Kindness in words creates confidence, kindness in thinking creates profoundness, and kindness in giving creates love is the motto of M.S.Sunil, the academic-turned social worker, who has constructed 89 houses for the homeless in and around Pathanamthitta.
Dr. Sunil, 57, is literally a ‘home maker’ and she will be completing a landmark - the 100th charity home for the homeless in the next two months.
The former head of the zoology department at Catholicate College in Pathanamthitta, Dr. Sunil has been selected for this year’s Nari Shakti Puraskar of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The Government of India’s highest civilian honour for women will be conferred on her on International Women’s Day on Thursday in recognition of her contributions to women empowerment. President Ramnath Kovind will present the award.
“Charity sees the need and not the cause. I felt the need to help the needy when an MSc girl student was found staying in a tent-like shelter at Kodumon in 2002,” she says. As the programme officer of NSS unit at her college, Dr. Sunil decided to construct the house on three cents provided by the grama panchayat.
The NSS volunteers, teachers, and well-wishers contributed and the house was constructed at a cost of ₹1.17 lakh.
She also personally contributed to the cause. That was the beginning of her ‘charity home’ project.
Dr. Sunil said her 100th charity home would be built on the tribal belt of Mannadisala.
She has been a pillar of support for many homeless women, children, and the terminally ill. . Her 87th charity home was allotted to a sick woman and her two daughters at Enathu near Adoor while the 88th was given to a construction worker at Kumbalanngi in Ernakulam a week ago.
Helping hand
A few Good Samaritans too had extended help to her housing projects. K.P. George, aka Prasad, from Konni who is settled in the United States sponsored 10 houses.
Gladya Mirinda, a boxing champion from Singapore, who came to know of her charity home project through social media, has come forward to sponsor two houses.
DISHA, a family group in the Gulf, and the Syro-Malabar Society in Bahrain have offered financial support in constructing 10 houses.
Philipose Mar Chrysostum Metropolitan Emeritus of the Mar Thoma Church, P.J.Kurien, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman; Youhanon Mar Chrysostom, Bishop K.P.Yohannan, and filmmaker Jude Antony sponsored one house each.
Dr.Sunil is supporting 15 orphaned children and supplies provisions to 50 homes. She says her dream project is setting up a self-contained hamlet for the homeless.
