Sisters of Holy Spirit change over thousand people's life in Rajasthan

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Nuns from the Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit from Udaipur Diocese have changed over 10,000 people's life in Bhil ethnic villages in Rajasthan.

They started off with a Child-Focused Community Development Project in Goeka Baria in 2011 and have continued their mission for the welfare of thousands of people from tribal communities in Rajasthan.

They have totally covered eight villages in Sajjangarh in Banswara district, where majority of the population is Hindu and Muslim.

Initially, when the nuns arrived, people were living in unhygienic and subhuman conditions and could not send their children to schools. Lack of water was one of their main problems. Through their mission, the sisters of Holy Spirit repaired and deepened 85 wells, introduced advanced irrigation technologies and new crops, constructed a school and a dispensary, promoted personal hygiene, helped women form self-help groups, encouraged water and micro-credit projects, and supported biodiversity.

They addressed problems like child marriage and gender discrimination where women were not allowed to look at others directly and forced to cover faces with their clothes.

Currently, there are 72 self-help groups in which 900 women take courses for bamboo work, tailoring, goat rearing and poultry farming. Every month, women earn 4000 rupees that also helps with their children's education.

Some local leaders opposed the nuns and accused them of religious conversion. But when people began to experience the benefit of the sisters' work, the opponents changed their minds.