Journeying with Communities

In Madhya Pradesh, South India, we are helping to organise women’s groups and farmers’ cooperatives in order to promote sustainable agriculture and end hunger within communities left behind through underinvestment. Our activities are designed not only to increase employment prospects and boost economic growth in rural areas, but also to improve food security and nutrition - supporting people made poor as they regain their sense of worth and dignity. 

Since the 1970s, in three dioceses in the beautiful Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, our Sisters, some of whom are from the region’s indigenous peoples, reflect the Society’s vision: “To build one world, where the gifts of all people, all cultures, all creation, are affirmed and celebrated.”

In this rich mosaic of tradition and cultures, our healing mission weaves itself into everyday life as: health education and improved nutrition; training for village health workers; care for people living with HIV/ AIDS and tuberculosis; support for those in the grip of addiction and for prisoners; and the formation of groups designed to actively involve women in justice issues. 

For over 46 years in the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, Sister Rose has been working with groups of poor and marginalised indigenous peoples, especially women. Among many significant achievements has been the establishment of the Mendipathar Multipurpose Cooperative Society in 1998. This was set up to serve farmers in poverty-stricken communities, receiving very small returns on their produce despite their hard work.  Through its five flourishing branches, the cooperative system has ushered a silent economic revolution in Garo Hills, transforming the lives of local people marketing rubber, black pepper, turmeric, corn, mucuna beans and other farm produce by giving them much more reasonable prices for their produce. Cutting out the need for the middle man and the money lender, the Society now gives yearly dividend of its profit to 265 members.