Fr Joe: there will never be another like you

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Kumta, a remote place in Karnataka... my first exposure to SALT during a learning event. There were a few sessions where the facilitator asked us to sit together as staff from organizations. As I had come alone, facilitator suggested I sit with  Fr Joe who was the lone one from his organization People in Need Foundation. He was my dad's generation but was soon to become my teammate and guide in the SALT journey. As our lives intersected for over a decade, some tales to recount...though writing about Fr Joe is heart-wrenching, he deserves a befitting farewell. His profile 

https://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/JoeNgamkhuchung

 

The SALT memories

As a SALT facilitator some of the remarkable things which he did 

• He truly believed in the capacity of the community and led the way for SALT in Nagaland, northeastern part of India. This is a blog by him. https://aidscompetence.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nagaland-goes-the-ac...
• It was in one of his communities I learned the importance of dream building in CLCP
• He arranged for us to stay in the village and facilitate Participatory Action research with communities https://aidscompetence.ning.com/photo/album/show?id=2028109%3AAlbum...
• Ability to transfer SALT - Through his work, I saw one village transfer SALT to 8 more villages. He learned from Kenyan team and implemented with truck drivers https://aidscompetence.ning.com/profiles/blogs/salt-visit-with-truc...He used SALT with parents of differently abled children
• The knowledge fair was organized by the village to whom the SALT had been transferred which was remarkable 
• He facilitated community demand for HIV testing and government official offered a space where the mobile testing team would station in the village for testing 
• We tried to set up SALT facilitation in team in the NE https://aidscompetence.ning.com/profiles/blogs/north-east-facilitation-team
• The last we met was in 2017 when he invited Jean Louis and me to facilitate SALT learning event and who could refuse Fr Joe's invitation!
  

The sweet memories

Not only he had a vital role in shaping my SALT journey but some memories which I cannot help but share:

1. Once I remember he had arranged sweet, juicy famous Nagaland pineapples for us. I loved them and thanked Fr Joe. He had some packed for me to take home:-)
2. I had the privilege to meet  his wonderful family and enjoyed the most delicious meals by his very lovely wife, Ma'am Alice 
3. Through him I met and reconnected with some very nice people Adrian, Ankita, Jahanbi, Dr Antoly, Jacinta, Bazo, Jenpui, Maii, Joma, Sana, Bijoya, and many others. 

 

Lockdown memories

I called him every year to wish him on his birthday in July. This year I was not well and did not wish him...regret it.  I could have heard his voice one more time. 

In Sep'21 he invited me to contribute to a chapter  on SALT  for the book he was writing about his journey

An avid reader, the last photo he shared with me was " My friends during lockdown' 

Bye Fr Joe!

Fr Joe was kind, caring, thoughtful and hardworking member of our India salt facilitation team. He brought people together, cultivated relationships and thus sowed the seeds for numerous productive connections. There are no words enough to thank you, Fr Joe-the storyteller. We were to do many more SALT visits...

[Nkurikiyinka Valens]

Thanks Rituu for these memories!!

[Kausar Skhan]

This tribute has brought Fr Joe to me who did not know him at all... i can sense his presence even though he is not here... thank you Rituu for this touching tribute