Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Empowering women through SHGs

A SHG meeting in progress in Makodia with achen.
SHG or Self Help Groups was one term I heard over and over in the various interactions with Ranju achen as well as Mr Sanoj N.T(MSW) the Mission Project Co-ordinator for the Diocese who had come down to Makodiya on a visit. I looked up SHG and found that it was a term well known in the international Labor circles - it is basically a group of people who come together with an aim to improving their living conditions by setting up their own savings and loan fund.

Empowering the rural women folk is one of the goals of the SHG concept. I was glad to see the Church at the forefront in empowering women, in helping them getting organized, in enabling them to better their own lives and the lives of their families. Yes, here the ancient Church of India has found its calling - when the woman is educated, the family gets educated, when the woman is empowered, the society is uplifted.
Sanoj N.T - Mission Co-ordinator
It may have taken a long time for the Church to finally see the value of having the women folk in the administrative positions of the Church, but long before that battle had even begun, and far away from the hustle and bustle in Kottayam, Kerala where that battle had to be waged, the silent work of Mar Theodosius in Makodiya had ensured women were not ignored in the mission work taken up the Church.

As I was to witness for myself soon on the field meetings, women ask the questions, they debate the solutions and they come up with implementation plans in the tribal villages in Makodiya where the Church through the various SHGs organize the women and their societies to stand up, fight and fend for themselves.

(Written by Mathew Samuel (Sunil), a visitor to Makodiya in January 2013)
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Our Shepherd

Our Shepherd
HG Dr. Joseph Mar Dionysius, our Shepherd and Diocesian Metropolitan, Director of the Makodia Mission is the guiding light in our ministry

Purpose - provide a glimpse of a gigantic vision

In the past I have often heard of Makodiya and Theodosius Thirumeni's work there, but was unable to find much further details or pictures of what happens there, what Thirumeni's vision was, what is its current state etc.

This blog is a small initiative to provide some information, some visibility to this mission - which needs a lot of support and prayers. Hope this endeavor would help focus attention on this place and work that was so dear to Theodosius Thirumeni who remains one of the pioneers of mission work for the ancient Church of India.

- Mathew Samuel (Sunil)

Set up by a visionary

When Late Lamented HG Stephanos Mar Theodosius Metropolitan arrived in Makodia in the 1980s, there were no roads or civilization. It was the visionary grace of the bishop who saw potential to do Christ's work in these remote areas that brought the Indian Orthodox Church to the region.With great patience and love, the bishop and committed disciples built up the mission among the tribals - far away from Kerala, far away from what the Church considered home for many centuries.The Indian Church has now finally begun to embrace India.

Sharing Christ - not conversion

Christian "Mission" is usually mis-interpretted as "conversion" attempts - this is the result of the aggressive Western gospel works in India without properly understanding the richness of the spirituality in India. The Indian Orthodox Church does not believe in forcible conversions, or even that conversion and baptism are the ultimate goals of Christian missions. The Indian Orthodox Church, which has existed in India since the beginning of Christianity, understands India like none else, and sees mission work in its essence as "sharing Christ" which translates itself to serving the poor, loving unconditionally and working for justice. Working for the upliftment of the poor is doing Christ's work. That is gospel work, that is Christian mission - and that is what is seen in Makodiya.