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BlesttoBeaBlessingTrinityLutheran’sGrowingRelationshipwithTribalWomenFarmersinIndia

(AcombinationthatreflectsGod’sgreatimagination)byBarbaraLyonBennett

MyhandswereclaspedfirmlybytwoofourhostessesandIwasdrawnintoaprocessionintothevillage.Beforemeranksoftribalwomenfarmersdressedincolorfulsarissanganddancedinunisonfollowingatroopofvillagedrummers.Onmyneck-anecklaceofmarigolds;atmyfeet-marigoldpetals;onmyheadandface-freshsprinklingsofwaterfromabrightgreenbranchdippedinabrasspot.Oneitherside,morehostessesusheredmyfemalecolleaguesintothedanceandontothevillage.Behindus,morewomenweredancingandsinging,allrockingalonginaseaofsoundandcamaraderie.Itwasheadyandhumbling,andjoyful.Ihaverarelyfeltsuchakindredspiritwithoutwordsornames-nonewereneededinthisorganiccelebrationofthewomenofthevillagegreetingthewomenwhohadcometovisit.

Welcomeprocession

SobeganourvisittoKusumdihatribalvillageinBihar,India.Ihadcomebecausemychurch,TrinityLutheranofWhidbeyIsland,WA,isfinanciallysupportingaprogramthroughLutheranWorldRelief(LWR)tohelpwomenfarmersbuildsustainablefarmingpractices.Womenfarmersraiseavarietyofvegetablesduringthe9-monthdroughtseasonwhentheirhusbandstendbeawayearningmoneyinthecities.Entirefamiliesworktogetherduringthe3-monthmonsoonseasontoraiserice,amorelabor-intensivecrop.Thesevillagersarecompletelydependentonwhattheygrow.Oursisaserviceproject,notevangelizingorchurchplanting,simplyagifttothoseinneed.

Icametolearnabouttheprojectandbeginbuildingrelationshipswiththosewhoarehelpingandthosewhoareparticipating.Iwaspreparedtolearnaboutdrought-resistantcropsanderraticmonsoonpatternscausedbyclimatechange;thehealthofchickensandgoatsandrecipesfororganicfertilizerandpesticideusingcowdung;women’srights,nutritionalneeds,anddeeppoverty...butIwasnotpreparedtohavemyheartfilledwiththesheerjoyofthiswelcome.Iwasnotpreparedtoreceivesuchablessing.Itwasahearttoheart,spirittospiritgiftfromthevillagewomentomeandourgroup.Beyondfinancialsupport,beyondcuriosity,MYheartwastenderizedbythisencounter,andMYsenseofplaceinthehumanfamilyandGod’skingdombecamebroaderandmoreinclusivethatday.

Freelyyouhavereceived,freelygive.(Matthew10:8)

SuchistheeconomyofGodthatintheprocessofgivingweexpressourownthankfulnessforGod’sabundantloveandgenerousblessingsandweexpressourpleasureinbeinginapositiontogivetoothers.Inthisgesture,weopenourselvestopossibilitiesoutsideourframeofreference–God’spossibilities.GodinvadedmyspiritthedayIenteredKusumdihvillage.IwasremindedofthedelightIhadfeltayearbeforethisvisittobeabletogivetothisproject,andI

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wasoverwhelminglygrateful,firsttoGodforHisgreatkindnesstomeinmakingthisvisitpossible,andthentotheselovelyunknownwomenwhoweresoblessingmewiththeirwelcome.AfterourprocessionintoKusumdihvillage,weassembledunderacolorfulcanopytolearnaboutthevillage,thewomenandtheprogram.Intheiranimatedresponsestoourtranslators,therewasnomistakingtheirconfidence,goodhumor,supportofeachother,respectfortheirdesignatedspokespersonsandunderstandingofthedetailsoftheprogram.Theywerenotshyinclarifyingpointswiththetranslators,andoftentalkedandlaughedamongthemselvesbeforerespondingtous.Itwashardtoimaginethatpriortothelaunchofself-helpgroups*,manyofthesewomenwereisolatedintheirhomesandlackedthevibrantsocialconnectionsevidentinourconversation.Weaskedlotsofquestionsandtheyrespondedthoroughly.Iespeciallyenjoyedtheirdescriptionofwaysthewomenofthisvillagehaddecidedtoassistafamilyinaneighboringvillagewhosehomehadbeendamagedbyfire.Theywereproudtohavemadethedecisiontohelpandproudtohavehadresourcestobeofassistance.

GatheringintheshadetotalkAftertheformaldiscussion,weadjournedtoinformalsocializingaswevisiteddemonstrationsofprogrammaticcomponents.Womenspokeateachstation.Theyexplainedhowtotakebodymassindexreadingsandpreparehomemadeorganicchickenfeed,fertilizerandinsecticide.Theydescribedvariousveterinarystrategiestoimprovelivestockhealthanddemonstratedaportablesprayerfortheircrops.Theywerecompetentandseriousintheirpresentations,butquicktolaughastheformalpresentationswereinterruptedbychildren,astraycalforbabygoat,husbandswantingtoparticipate,oranespeciallytallvisitorfromourgroupwhoofferedtoparticipateinsomeofthedemonstrations.ItwasduringthisphaseofthedaythatImetthreewomenwithwhomIspentenoughtimetofeelthatweweregettingtoknoweachother–atleastalittle.Iwasnotsuccessfulinrememberingnames,butourconversationsembellishedmyunderstandingoftheirlives.Onewomanisanewstaffmemberfortheprogram.Shehadjustfinishedlivinginavillageforamonthtodetermineifthisjobisagoodmatchforher.Sheloveditandwasnon-stopthatdayhuggingchildren,catchinguponnews,makingintroductions.WehadashorttalkaboutherworktorevitalizelifeinIndia’svillages,wherethemajorityofIndia’s

