Empowerment of Excluded Castes in Punjab and West Bengal (India)
Religious and caste discrimination is one of the leading causes of poverty and social exclusion in India. This has prevented access to basic services, including education, livelihood, health facilities and other government services and schemes for large sections of society.
Through two projects, we support two local church partners, Church of North India – Diocese of Amritsar and Church of North India – Diocese of Durgapur, working to improve lives and opportunities in the rural communities and urban slums of West Bengal (Durgapur Diocese) and in rural communities in Amritsar near the Pakistani border areas (Amritsar Diocese). Activities include:
- study centres for children from vulnerable backgrounds
- life skills education for adolescents, especially girls
- women’s economic empowerment through their involvement in self-help groups
- supporting the social empowerment of Dalit communities to engage in their local government
- awareness raising activities on environmental concerns through tree planting campaigns and waste reduction drives
- installation of submersible pumps in West Bengal to improve irrigation and farming practices.
Through these activities, our partners to empower marginalised communities, enabling them to be organised, resilient, educated and healthy, involved in local governance and capable of accessing government services and schemes.
Our projects in India now have an increased focus on cross-cutting issues including gender equality, disability and social inclusion, to ensure the work is effective in reaching socially disadvantaged groups, preventing unintended harm, exclusion and further marginalisation, and by promoting rights, equitable opportunities and benefits for all community members.
You can help!
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Thanks to UnitingWorld’s partnership with the Australian Government, gifts can go up to six times further to support life-changing work in India and across the Pacific, Asia and Africa. Visit unitingworld.org.au/eofy to learn more and make a tax-deductible donation. This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Thanks to ANCP, we’re making a huge difference together. |
India
Church of North India – Diocese of Amritsar and Diocese of Durgapur
Poverty Alleviation
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