For many years the Amritsar Diocese is focusing on Human Rights issues and the social economical development in the rural areas.
Today we drove to a small city called Dalam and the village Ghukewali nearby. We met women from the local self help groups which have been initiated through the education and human rights programs of the Diocese. The first step is to get awareness about the rights women have, to strengthen their self-confidence and to support solidarity actions for one another. The second step will be to identify some income generating possibility for them and the family. To realize it they will get a loan as a Mikro credit as third step.
Parwez Mattu is the head of this program in this area. Parwez and the women we met reported cases of gender based violence in homes which they could show before the police and how they helped that women got their rights. Some days back when the government announced to distribute a certain amount of weed to poor families they recognized that the middleman took a part beside for himself. They scandalized it in the public and the full portion was given.
With a loan from the Mikro Credit program they start their own small businesses: tailoring, home gardening or preparing and selling street food.
The whole family is benefiting from this program and sometimes the man is taking the Mikro credit in the name of his sister or wife. We met Simargit Singh in his small car repair shop. He got a Mikro Credit of 50.000 Rupees (570 Euro) through his sister to equip and develop his repair shop. He’s able to pay back the monthly rate of 1.200 Rupees (14 Euro) and could increase his income additionally.
This program of the diocese is supported by EKHN and the Deanery of Wetterau which is in partnership with the diocese since 40 years now.