Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910 in Albania. Though a Roman Catholic nun she took Indian citizenship. She started the ‘Missionaries of Charity’ in Kolkata (Calcutta), and devoted her whole life to working for the ‘poorest of the poor’. For over 45 years she served the poor, the sick, the orphaned and the dying.
At the age of 12, she felt that she was born to do God’s work through helping the poor.
Later, she started to work alone and without any funds. But soon people gathered around her as volunteers and many gave donations to support her good work. Today, her organisation, the Missionaries of Charity, provides help to the poor not only in India, but also in many parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
They undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics and famines. In areas of war, her sisters have done a tremendous amount of work for the refugees.
Mother Teresa was honoured by both governments and civilian organisations. She was awarded the Padma Sri in 1962. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work.
She was given the Bharat Ratna in 1980. When asked where she got the strength and perseverance to put her whole heart and soul into the service of others, Mother Teresa would simply answer – “In prayer”.
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, but her spirit lives on through the work she has done and the organisation which she began.
Kisan Ransika Amarasinghe
Grade 8-B,
Prince of Wales College
Moratuwa.