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populationresides.ShewasinterestedinourcommunitylifeonWhidbeyIslandbutshewassoonofftootherconversations.Asecondwomanshatteredmyperceptionofremotevillagelife.Sheisastudentearninghermaster’sdegreeinpublicadministrationthroughweb-basedclassesfromthevillage.Hergoalistousehertalentstoassisthervillage.Shequietlyandconfidentlydescribedhercommitmenttohelpinghercommunityhowevershecan.Thethirdwoman,oneoftheoldestatthegathering,wasclutchingasmallbookletwhichshewaseagertoshare.Itisaledgerwithcarefullywrittenentriesreflectinghersteady,modestsavings.Shewassoproudtohavemoneyofherown!Becauseofherage,drawingonwhatIhadbeenlearningaboutthecultureofthearea,Iassumedshewasamongthewomenwhohadbeenmarriedatayoungage(possiblyasyoungas12),mayneverhaveattendedschoolandwouldhavemovedtothevillageasanewbridewhereshewouldserveherhusbandandhisparentsandtendherhusband’sland.Ihadheardthatawomanmightneverbecalledbyherfirstnameagainafterherwedding,andthatwomenandgirlswouldservethemenandboysfirst,thenmaketheirmealofwhatwasleft.Theseculturalpracticeshavegeneratedalegacyoffemaleilliteracyandmalnutrition,andapatternoflowbirthweightbabies.Theprogramwearesupportingaddressesgenderequitywhichisadelicatebutimportantsubject.Ilearnedthatsomefamilieshaverecentlybeguntoeattheirmealstogether,andsomehavebeguntosendtheirdaughterstoschool.Knowingthisculturalhistory,Iassumedthatmarriagesmightalsolackemotionalcloseness.MynewfriendcorrectedmyimpressionwhenIaskedaboutherhusband.Shefoughtbacktearsassheexplainedthathehadrecentlypassedaway.Astheafternoonprogressed,wetookpicturesandenjoyedthechildren,andsoonitwastimetoleave.Itisunlikelywewillcrosspathsagainbecausetheprogramisdesignedtomovetonewvillagesoncenewskillsstabilizeineachvillage.Iamgladtohavepicturesthatremindmeofthesebriefandverysweetencounters.IleftKusumdihrealizingthatmynewfriendsandIhadreceivedthepromiseofProverbs22:9:togetherwehadexploredareciprocalexchangeinwhichallwereblessed.Thisbusydaywasfilledwithmultipliedblessings.

Thosewhoaregenerousareblessed,fortheysharetheirbreadwiththepoor.(Proverbs22:9)

Giveanditwillbegiventoyou.Agoodmeasure,presseddown,shakentogetherandrunningover,willbepouredintoyourlap.Forthemeasureyouuse,itwillbemeasuredtoyou.(Luke6:38)

Demonstrationofsprayerfororganichome-madefertilizerorpesticide

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Reflectingonourvisit,IlearnedallIhopedandreceivedfarmorethanIimagined.TheprogramsponsoredthroughLWRfortribalIndianwomenfarmers,whoareamongthepoorestofthepoorintheworld,isgeneratingimprovedqualityoflifeforthousandsandteachingskillswhichpromisetobesustainable.Withthehelpofthisprogramfarmersarecontendingsuccessfullywithclimatechangesthatarealteringpatternsofrainfallanddrought,womenandchildrenarehealthier,livestockarethriving,andcropsaresufficientforyearlyneedsanddiverseenoughtomeetbasicnutritionalrequirements.Individuals,familiesandvillageself-helpgroups*areaccumulatingsavingsthatenablethemtomeettheirownneedsandassisteachother.Finally,throughformationofvillageself-helpgroups*,thesewomenareacquiringavoicerecognizedontheregionallevelbythegovernmentofIndia.Ifeelproudandfortunatetoparticipateinthistransformativeserviceprojectofmercytosomeoftheworld’spoorestandIencourageLWRandTrinityLutherantocontinuetosupportthisgrowingserviceministry.

ThisservicethatyouperformisnotonlysupplyingtheneedsofGod’speoplebutisalsooverflowinginmanyexpressionsofthankstoGod.(2Corinthians9:12)

*Noteaboutself-helpgroups:

Self-helpgroupsareanintegralpartoftheprogramwithtwoimportantfunctions:1)Theycreateacontextforlistening,learningandcollaboration;2)Theyalsoareagovernmentrecognizedlocalorganizationthatallowsvillagelevelconcernstobeofficiallyraisedtoaregionallevelandstrengthensvillageaccesstogovernmentalservices.

Thenumbersareimpressive:onevillagemayhave10ormoreself-helpgroupsmadeupof10-12memberswitheachmemberrepresentingonehousehold.Eachhouseholdhasabout7members(adultsandchildren).Atypicalvillagenetworkofself-helpgroupsrepresentsanapproximatetotalvillagepopulationofbetween700to840individuals.

BarbaraBennett(left)andSheilaghByler,representingTrinityLutheraninFreeland,WA,traveledtoIndiainJanuary2018withLutheranWorldRelief

tolearnaboutthesustainablefarmingprojectinBiharandJharkhandstatesofIndia