Posts Tagged ‘India’

Drought Response in India

Post a Comment » Written on April 12th, 2013     
Filed under: Disaster Relief
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India droughtMaharashtra, the second most populous state in India, is in the midst of a terrible drought situation. This drought is by far the most severe drought the state has seen in a very long time; in fact, it is even worse than the devastating drought of 1972. More than 6,000 villages have been affected, which has forced many villages to migrate to cities to find jobs. Many villagers claim that the last time their taps had water was over five years ago. Most of the state’s primary crops have already been destroyed by the conditions, and officials speculate that conditions will only continue to worsen.

Because of the severity of the water shortage, people are forced to be entirely dependent on the water tanks provided by the government. However, because of the huge populations of these villages, the water tanks do not provide even close to enough water to go around. Farmers have no idea how long it will be before they can begin cultivating crops again, and all are worried about the health effects of insufficient food. Migration has become the only option left for the villagers. Continue Reading »



India: Stories of Transformation, Part 2

Post a Comment » Written on April 3rd, 2013     
Filed under: Community Development
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It is amazing to see the different ways that our micro-finance project in India (in partnership with India for Christ Ministries) has transformed the lives of many people. Below is part 2 of a 2 part series of stories of transformation in India.

Siddamma and Venkatalakshmi with their goats

Siddamma and Venkatalakshmi are a part of a group of 6 women in Settipalle village in Andhra Pradesh. In order to earn a living, they tended to another person’s sheep. However, conditions were terrible in their area, and they struggled to survive and care for their children. However, with a loan from this project, Siddamma and Venkatalakshmi were able to buy sheep of their own, and these sheep are multiplying! They are now able to sustain themselves and care for their families.

Mangamma is a widow in Kotagudibanda village in interior Chittoor District. Without support from her husband, she and her son were struggling to survive. She worked as a laborer in the nearby fields, but this job did not pay enough for her to be able to educate her son. With a loan from this project, Mangamma has been able to buy two cows, and they are growing. She is taking care of them and feeding them. Now she is able to sustain her family with the income from the cows. Continue Reading »



India: Stories of Transformation, Part 1

Post a Comment » Written on March 27th, 2013     
Filed under: Community Development
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It is amazing to see the different ways that our micro-finance project in India (in partnership with India for Christ Ministries) has transformed the lives of many people. Below is part 1 of a 2 part series of stories of transformation in India.

Lakshma and her vegetable business

Lakshma is a vegetable seller in the market. She is very hard working and is the bread winner is the family. The program has been a blessing for her to expand her work and care for her family.

Balagangamma is a widow who comes from a very difficult past. She lost everything, and she struggled to care for her children. She worked very hard to start a small business of selling steamed rice cakes and sells them near her house every day to earn a living. Because of her involvement in this project, Balagangamma was able to expand her business and sell more. She has been able to make a good profit from her business and now owns her own small house. Continue Reading »



India Reflections, Part 2: Bali Raja Lives!

Post a Comment » Written on March 20th, 2013     
Filed under: Community Development
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A number of CWR-connected people recently took a trip to India to visit CWR projects. Below is part one of reflections about the trip from Stephen Sharkey, pastor of Highrock Covenant Church in Quincy, MA and member of the CWR Advisory Team. 

Aligarh, India – Sunil Sardar, the leader of a growing movement called Truthseekers stood in front of a gathering of local farmers and their families. I listened to him share a message in Hindi to several dozen men, women, and children.  Though I couldn’t understand what he said, his charisma was captivating.  He paused and spoke one phrase in English for the benefit of the few American observers: “Will you follow Bali Raja?”

Bali what?  I’d been to a Billy Graham Crusade before, so I knew what was happening. This was ‘the invitation’ to follow Jesus. But who was this ‘Bali Raja

To say that Bali Raja is a translation for “Jesus” could be true, but it doesn’t tell the full story.  I would later come to learn that in Hindu culture, the story of Bali Raja is part of an ancient Indian legend still celebrated today. Bali Raja, which means “sacrificed king,” was a beloved king who gave himself up for the sake of his people.  Sound familiar?  The Hindu god Vishnu crushed Bali Raja in a deal that would spare the lives of the low caste people of India.  As the legend goes, Bali Raja would one day return to his people to rescue them.

In seminary they teach pastors about the importance of contextualization, that is, the art of conveying a timeless message to new people, in new places, in new centuries.  You might be unaware of it, but your pastors do this every week as they prepare their message.  They read the passage, interpret the passage, and they read you the church, and interpret your cultural context.   Continue Reading »



Where in the World is Dave?

Post a Comment » Written on March 15th, 2013     
Filed under: General
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Partners in Transformation” is the new CWR tagline. CWR is blessed with phenomenal partners God is using to bring about the transformation of individuals, families, and communities. In order to strengthen and deepen these partnerships and to monitor CWR funded projects, our director, Dave Husby, tries to visit CWR partners every one to two years.

In September, Dave visited water, agricultural, and education projects with the Kenya Covenant Church. He also visited Jitokeze, a women’s empowerment through agricultural development program in West Pokot. Continue Reading »