Научно-исследовательская работа “Mother Teresa is a vivid example of love, faith and charity in our days”

Муниципальное общеобразовательное учреждение «Средняя общеобразовательная школа № 4»

“Mother Teresa is a vivid example of love,

 faith and charity in our days”

                                                                       Выполнили:

                                                             Валухова Александр, 10 класс

                                                     Руководитель: Бараева

                                                                       Ольга Владимировна,

                                                                   учитель английского языка

                                                          первой квалификационной

                                категории

Ртищево

CONTENTS

Introduction………………………………………………………………3

      Chapter 1 Mother Teresa is a vivid example of love, faith and charity

       in our days……………………………………………………………..4-7

      1.1 Mother Teresa`s life, work and charity………………………………4

      1.2 International charity ………………………………………………….5

      1.3 Declining health and death………………………………………….6-7

1.4 Interesting facts about Mother Teresa………………………………7

      1.5 Charity Organizations in Saratov Region…………………………...8-9

      Chapter 2.Researching part………………………………………………10

      Conclusion……………………………………………………………….11

      List of literature……………………………………………………… .12

      Appendix 1……………………………………………………………13-14

INTRODUCTION

Charity is quite popular nowadays. People have become more open and kind-hearted. On the whole, charity means voluntary giving of help to those who are in need. Charitable giving can include the act of giving money, goods, time, attention and kindness to the unfortunate. There are so many charity organizations in the world today. They allow people to donate either directly or online, through websites. If everyone made charity a part of their life and helped those who are in need, the world would become a better place to live. One of the brightest examples of charity is Mother Teresa.

The theme of the project: “Mother Teresa is a vivid example of love, faith and charity in our days”.

The purpose of the project: to explore the life and work of Mother Teresa and show the importance of a positive attitude to the life in our difficult days.

The object of the project: the life, work and charity of Mother Teresa.

Tasks:  

1. to investigate the problem
2. to analyze the questionnaire
3. to sum up given information.

 Methods:

1. a search and close study of reference books
2. investigation  
3. systematization
4. questionnaire
5. making a conclusion.

Our project may be useful for students, their parents and teachers and may be used at the English lessons.

CHAPTER 1

Mother Teresa is a vivid example of love, faith and charity

in our days.

1.1 Mother Teresa`s life, work and charity

Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Albania. Her real name was Agnes. She was the youngest of three children. Her father was a good businessman and the family had a comfortable life. Her parents were very religious. Agnes's mother taught her children to pray and to love and help other people. They often gave food and money to the poor. They were the first lessons in kindness for little Agnes.
When Agnes was only nine, her father died. The family became poor. But later her mother opened a shop, and the business did well. That was the second lesson in life from her mother: when life is difficult you must try, try and try again.
         In 1928 Agnes left her family to become a nun. She chose a new name for herself— Teresa. Sister Teresa went to India to teach poor children. Later she began to help the poor. She took care of people who had no one else to look after. She worked hard. She was sure that she would succeed. She believed that "all men are created equal". In 1948 she and her pupils set up Missionaries of Charity.
They worked in hospitals and schools, took care of children without parents and helped the sick and the dying.
          Mother Teresa never worried about money. She always said that the help would come when it was needed. In 1979 Mother Teresa got the greatest prize in the world — the Nobel Peace Prize. She received the prize of $190,000 not for herself but for the poor people of the world. She used this money to feed hungry people and to give help to the sick and dying. Mother Teresa received the Nobel Prize because all her life she loved and helped people.
         After Mother Teresa's death her Missionaries of Charity continue their work trying to help people all over the world.
                               

1.2 International charity

Mother Teresa said "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."

           In 1982 Mother Teresa rescued 37 children trapped in a front line hospital by brokering a temporary cease-fire between the Israeli army and Palestinian guerrillas. Accompanied by Red Cross workers, she travelled through the war zone to the devastated hospital to evacuate the young patients.

