Listening to FMA Social Works – India

India. On 23 February 2025 an online meeting on FMA Social Works in India was held by Sister Sarah García, collaborator of the Youth Ministry Sector, world coordinator of the Social Works of the FMA Institute, and representative of the Human Rights Office of the International Institute of Mary Help of Christians (IIMA) of Geneva at the United Nations (UN), in collaboration with Sister Azarias Arokia Mary Selvi, Coordinator of the National Development Forum (NDF), of the Indian Provinces.

The meeting was attended by the Provincials, the Provincials Conference of India (PCI) General Coordinators, National Coordinator for Youth Ministry, and the Coordinators for Social Development of the seven Provinces of India.

Sr. Meenakshi D’Silva, Provincial of the St. Mary Mazzarello (INB) Province and PCI President, delivered the introductory talk.

Afterwards, Sister Sarah García presented the theme “Paths of Hope and Generativity” and the goals of the meeting, highlighting that Mary invites us to be generative people in a process that brings about change. She also stated that in India, a land of geographical, religious and cultural diversities, the Salesian Sisters are able to provide a holistic education for the integral development of children and young people, particularly of the most vulnerable groups.

The National Development Forum (NDF) coordinates the legally registered Social Development Office (SDO) of each of the seven Provinces in India. Each SDO has its proper structure, functions, vision and mission strategies, and networking partners consisting of local NGOs, Government Departments and International Organizations. These SDOs reach out to a broad section of the population with a focus on Schedule Caste, Dalits, Schedule Tribes and the marginalized groups who are at the fringe of society. They provide access to quality education for children. They enhance employability for underprivileged youth; they promote the empowerment of women, gender justice, human rights education and advocacy, environmental resilience building, community development, and natural disaster relief services.

With their various programs they are able to support 87,645 children to have access to quality education; through their 335 Neighborhood Children’s Parliament they have formed 7,382 child leaders; their 226 Ecoclubs Projects have helped 15,997 children to develop responsible environmental stewardship; 4,115 young people have gained employable skills and  find jobs in companies or were able to start their own business, 850 Women’s Self Help Groups empowered a total of 11,116 members to stand for their rights and participate in decision-making processes at various levels; and 6,437 women were provided livelihood training and Income Generating Programs for sustainable economic growth across the country.

Policies like Child Safeguarding Environmental, Social Ministry Stewardship are drafted by NDF in collaboration with other sectoral reference persons and approved by the PCI Governing Body for implementation and adoption by the Provinces. A five-year Plan for PCI Social Ministry Sector is periodically drafted and annually evaluated.

Notwithstanding the Government’s political constraints that hinder their rights-based approach, the limited funds, lack of strong volunteerism, and lack of personnel the Sisters and their educating communities are encouraged to continue working to the uplift the most vulnerable sectors as they witness their transformations to becoming active agents of change in society. The potential to create networks and collaborations is another sign of hope calling them to keep moving forward as missionary communities ever ready to proclaim the Gospel to the peripheries.