Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala

Karkala, Nov 7: Sister Donalda Pais, founder of Jeevan Welfare Trust in Karkala and headmistress of Arunodaya Special School, passed away at the age of 81 after a brief illness. Fondly known as "Sister Arunodaya," she dedicated 35 years to the selfless service of children with special needs, earning multiple accolades, including the District Rajyotsava Award.

Born in Karingana, Bantwal taluk, Sister Donalda (originally named Marcelline Pais) was the daughter of Sebastian Pais and Pauline Fernandes. She completed her primary education at St Anthony’s Primary School in Karingana, secondary education at Carmel High School, and graduated from St Agnes College, Mangaluru. She later earned her BEd from St Ann’s. After completing her education, she trained as a novice at the Bethany Convent and received the title of sisterhood in 1971, changing her name from Marcelline Pais to Sister Donalda Pais.

In 1968, she began her career as a government-appointed high school teacher and served at various schools, including Rosa Mystica High School, Loyola High School, and Jyothi High School in Ajekar, where she later became headmistress. Her dedication to serving children with disabilities became apparent during her teaching years, prompting her to identify and support differently-abled children within society.

In 2000, while serving as headmistress at Jyothi High School, Sister Donalda founded Jeevan Welfare Trust and established Arunodaya Special School in a rented facility in Karkala. Initially, the school served four children with intellectual disabilities. Due to increasing demand, she moved the school to Magdala and later opened a branch in Mala. As the number of students grew, a dedicated school building was approved, facilitated by a 0.86-acre land grant, recommended by former MLA, the late Gopal Bhandary. Sister Donalda retired from teaching in 2000 and devoted herself fully to social work, using her pension and donations from well-wishers to complete the school building in 2004.

For over two decades, Sister Donalda managed the school with unwavering dedication, focusing her life on serving children with special needs. Her passing has drawn condolences from several dignitaries, including former Chief Minister Veerappa Moily, former minister and MLA V Sunil Kumar, Congress leader Uday Kumar Shetty, Christ King Education Society general secretary Aveline Louis, Karkala Block Congress president Shubhda Rao, BJP Kshetra president Naveen Naik, BJP district vice president Mahaveer Jain, municipal president Yogish Devadiga, Congress district spokesperson Bipin Chandra Pal, and many others.