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This page contains answers to common questions about Makodiya Mission and the charity activities conducted by the St. Thomas Mission. We will update this page as we get more questions from you, our customers, if we find that the question has a wider appeal. Please remember that you can participate in our Discussion Forum and Guest Page also.
Makodiya is a village in Madhya Pradesh State in Central India. It has a population of about 850 with about 200 plus houses. Mr. Clark, a British Missionary who visited Makodiya in 1900, was the first known Christian who was here.
In 1885, there was a plague epidemic in Makodiya. Many villagers were killed by this epidemic. The plague left 24 orphans who were tended by the British Missionaries. These are the first known Christians in this region.
Makodiya is surrounded by over 35 villages within a 6 mile radius. People are farmers. Most of them work for landlords earning $0.50 per day. Illegal liquor distilling is a cottage industry in these villages. Typhoid, Jaundice, stroke, etc. are all considered the wrath of God. Snake venom is chanted out and supplied by the "pundits". The villagers go to these "pundits" when they get sick. The medicine usually is water with "mantras" chanted to it by the medicine man. Tuberculosis is very common. About 58% of the children are illiterate in these parts of the country.
Parents typically encourage the children to go to the fields and tend the cows and sheep instead of going to school. Women are considered to be housewives. They cover their head and face in front of strangers. Anyone new to the village must first report to the village chief, who is known as "Patal" or "Patel".
Because of the pressing needs for education, medical care and other development activities in this region and because of the earlier work started by the missionaries in this region, Makodiya was adopted by the Orthodox Church of India as the hub of its mission activity.
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Makodiya Mission wants to reach out and touch these villagers with the Christian Love. We want to adopt villages and provide them with:
- Medicine and Health Care
- Education - Primary, secondary and assistance to go for higher education for those deserving kids.
- Provide drinking water by installing more tube wells
- Assistance with farming - Provide seeds, fertilizers, education on better farming techniques.
- Provide in-patient care and transportation facilities to take the sick to the hospital for the needy.
- Financial Assistance for the marriage of the poor.
- Assist deserving kids to seek higher education in the nearby cities. Provide dormitory help.
- Build a home for the needy - orphans, old people and destitute.
- Teach villagers a trade like tailoring, typewriting, T.V. Repair, Repairing motors, automotive repair, welding etc.
- Conduct Mobile Medical Camps. to provide primary health care to the neighboring villages.
- Teach villagers about personal hygiene.
- Build roads and provide better transportation system.
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Please see the section entitled: "HOW CAN YOU HELP THE MISSION?"
We are looking for any kind of help.
We are in immediate need of hospital equipment such as Exam table, wheel chairs, Beds, Oxygen apparatus, Blood Pressure monitoring equipment, stethoscopes, laboratory equipment, band aids and first aid supplies etc.
Please spread word about us. Please encourage your friends to visit this home page and to get involved.
Of course, financial help is always welcome. This is an instance where a little money go a long way. See the section: EXPENSES RELATED TO OUR MISSION for ideas.
We welcome you to visit the Mission. Please contact us early so that we can arrange for your stay while visiting.
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The Makodiya Mission was founded by H.G. Stephanos Mar Theodosius. Bishop Theodosius is the Bishop of the Calcutta Diocese of the St. Thomas Orthodox Church of India.
Bishop Theodosius was always interested in the welfare of the Adivasees, the tribal people in India. His doctorate thesis was based on a subject exploring how the standard of living of these tribal people can be improved. He had been working with mission activities since 1952. He was ordained as a bishop in 1972. He started the Makodiya Mission in 1986.
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St. Thomas Orthodox Church or Malankara Orthodox Church is a division of the Orthodox Syrian Church. The Indian Orthodox Church was founded by St. Thomas, the Apostle. The head of the Malankara Orthodox Church is the Catholicos of the East. At present, this position is occupied by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews II, 89th apostolic heir of St. Thomas.
Indian Orthodox church has millions of members who lives in most parts of the world. The main concentration of members are in Kerala State in South India.
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6. How Much Did the Mission Spend For This Web Site?
Nothing. This web site was designed, programmed and hosted by International Cyber Business Services, Inc. It has not cost the mission a penny. ICBS strongly believes in this mission and was so moved by the stories about the mission that we have decided to sponsor this home page to get the word out about this mission. We hope that this web site will enable to enlarge the activities of the mission to more villages.
7. Who was Sadhu Sundar Singh?
Sadhu Sundar Singh is popularly called the Bleeding Footed Saint in these parts of India. His life history parallels that of St. Paul. During his young days. Singh was a strong opponent of Christians. He burned bible. A change occurred to him after a vision from Jesus. He became a strong proponent of Christianity. He became a monk. He came to Makodiya in 1929. There is a big Banyan tree near the village. The tree is spread out to about 2 acres. Sadhu sat under the Banyan tree and taught the local people bible.
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