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The Situation

Although India is making strategic gains, the poor and especially women are left behind. Statistics show the utter poverty in the Madurai District of Tamil India.

Sisters’ Response

For over 30 years, Sister-led St Joseph’s Social Service Center has empowered the poor and marginalized in this region. This successful center has 500 women who have formed community-based organizations that loan money among themselves to create, expand and sustain small businesses. These 500 women have engaged in micro-enterprises and are moving towards being self-sustaining. Eight hundred rural women and youth have been trained in trades such as tailoring, dairy farming, phenyl and soap making, and preparations of masala power. All are gainfully employed. Through leadership training 300 women have emerged as value based leaders at their local bodies. They are advocates for social, human rights, and development issues.

“Our mission is to empower the poor and the marginalized with a view to restoring to them their human dignity. We believe in developing people’s capacity to grow and enjoy improved quality of life, enabling people to take ownership for their own holistic development, building a sustainable and integrated development model, and promoting and protecting the dignity of every human being.”  Sr. Lucia Sebastian

Funds are Needed

This successful program seeks to intensify its program offerings to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in 30 villages.

A donation of this amount would provide

Gender training for 200 women……………………………………………………….$281.00

Human trafficking prevention for 100 women……………………………..……$141.00

Human rights training for 200 women………………………………………..……$281.00

Training on violence against women and children for 100 women………$141.00

Leadership training for 200 women…………………………………………………$281.00

Rally and signature campaign………………………………………………….………$141.00

Support small business loan assistance program………………….……………$500/year

Cost of local animator’s training and stipend………………………………………$60/year

“The Self Help Groups provide a platform for the poor women to understand their situation, support one another and the collectively take action to better their life- situation and re-claim their human dignity. Among the actions they took in 2018, the women formed an ala-non group that meets weekly to help the women recover from the effects of living with the problem of drinking and successfully advocated for a change in public policy.” Sr Lucia Sebastian

Goals and Objectives

Timeline: Three years

Goal: Intensify the St Joseph’s Social Service Center services to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in an area of India where needs are great.

Objectives

Provide opportunity for 50 additional women to participate in 20 additional programs that promote gender equality

Speak out through rallies and signature campaigns against the injustices done to women through women-chosen issues

Form community based organizations that loan money among themselves to create, expand and sustain small businesses for 100 women

Immediate Charitable Response

$7,940 for first year

Outcome

Women in Madurai District India experience gender equality