This is Sunitha Gabbeta showing affection to an orphan. Sunitha lives in Garnepalli, a remote village in south-east India. She is illiterate and earns less than a 1$/day. She has two children.
She is a member of SOPAR’s Women Development Program in India– a program that emphasizes the formation of self-help groups in order to bring rural, poor and marginalized Indian women together, build their capacities and encourage their active participation in different activities geared towards empowerment and community development.
Becoming a Women Program member changed Sunitha’s life. Before joining the program, she lived a secluded life, was shy and felt uneasy to come out of her home. With the help of SOPAR and with time, she has developed self-confidence, gained knowledge and improved her family’s economic conditions but that is not all…
Sunitha never thought of helping others. She talks to us about her new life:
“I have just enough money to feed my children but I know that some others in my village have harder situations than me. I want to help them. I want to support abandoned orphans and neglected old age people. I can’t give them much but I can show them affection and from time to time, give them a meal. Every year, I forego my daily wage to participate in the collective birthday celebrations of orphans organized by SOPAR and to listen to the orphans talk about their joys and sorrows. I also donate a small amount to help with their education. SOPAR made me understand that I too can help others even though I am poor. I know now it is the right thing to do. I explain all these things to my children and encourage them to help others. By helping others, I feel I am helping myself.”
SOPAR’s trainings include talks on basic human values and get women to think of others in need. The trainings bring true attitude change: these rural poor uneducated women become partners in bettering their community and many become donors to support those who are less privileged than themselves. SOPAR’s work transforms beneficiaries into partners, and ultimately into donors: last year 48 260 poor rural women members contributed an impressive $95 000 towards orphan education!
Sunitha’s actions are a strong example of the gift of self and force us to recognize that we can all do a little something to make a difference in other people’s lives.
Let’s ask ourselves the following question: what gesture or action can we do today to positively change the world around us?
200 000 women like Sunitha participate in our Women Program, a program supported by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada and many other Canadians donors.
Janice Aubry, Program Officer