          When Eastern Europe experienced increased openness in the late 1980s, she expanded her efforts to Communist countries that had previously rejected the Missionaries of Charity, embarking on dozens of projects. She was undeterred by criticism about her firm stand against abortion and divorce stating, "No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work." She visited the Soviet republic of Armenia following the 1988 earthquake, and met with Nikolai Ryzhkov, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

           Mother Teresa travelled to assist and minister to the hungry in Ethiopia, radiation victims at Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia. In 1991, Mother Teresa returned for the first time to her homeland and opened a Missionaries of Charity Brothers home in Albania.

            By 1996, Mother Teresa was operating 517 missions in more than 100 countries. Over the years, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity grew from twelve to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centres around the world. The first Missionaries of Charity home in the United States was established in the South Bronx, New York; by 1984 the congregation operated 19 establishments throughout the country. Mother Teresa was fluent in five languages: Bengali, Albanian, Serbian, English, and Hindi.

1.3 Declining health and death

Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack in Rome in 1983 while visiting Pope John Paul II. After a second attack in 1989, she received an artificial pacemaker. In 1991, after having pneumonia while in Mexico, she suffered further heart problems. She offered to resign her position as head of the Missionaries of Charity, but the sisters of the congregation voted for her to stay. Mother Teresa agreed to continue her work as head of the congregation.

          In April 1996, Mother Teresa fell and broke her collar bone. In August she suffered from malaria and failure of the left heart ventricle. She had heart surgery but it was clear that her health was declining. The Archbishop of Calcutta, Henry Sebastian D'Souza, said he ordered a priest to perform an exorcism on Mother Teresa with her permission when she was first hospitalised with cardiac problems because he thought she may be under attack by the devil.

         Christopher Hitchens accused her of hypocrisy for opting to receive advanced treatment for her heart condition.

          In 1997 she stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity. She died on 5 September 1997.

           At the time of her death, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity had over 4,000 sisters, and an associated brotherhood of 300 members, operating 610 missions in 123 countries. These included hospices and homes for people with AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programs, personal helpers, orphanages, and schools. The Missionaries of Charity were also aided by Co-Workers, who numbered over 1 million by the 1990s.

         She was granted a state funeral by the Indian government in gratitude for her services to the poor of all religions in India. Her death was mourned in both secular and religious communities. In tribute, Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said that she was "a rare and unique individual who lived long for higher purposes. Her life-long devotion to the care of the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged was one of the highest examples of service to our humanity." The former U.N. Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar said: "She is the United Nations. She is peace in the world."

1.4 Interesting facts about Mother Teresa

1. She was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Albania, to a financially comfortable family - they lived in one of the two houses they owned. Her father died when she was 8 years old, which ended her family's financial security.
2. She took her vows as a nun in 1931, and that's when she chose the name Teresa - to honor Saints Therese of Lisieux and Teresa of Avila.
3. When she was 18 years old, Agnes left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Rathfarnham, Ireland.
4. Although she lived to be 87 years old, she never saw her mother or sister again after the day she left for Ireland.
5. She took leftover food from a plane while travelling on it & gave it to the poor and the hungry
6. Opened the "House of the Dying" where she could take care of patients.
7. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity at the time of her death had 610 missions in 123 countries including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programs, orphanages and schools.
8. Mother Teresa's white sari with blue stripes only cost $1
9. She refused the traditional Nobel honor banquet, instead requesting that the $192K funds be given to help the poor of India.

                              1.5 Charity Organizations in Saratov Region

       Charity is important for giving organizations the money the need to have an impact. While government funding can help, many charities rely on donations from individuals and organizations. Charity also has a number of mental  health benefits. Studies have also shown that charity is linked to better measures of mental health. Even though few of those who donate to charity ever see exactly where their money went, the act of giving itself can led to happiness and satisfaction. 

    There a lot of charity organizations in our region. All of them  try to help children and adults who need them. These organizations provide an invaluable role in helping people. Here are the most well-known charities on the Saratov earth.

                              Saratov Region Community Foundation

           The foundation is the region`s first charity fund and was established in August in 2001. The of the fund is the pooling of resources among state, business and nonprofit sectors of the economy of the Saratov region in order to deliver effective solutions to social problems and improve quality of life.

