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Fili-Inc. was born from the love, kindness, and camaraderie of a group of five philanthropic ladies: Lisa, Maria, Cleo, Roberta, and Rosa. Fili-Inc. partnered with Ekota Film and recently, Fili has appointed Dr. Anna Yallourakis as their CEO. In 2008, Fili began its first mission: raising funds and drawing awareness for the Theotokos Girl’s and Boy’s Orphanage and St Ignatius School in Bakeswar, India.
A humble nun, Sister Nektaria, has been the sole leader of these organizations for the past 25 years, and Fili responded to her call for funds to help sustain and educate the orphan children.
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January named Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month by the United States Department of Defense |
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January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. “The scourge of child sex trafficking has left virtually no country untouched, but some parts of the world have emerged as hubs of this illicit trade. One that has been especially ravaged is the Indian state of West Bengal...” National Geographic October 2020 article titled “Stolen Lives.”
West Bengal? That is the area where Sister Nectaria has the Theotokos Girls’ Hostel! West Bengal has been the source for almost a quarter of the almost 35,000 cases of human trafficking in India.
The biggest cause of the human trafficking tragedy is the widespread poverty of the area. If a girl is starving, or desperate for a job, or susceptible to the prospect of marriage, she is enticed by a trafficker with false promises and then sold to a brothel. The brothel is a locked and guarded prison where they are beaten, burned, and raped into submission and servitude. The girls often take painkillers to endure physical torment. The shame and emotional suffering are immeasurable.
Kalighat is the red-light district of Kolkata, where the Greek Orthodox Church is located. It is also the location of the first Home for the Dying established by Mother Theresa. The dozens of children who come to the churchyard each morning for a cup of milk and a biscuit are from the nearby slum. This is where Sister Nectaria first saw the plight of orphaned or unwanted girls.
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Young students at the Theotokos Girls' Orphanage 2020 |
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Orphaned girls would be prime targets for traffickers. Dozens of these vulnerable children without families are now safe and thriving because of the love, shelter, nutrition, and education given to them by Sister Nectaria. It is difficult to imagine the alternate fate that could have awaited these carefree youngsters now enjoying swings, slides, and birthday parties. Older girls are in high school and college, and some even have graduate degrees. Rather than being sold into slavery, they have become sophisticated, educated young women. Several of these young professionals work in administration or as teachers in the orphanage school.
Continuing the older students' education has been costly because they must be bussed to outside secondary schools. There is tuition to be paid at high schools and universities. The St. Ignatius English Medium School at the Hostel is highly regarded. Many parents from nearby communities apply to have their children study there. Good students who live outside the orphanage have been admitted for modest tuition that has enabled financing the schooling of the orphans. Prior to the recent lockdowns, the school accommodated 700 students.
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Newly Outfitted Computer Lab, donated posthumously by Kathy Trihas |
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Over the past few years, dear friends of the orphanage have sacrificially enabled building a new four-story school with 85 rooms and will provide education through grade 12. The school is not complete, but the lower floors will welcome students when the lockdown eases. The school still needs fire prevention measures, an elevator, science labs, and a cover for the central courtyard that doubles as a gathering hall. The computer lab has recently been equipped by the help of a generous donor to enable the children to continue their studies online during this time of school closures. |
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Children's Day at the St Ignatius School |
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With much thanksgiving to caring donations over the years, much has been accomplished, but there is yet much to be done. The school must demonstrate a degree of physical completion to qualify for accreditation by the Indian government.
Your help to the Theotokos Girls’ Hostel has not only given many girls a home and an opportunity to succeed but has saved them from the heartless fate of human trafficking.
Thank you.
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An Update on the Rebuilding of the Security Guard's home on the Theotokos Orphanage grounds after Cyclone Amphan |
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With the help of many generous donors, the Theotokos Girls' Orphanage security guard is rebuilding his home. Cyclone Amphan devestated the area of West Bengal in May of 2020, leaving devastation behind on the grounds of the orphanage and school. |
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We invite you all to read the recent article from the National Geographic: "Stolen Lives: The harrowing story of two girls sold into sexual slavery." One of the regions the article highlights is in West Bengal, India, the location of the Theotokos Girls' Orphanage. In 2016, a staggering 55% of Indian girls trafficked were from West Bengal. The work we do at Fili, with the help and contributions of our donors, fights child sex trafficking by providing vulnerable girls with food, housing and an education. Please continue to support our work and please forward this email to spread awareness of of our mission. Please click on the photo to visit the article.
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Updates from the Theotokos Orphanage: |
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The headline news from the orphanage in India is that, despite the overwhelming events of Covid, the record-breaking cyclone, and monsoon flooding, there is a glimmer of progress. Construction will begin in the near future on the new well for the boys’ hostel. The lockdown continues and the older girls have taken over all duties until helpers and teachers can re-enter the orphanage and foreigners are permitted into the country again. Sister Nectaria is in Greece awaiting the issuance of a new visa. There is an urgent need for computers so that the children can access lessons that the teachers send online. "
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Does your company match donations? Please email us and at help@fili-inc.com and we will provide you any required information.
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