The majority of our sisters in Canada are no longer to physically participate in ministry to the poor and marginalized. However, as a Governance Circle they Sisters in Canada continue to support ministry to the poor and marginalized.
SOPAR is one of the organizations that the Canadian Governance Circle has supported financially for several years. Among the many projects of this association, two of them overlap our priorities as FMIC.
The first project concerns women whose spouses die. In India, these widows become outcasts, the ones that attract bad luck. Often denied by their families, they end up on the street, sometimes with children and without any resources ! SOPAR employees, in collaboration with many Aboriginal religious communities, support these women by setting up workshops where they first learn to write, as most of them are illiterate; they are also helped to develop their talents, think about a source of income and develop their self-confidence. Sewing workshops, maintenance of small gardens whose products they can sell, these are some of the activities that will enable them to become more independent and send their children to school...
Another project also caught our attention: promoting access to drinking water. Often, part of the day for these women is spent getting water. SOPAR staff help build wells in small villages and teach villagers how to maintain them. This year, 61 wells, 88 water purification systems and 5 tanks were built. What is interesting about this project is the commitment of the whole village to take care of this essential resource and the possibility of replacing some parts that break.
These projects for the rehabilitation of marginalized people and also for concrete commitment on the ground are in line with our priorities and give rise to a new Hope! Thus, the Kingdom is built, day after day...
