St. Xaviers Social Service Center Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Nepal Introduction: The St.

Xaviers Social Service Center (SXSSC), Jawalakhel has been working for the welfare of the poor and needy children since last 40 years. It is basically a home for the children those who are homeless. SXSSC helps the children to get quality education by enrolling them in different schools/ colleges in Kathmandu, Nepal. The center also provides medical treatment for those who cannot afford it and serves the marginalized group of people through its outreach programmes. A physiotherapist has been appointed to look after the individuals from the center. The centers offices in Jawalakhel and Nakhipot are run by a team of 22 staffs under the leadership of Fr. S. Arulanandam, S.J. History of SXSSC: Late Fr. Thomas E. Gafney, S.J., established the SXSSC in 1970. He first cared for the homeless boys in rented quarters and soon bought land and buildings in Jawalakhel and Nakhipot in Lalitpur district. These days, the center operates its programmes in Jawalakhel and in Nakhipot. In Jawalakhel, the center accommodates 72 children from different parts of the country where they live with their friends and attend local schools. In Nakhipot, the center operates the Freedom Center and the Gafney Bhawan serving the vulnerable youths to recover from drug addiction and the blind, mentally ill and mentally challenged people respectively. Freedom Center is a drug rehabilitation center, which is the pioneer drug rehabilitation centre in Nepal. At the beginning, the referral centre for drug detoxification was first started in 1976 near Rani Pokhari, the heart of Kathmandu. At that time Fr. Gafney, S. J. did detoxification. To render a better service to the clients the organization was made a treatment cum rehabilitation center. From 1983 onwards the Freedom center is a rehabilitation center for psychologically troubled, drug abusing youths.

Leadership at SXSSC: S.N. 1 2 3 4 5 NAMES OF THE CENTER DIRECTORS

Fr. Thomas E. Gaffney, S.J. Fr. Bill Robins, S.J Fr. Norbert, S.J. Br. Dillip Toppo, S.J. Fr. S. Arulanandam, S.J.

Loving and respectful attention to a troubled youth, honestly caring about him as a person, and the courage to point out to him areas which need correction; providing him with an acceptant, family atmosphere in which there is both comfort and purposeful efforts for self knowledge: these are some of the characteristics of the Therapeutic Community philosophy and method (Fr. Gafney, S.J.)