The Church is helping illiterate women in central India access government assistance schemes that they were unaware of.

“We are grateful to the Church for making us aware of various government schemes meant for our welfare,” said Nanni Bai, who attended a special program run by Catholic nuns in Rahli in Sagar diocese, Madhya Pradesh state.

The mother of five told UCA News the program helped the women benefit from government schemes such as pensions for widows, assistance for elderly women and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act that guarantees 100 days of work a year for the poor.

Local government officials do not inform people about these schemes, she said, adding that the nuns have not only told them about the schemes but also how to access them.

Sister Mereena Antony, from the Sisters of Jesus congregation, one of the organizers of the awareness program, said they have noticed how poor and illiterate women and children are “the most vulnerable sections in society and we want them to come up in life.”

Kamal Narayan Dubey, a Hindu social worker, said the Church initiative has emboldened the women to fight for “what is due to them.”

He said government officials often ignore illiterate people’s demand for information about welfare schemes.

Dubey said the federal government provides 150-300 rupee (US$3.30-6.50) monthly pensions to widows and elderly women, depending on their age.

Source: Church helps women utilize government schemes (UCAN)

Related posts:

1. Sisters of Jesus help women assert rights
2. Nuns stress work for women, poor
3. Chavanod nuns help Arunachal women
4. Church dumps state as flood-relief partner
5. Nuns promote women’s education