Lutherans' DSW–India helping communities to become self–reliant with success

KOLKATA: Lutheran World Federation's Department of Social Work(LWF–DSW) is doing tremendous works in India, helping unprevileged communities to become self–reliant with success and their success stories have invited government officials too, to check and felt amazed.

Recently, Government officials visited Natundihi, one of the West Bengal's villages where DSW work had changed the village; they came to see if the success
stories they had heard were really true. On asking Amodi Murmu, one of the oldest women in the village who is a leader and community spokesperson, especially for women; how the field program of the LWF–DWS had helped the village. She responded that DWS did not help them too much/not with money. But what they have given them is far more valuable and cannot be repaid. They have given them confidence and have shown them the way to work for themselves. The government officials, were of course convinced by her testimony.

This is one instance; DSW is involving with 388 new communities from 2003 after having achieved self–reliance with 36 communities, from where DSW has withdrawn its program.

Mr Howard Jost, director of the LWF/DWS program in India narrated Amodi Murmu's story before participants in a DWS consultation for the Asia region. "More
than half of the world's poor live in India. Three hundred and fifty million people live below the poverty line, on less than one US dollar a day. Our
approach to overcoming poverty and suffering in a sustainable way is to cultivate self reliance," he stressed.

He quoted Murmu as having said to the government officials: "We don't want this progress to stop. Our children and grandchildren will continue this
effort. They will go to good colleges. They will become doctors and lawyers and teachers. Rich people and poor people are all the same. The only difference between them comes from their opportunities. We are making our own opportunities!"

Jost said there was "a multitude of obstacles" to reducing the suffering of the poor. "But we consider that the people in each place are the ones who are
best able to take the necessary actions to overcome those obstacles, if they have been empowered to do so." DWS India works in communities for four to
five years and then withdraws, moving its resources to new communities, and leaving behind people who are capable of continuing the process of economic and social development without further support.

"We see ourselves as cultivators rather than manufacturers, as enablers rather than providers, as facilitators rather than doers," Jost said. DWS
India does not provide charity or relief, except in cases of emergency. "Our contribution is to enable people to do things for themselves."

DWS India made considerable progress in 2003. The program withdrew from 36 communities having achieved self–reliance; and intensive work was commenced
in 388 new communities. This represents a 21 percent increase in the number of communities with which the LWF field program is working. There are 1,635
communities "now walking with us on the path to self–reliance," representing a total of 500,000 people, Jost said.

In addition, 846 new self–help groups were formed during the year, representing a 42 percent increase over 2002, and an increase of 38 percent from 2001. "So DWS India staff are now working with and walking with twice as many groups as they were at the end of 2001," Jost said. This has been accomplished with staff and expenditure at about the same level as 2002. But expansion to the existing programs is not foreseen Jost cautioned, as both staff and budgets already are being stretched to full capacity.

In many occassions, Christians have been accused of doing the work of evangelism in the name of social works; however, selfless sacrifices made by Christians across the globe including India, is the very nature of Christ and it cannot be stopped, it is to benefit the poor and needy of this world in social front and to be benefited in Spirit by one and all.

By our correspondent

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing 62.3 million of the almost 66 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter–faith relations, theology,
humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

To know more about Lutheran World Federation, visit www.lutheranworld.org