Catholic Social Services
Encyclopedia
Catholic Social Services is a Roman Catholic social service organisation in Karachi, Pakistan.
In 1962 the Archbishop of Karachi (later Cardinal) Joseph Cordeiro
decided to form the Catholic Social Services (CSS), becoming its first Chairman and chose Cyril Mendes to be the Honorary Secretary. All Catholic groups doing social work like the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre
, Lemmens Welfare Society, came under the umbrella of CSS and thus got a forum to share their experiences and resources. Later Cyril Mendes was elected the Chairman of CSS and continued to be Chairman from 1969 to 1979.
CSS successfully solicited donations from and worked with organizations such as Caritas Germany to send aid to Pakistan and was involved in many projects from opening medical clinics for vaccinations for the poor in Lalukhet
, Nazimabad
and rebuilding of homes damaged by the Indian Air force bombing in Keamari after the war.
In 1981 a program for giving housing loans was started. Interest free loans are provided to households to be repaid within 3 years in monthly instalments. Between 1981 and 1992 loans were provided to 830 families. By 2004 this had increased to more than 2,000 families.
In 1993 CSS had 50 members who each year elected a 9 member Executive Board. The organisation employed 9 staff, 2 in housing loans, 3 in community worker training and 4 for core support.
In 2004 the Karachi archdiocese announced plans to expand the CSS programs to people who need them, regardless of their social and religious background. Yaqub Arshad, executive secretary of Catholic Social Services said his agency intends to reach beyond Catholics by also offering home loans, improving basic health facilities and providing education services and income-generation and capacity building programs to other communities.
In 1962 the Archbishop of Karachi (later Cardinal) Joseph Cordeiro
Joseph Cordeiro
Joseph Marie Anthony Cordeiro was the first Pakistani cardinal.-Education:He was educated at St Patrick's High School, Karachi, the University of Bombay and Oxford University...
decided to form the Catholic Social Services (CSS), becoming its first Chairman and chose Cyril Mendes to be the Honorary Secretary. All Catholic groups doing social work like the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre
Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre
Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi, Pakistan is run by Dr. Ruth Pfau, who is also a Roman Catholic religious sister of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary. Its social work department was founded 1962 by Dr. I. K. Gill and work for the leprosy patients and their family members was...
, Lemmens Welfare Society, came under the umbrella of CSS and thus got a forum to share their experiences and resources. Later Cyril Mendes was elected the Chairman of CSS and continued to be Chairman from 1969 to 1979.
CSS successfully solicited donations from and worked with organizations such as Caritas Germany to send aid to Pakistan and was involved in many projects from opening medical clinics for vaccinations for the poor in Lalukhet
Liaquatabad Town
Liaquatabad Town is a town in the central part of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan named after Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. It is bordered by the towns of North Nazimabad to the north, Gulberg Town and Gulshan to the east, Jamshed to the south across the Lyari River, and SITE...
, Nazimabad
Nazimabad
Nazimabad is a middle-class suburb of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.Nazimabad was developed starting in 1952 to settle Muslim refugees in Pakistan. This suburb was named after Khawaja Nazimuddin who was the second Governor-General of Pakistan, and later the second Prime Minister of Pakistan as well...
and rebuilding of homes damaged by the Indian Air force bombing in Keamari after the war.
In 1981 a program for giving housing loans was started. Interest free loans are provided to households to be repaid within 3 years in monthly instalments. Between 1981 and 1992 loans were provided to 830 families. By 2004 this had increased to more than 2,000 families.
In 1993 CSS had 50 members who each year elected a 9 member Executive Board. The organisation employed 9 staff, 2 in housing loans, 3 in community worker training and 4 for core support.
In 2004 the Karachi archdiocese announced plans to expand the CSS programs to people who need them, regardless of their social and religious background. Yaqub Arshad, executive secretary of Catholic Social Services said his agency intends to reach beyond Catholics by also offering home loans, improving basic health facilities and providing education services and income-generation and capacity building programs to other communities.