal, moral and professional development of all women. Among the many patrons, the roles of the Maharaja of Cochin and the Dewan should be remembered by all, feels many of the veterans of the Association. Lady Mountbatten, Indira Gandhi, and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur were some of the dignitaries who had visited YWCA, Ernakulam in the past.

The Association is a shining example of a charitable organisation with its principles rooted in Christian charity and equality of all humanity, regardless of religion, caste or creed.

The Association is now running the `balwadi,' `canning centre,' counselling centre, etc. It gives financial assistance to destitute women and has launched `Asraya' programme to provide transit accommodation for destitute women, says publicity chairperson of the Association Nimmy. PASI ( Public Affairs & Social Issues) programme focuses on seminars, discussions and awareness classes on contemporary social issues. YWCA president Ammini Samuel said land would be bought this year for setting up an old age home for destitute women. Renovation of the kitchen is on the cards to launch the `Meals on Wheels' programme, said Sheela Korah and Valsa Oommen, vice presidents of the Association.

K. Venkiteswaran

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