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WHO WE ARE, ABOUT US
Who are we? Missione calcutta was founded by hélène ehret, born in 1934, originally from alsace and from bergamo by adoption.
Her and the association’s story started after a painful experience in an orphanage during the Second World War, it continued with the promise to save the world’s suffering children. In 1992 she received a letter from Mother Teresa of Calcutta in which she was shown the way to help the biggest number of deprived Indian children.
Since that moment, with two operative basis, one in Bergamo and one in Calcutta, the association has donated a new life to more than 9.000 children thanks to the distance support and to the projects aimed at guaranteeing the right to study and access to care, reaching beyond the borders of India and 7 more countries in the world.
vision
A new and equal world for all the children.
Mission
Fighting all forms of poverty, ensuring inclusion and human rights.
ROAD MAP
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
A school where more than 2000 children study and live
REMOTE SUPPORT
9380 children supported remotely
FOOD SECURITY
Weekly food distribution for more than 200 children, women and men on the street
HEALTH AND ACCESS TO CARE
A hospital where more than 100 people a day are treated for chronic diseases
WATER AND HYGIENE
More than 200 wells built
RECEPTION
A home for more than 60 abandoned elderly people
WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE MISSIONE CALCUTTA?
EXPERIENCE
active for 30 years, more than 9000 children supported, more than 200 wells built, schools built and renovated.
ON-SITE MONITORING
daily by contact persons and managers in the field.
INDEPENDENCE
We are independent of any political thought and religious belief.
TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY
in the management and sending of funds.
TESTIMONIES
direct testimony of those who have collaborated, donated or participated in a trip to visit our missions.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
personal relationship and correspondence with our donors and also with our contact persons and beneficiaries in the field.
HÉLÈNE EHRET AND OUR MISSION
Hélène Ehret is our core, the founder of Mission Calcutta. Her story and that of the association began in the midst of World War II in an orphanage in Alsace where the girls were mistreated.
A story of love, suffering, and struggles that took shape in 1992 from a letter from Mother Teresa of Calcutta and which has the smiles of nearly 9,000 saved children. We fight to ensure rights and freedom for all children, women, and men of the world, to create a society free from discrimination and inequality, where universal rights are finally recognized and implemented.
We strongly believe in the power of education, the foundation of development and every opportunity in life. With our sponsorship programme and our humanitarian projects, starting from the right to education, we dedicate ourselves to the growth of children worldwide, providing them with books and school supplies, as well as food, medical care, and healthcare assistance.
IL TEAM
Hélène
Founder
Marialuisa
Chief Operating Officer
Jessica
Administration
Giuseppina
Administration
Nicola
Fundraiser
Doriana
Project Manager
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Hélène Ehret, PRESIDENT
Founder of Mission Calcutta in 1992: the heart and soul of the association. Born in 1934 in Alsace, after a painful experience in an orphanage during World War II, she decided to dedicate her life to the forgotten children of the world. Following a letter from Mother Teresa of Calcutta, her mission took shape, reaching out to help nearly 9,000 children over 30 years.
Marco Iazzolino, VICE PRESIDENT, WITH A DELEGATION TO GOVERNANCE
He has more than thirty years of international experience in the management of personal services, particularly targeting the most vulnerable groups. He has worked in 89 countries in highly complex scenarios, promoting support for projects with the “build better back” methodology, activating personal services. He has directed actions to combat and recover from the Ebola and Zika viruses, as well as the major disasters of the past 20 years. He is a lecturer and consultant on issues related to personal services at international level. He is the director of a scientific series dedicated to social innovation and poverty.
ERICA FOGLIARESI, TREASURER, WITH A DELEGATION TO MANAGEMENT CONTROL
Employed as the Head of Commercial Back Office in a company based in Brescia. She believes in volunteering as a resource for society and has been involved in recreational and support activities for children hospitalised at the Pediatric Department of the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo for several years. She shares a relationship of affection and esteem with Hélène and now collaborates with Mission Calcutta, supporting the staff in administration and management.
Antonio Bancora, COUNCILLOR, WITH DELEGATION TO DEVELOPMENT ITALY
He has been engaged in the field of international cooperation as a manager and executive of important non-governmental organisations for over ten years. Also, he has been working as a consultant for both nonprofit and for-profit sectors for three years. He is the co-creator of “Bridging the Gap“: a strategic consultant for the private sector, aiming to involve SMEs in development cooperation projects through virtuous partnerships with various development cooperation actors. Since 2008, he has been the Operations Manager at the Albero della Vita Foundation.
MARIALUISA CASELLA, SECRETARY, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Graduated in international relations, with a II level University Master Degree in cooperation and direct experiences in the Middle East and Africa. Her work trips abroad, particularly to the most forgotten areas of the world, have allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the real needs of the most vulnerable components of society, especially women and children. For Missione Calcutta, she oversees project activities both abroad and in Italy, as well as coordinating various roles.