About the Founder
Mrs. Kong Sookja (Korean: 공숙자) Bangera is a South Korean nationalist.
Born in the December of 1955, she never imagined to be in India serving the people of this country. In 1991 she had visited Mumbai for a short period and went to Hyderabad to meet her acquaintance. In the search to find her calling, she had visited several countries like England, Germany & the United States of America before. However, not feeling quite satisfied yet, she thought of visiting India again.
She worked with an organisation called OM (Operation Mobilization) in India and through their help she could visit India, in the Year 1992. India was a different experience for her and landing in Mumbai the second time made it all the more special for her. On her trip to India, in 1991, she had already felt the need to serve the people of this country and after returning back to her country the second time, she spoke to her family members and her church about her vision. Gaining support from both, her family and the church, she returned to India in the Year 1994 to fully serve the people of India.
She chose Navi Mumbai as her place of Service and began working in Turbhe slums.
During her time of service with the children of Turbhe slums, she felt the children of this city needed education to make them into a great nation. However, to put this in action was a task for her. She continued working for the children of Turbhe and slowly made her entry to the Red Light area of Turbhe where she started to talk to the ladies and rescue them that wanted to leave the place. She also spoke to one of the Madams in that area who later understood her mistake and closed down the work she was doing.
In 1995, when her time to leave India had nearly come - during her prayer she heard an audible voice telling her "START CHRISTIAN SCHOOL". She never planned to start a school but when she heard the voice, it did not take her long to obey. She immediately obeyed the voice and began her search. She researched many places and took on teachers training course in Mumbai, to understand how to run a school and how to be able to teach the students. Finally in 1996, she started a school namely "Mahima Christian Academy" (Today, Mahima Christian School).
After a year of opening the school, she got married to an Indian - Rev. Suraj Bangera who had been a helping hand in her work. In the year 1998, she gave birth to her daughter Sujee Bangera and in the year 2005, a young boy Johny Bangera (then Anthony) who was adopted into her family as their son.
After the first two years of the school she remembered her desire to educate the children from the slum. "Education is compulsory for each child no one should be left behind is her thought for each and every child of this country. Mrs. Sookja started to take admission of the children from the slums for no cost. These children studied with other children without any discrimination and she taught all of the students to share their things with an open heart. Till today, every year, there are students who study for free in the school, but there have been some people who are led by their hearts to contribute for the education of these kids which has been a blessing to both the children and for our school, in times of need.
Mrs. Sookja Bangera felt the need of health and hygiene for the people of the slums and began to organize Medical Camps in the slums and called in qualified doctors for the same. She has a team of young boys and girls who would help her organize the camps in various slums of Navi Mumbai. Till date we've almost conducted 15 - 20 Medical Camps under the banner of Mahima Charitable Society and Mahima Christian Fellowship (a religious trust).
At present, she is residing in India with her husband who leads Mahima Christian Fellowship as a Senior Pastor. Her daughter who has completed her B.A. in History, who is also working as a teacher in the school while her son who has completed his B.A.Ed is now running the administrative part of the school.
Her Vision is to see that Mahima Charitable Society becomes a charitable organisation (an NGO) who will help the people in the time of need in any circumstance faced by them. She wants the trust to also grow to have it's own Hospital, Old age home, Technical Education Institute, and many such things.