BIS # 3823 EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF BEING SELF-RELIANT

by BIS correspondent

WADALA-MUMBAI, DECEMBER 27, 2013: The Parish Council during its Training Program at Lonavla in August, set for itself the Project to form "Self-Help Groups", in order to encourage the housewives and single women to engage in gainful employment and add to the family savings. Through a process of family visits, efforts of the Area Coordinators of the various communities in the parish, talks and discussion groups, and mass meetings, the PPC has finally been able to establish twelve working groups in the various sections of the parish. The parish is blessed to have two full time Social Workers who have been at this task for a couple of months and their efforts have borne fruit. The good part of the project is that the groups do not only consist of Christians but people of other faiths, and is limited to one member of the family. The group meets regularly, with the social workers to discuss their dreams, aspirations and sort out problems they face in their interactions. To help them come together and work with each other, not in competition but in collaboration, there are several common meetings being conducted, where they are able to come together to discuss and air their problems and difficulties.

It was a good occasion to celebrate the success of the Self Help Groups, on December 15th 2013, when over a hundred participants of the Self Help Groups came together and had a wonderful time with a hoist of games and community building activities. It was good to see the young and the old mingle together and have a good time. The morning ended with a sumptuous lunch provided by the DCE (Dolours Centre for Empowerment) of the parish. The ppc is set to launch into the next step of training the groups in soft skills and business management. To help them in this project they are fortunate to have the expertise of the Don Bosco Centre for Learning and in a special way Mr. Royal from the Institute. The Self Help Groups have brought a new vitality into the parish.