A Land of Promise A holistic approach to environmental protection through education In the beautiful hillside of Banakal,
into the ministry of education
India, many hurdles would need to be
to address the concerns of
overcome to complete the desired
the employees of the coffee
school. From chasing cattle to diverting
estates in Banakal.
water sources, it took careful stewardship
Nestled atop the Charmadi
of land over many years for Nazareth
hills in the scenic Western
School to find its place in Banakal,
Ghats, Banakal is surrounded
and become recognized as a leading
by coffee estates and paddy
educational institution in Mudigere.
fields and is known for its
In the 1990s, the Sisters of Charity of
pleasant weather throughout
Nazareth sought to expand their mission
the year. It is one of the
beyond Bihar and Jharkhand. Invitations
agriculture dominant villages
to open missions in the south of India
in the Chikmagalur district.
were already coming, and some missions
Marietta
were already open. As the Sisters looked
and Hilda Lobo, SCN, were
at a possible mission in the Diocese of
the first to be missioned.
Chikmagalur in the year 1996, Babil A.
Saldanha,
Recalling
SCN,
her
Saldanha, a philanthropist from Banakal,
pioneering days, Sister
offered to donate two acres of property
Hilda says, “The initial
with a wish that the Sisters would venture
period of my ministry
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARETH • VOL . II 2022
21