The foundation is active in two key areas: social affairs and culture, and annually organises a regional competition for projects from these areas in addition to financing projects by non-profit organisations. In addition, the foundation provides information, organisational and financial support for cultural activities including competitions, festivals and art exhibitions. 

Support is also given to victims of the conflict in South Ossetia, including rehabilitation services for children in the best resorts on the bank of the Volga river. The foundation has also purchased furniture, computers and medical equipment for South Ossetian schools.

Fund "Galchonok"

 The charitable Fund "Galchonok" was created to help children with organic lesions of the Central nervous system: palliative children, children-orphans and children from poor families. As a Foundation, they focus their attention on improving the quality of life of our children, changing attitudes to children with special needs and their opportunities for self-realization in society.

Gazprom  Saratov Fund

Gazprom transgaz Saratov is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom. The company ensures sustainable development of its business, while paying attention both to the economic and the social component.  Gazprom transgaz Saratov annually takes part in regional social projects aimed at boosting the social support for the population and rendering assistance to needy and poor people, servicemen, veterans and invalids of  the Great Patriotic War and other socially disadvantaged groups. The company provides individual assistance to healthcare, educational, culture and sports institutions, orphan homes and boarding schools.

Gazprom transgaz Saratov supports regional social programs covering boarding schools, children’s hospitals, orphanages, cultural centers and sports organizations.

CHAPTER 2

            RESEARCHING PART

             Making this work I asked students from our school (7 - 11 forms) to find out some things which they know about Mother Teresa and charity. The students had to answer a questionnaire. [Appendix 1] 

                The list of questions:

1. Have you ever heard about Mother Teresa?
2. What was her job?
3.  What charity organizations do you know?
4. Are there charity organizations in your town or region?
5. Are charity organizations necessary? Why?
6. Have you ever helped people in need?
7.  Is there charity work in your school?
8. How does your school help people in need?

          The results of the questioning showed that nearly all our students (81%) have heard about Mother Teresa. These students have learnt about this famous person at the English lessons. [Appendix 2] 

         As for charity organizations our students know only some famous ones. They are Podary Zhizn, Podary Nadegdy, Fond-zhivi and The International Charity Fund. [Appendix 3] 

It`s a pity, but nobody of our students know about charity organizations in our region. But there are many of them. The most famous ones are                              Saratov Region Community Foundation, Russian Children's Fund, Fund "Galchonok", Gazprom  Saratov Fund and many others.

         And of course all students agree that charity organizations are necessary. They help people in need. And helping people we become kinder, more sympathetic and responsible and learn to empathize.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion we would like to say that the acts of charity come in many different forms. If you have ever helped to plant a garden or gave your jar of coins to someone who needs it more than you, then you already know what charity is. However, true charity doesn’t only mean giving out money and unwanted items to others. True charity starts with a kind word given by you to someone on a bad day, with a sincere smile and with love.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have lots of toys or warm clothes for winter. Sometimes people simply can’t find the job to earn enough money. Others are sick, disabled or elderly and can’t get around on their own. These are the cases when charity helps.

Mother Teresa once said: “To truly give charity, you must be free of selfishness!” And, it’s true.

LIST OF LITERATURE

1. Книга для учащихся “Enjoy English” (9 класс), Биболетова М.З, 2002.
2. Книга для учащихся “English 10”, Кузовлев В. П., 2014.
3. Большой справочник для школьников, 2000.
4.  Wikipedia
5. Интернет ресурсы:

http://www.legacy.com/news/explore-history/article/20-facts-about-mother-teresa 

http://wasteurtime.com/interesting_facts/famous_people/10_interesting_facts_about_mother_teresa/

http://www.biography.com/people/mother-teresa-9504160

http://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/unknown-facts-about-mother-teresa

Appendix 1

The list of questions:

1.  Have you ever heard about Mother Teresa?
2. What charity organizations do you know?
3.  Are there charity organizations in your town or region?
4.  Are charity organizations necessary? Why?
5.  Have you ever helped people in need?

                                               Appendix 2 

Have you ever heard about Mother Teresa?

                                               Appendix 3 

What charity organizations do you know?