The programmes of AFF
Annual Meet
The Annual meet is a regular feature of AFFK. Started in the year 1996, the event is a huge draw for all family members. It is arranged as full-day programme, normally in the month January every year. The Meet starts with sports events suited to different age-groups of children, adults and veterans. Everyone takes part in these events enthusiastically and competes for well deserved honors. Sports event is followed by group lunch and get-together. Children’s cultural programme follows with energetic participation of youngsters. The formal meeting starts immediately, thereafter. The usual milieu for the meeting consists of Prayer, Welcome speech, Presidential address, Annual reports, Guest lectures, Felicitations, Endowments, election and Prize distribution. All these items are interspaced with selected cultural items.
AFF has 120 families in its fold, with nearly 400 members including children. Our Family Meets are well attended (attendance in the range of 150 to 200) and they provide a rare venue for a warm get-together with lots of learning experience, amusement and relaxation.
Endowments
AFF has instituted endowments to foster education and charity. 6 educational scholarships are sponsored in the name of Late Rev. Fr. A.V. Abraham for children of the economically backward at Kandanad. Educational endowments are sponsored in the name of late Shri A.M. Thomas, late Smt Kunjumma Abraham, late Shri A.I Kurian and late Smt Saramma Varghese. These endowments are given to the children who pass out with the highest marks in SSLC and +2 final examinations.
Medical endowments are in the names of late Smt Lovely Paul and late Shri Mathai, which is distributed to the needy and eligible for medical treatment.
The above scholarships and endowments are distributed in the Annual Meet.
Charitable activities
The Fellowship gives priority to undertake charitable activities, mainly in the area of community welfare. Whenever exigent conditions prevail in the society the Executive Committee takes appropriate decision regarding the action plan to alleviate human sufferings.
Notable among the past activities were:
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Contribution to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund for natural calamities (Tsunami relief)
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Distribution of food kit to 100 poor families affected by viral epidemic (chikungunea).
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Distribution of educational aids (school bags & umbrella) to primary school children of poor families.
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Providing patient amenities to the Primary Health Center at Kandanad.
AFF News Letter
Started in the year 2003, as a 6-monthly in-house publication, it provides a print media for important family news and views. The News Letter is welcomed by all members, especially those residing outside Kerala as they consider it a common space they share with their kith and kin back home. It is also a medium which promotes knowledge sharing and includes the heritage aspects of family with life sketches of our ancestors. The publication is managed by a local Committee consisting of an Editorial Board.
Family Awareness Meets and Prayer Meets
Periodic meets, mainly sponsored by individual families, are held to promote spiritual awareness, knowledge dissemination, heritage values and personality development. The Fellowship held such meets to commemorate late Rev. Fr. A.V Abraham, late Shri A.T.Chacko, late Shri A.C. Thomas and late Smt. Kunjamma Abraham. Prayer cum condolence meets are held in bereaved families. The Fellowship organizes “Shri A.M.Thomas memorial lecture” in its Annual Meets. A memorial seminar was conducted in January 2010 on late Prof. A.O.Mathai.
Felicitation of elders
AFF considers as its duty and privilege to care and respect the aged. Elders in the family are specially honored when they attain the age of 75y and 90y.