Bethsaida Home,

     P.O. Box 224-0242,

     Kitengela, Kenya.

     Mobile: +254 703 116387

     Email: sndsbethsaida@gmail.com

Bethsaida Home opened its doors to those in need in June, 2011. It has a maximum capacity of thirty persons but is currently hosting thirteen. It is located near the town of Isinya, Kajiado County an area called Koromboi.

Bethsaida Home is a refuge that houses only women from all walks of life who are in Kenya and happen to be aged, physically or mentally disabled and no one to look after them, say family, friends or loved ones.

Background

Bethsaida is a home that was established by the Society of Nirmala Dasi Sisters (SNDS) founded by late Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Kundukulam, the first Archbishop of Thrissur in 1971. Considering the needs of the people of the locality where the society was founded, Pullazhy-India, the Sisters of the society started to serve the needy with an open heart without any restriction other than that of a deserving human being.

The Society is a community which undertakes most needed humanitarian services in the Catholic diocese. They try to find the crucified Christ in the less privileged and marginalized in the society.

purpose of the Home

Home for the Aged people: The main objective of caring for the aged people is to provide love, concern, social and emotional security which are basic human rights especially for those with no one to care for them

Physically Disabled persons:  Most of the handicapped people are from poor backgrounds and are mostly rejected by family as not only are they an expense but also sometimes a shame to the family. In such cases, Bethsaida Home offers the Disabled help by looking after them and in some cases training them to develop self help skills.

Mentally ill people: Mentally ill people are not accepted or even cared for in their own families, especially those who are poor. Some of them are ill-treated, physically abused and even cast from the families. In such circumstances, Bethsaida Home offers them treatment, vocational training and other rehabilitation programs.

The ladies of the Home

The reason as to why the home has only thirteen ladies instead of thirty- its maximum capacity-is because there is still not enough money or food to run the home. The home is run by Sister Alphonsa who is a Nurse by profession and is assisted by two other sisters and two girls training to be Nuns.

Seven of the thirteen ladies are aged, a few of them on psychotic medication. One of the ladies is blind while another recently suffered a stroke.

Of the remaining six ladies, five are from the age of 35-60 and are either physically or mentally disabled.

All the ladies from the home came from The Missionaries of Charity in Huruma which is currently past its maximum holding capacity.

How does the home manage

The Home keeps going thanks to well wishers from congregations associated with the Home. The congregations include, the churches around the home and the Kitengela Catholic Church. The home is not bias about who wants to donate what. The doors to the home are open doors to everyone, both those who give and those in need of help.

Administraion

2011-2017 Sr. Alphonsa Kallivalppil

2017-2020 Sr. Kochuthressia Maliakkal

2020 Sr. Rosily Pidiyath