LATEST NEWS FROM MANVI & PANNUR, INDIA

Dear Friends,

We are  writing to thank you for all the support, hard work and generosity you have given to support the flooding appeal in Manvi/Pannur. There were numerous villages which were destroyed by the flood in the region of Pannur– most of them are now just piles of rubble. Thanks to the wonderful generosity of JM Supporters we’ve raised £42k so far.

Since the floods occurred, the Jesuits have provided much needed relief and support to the local villagers, who would otherwise have been completely neglected. In the initial stages they provided food, clean water and medical help. Over the past few months, the Jesuits have helped several Dalit villages to build temporary accommodation. The constructions consists of reed partitions and wood with a simple corrugated roof. They were simple and quick to build, but robust enough to provide a basic home.  Each hut provides one large room which is divided by a partition in to a bedroom and kitchen/living area. The floors are earthen and the cooking is carried out on a fire with a pot hanging above the fire. The family sleep all together in one bedroom on a huge mound of fresh cotton from the fields. The Jesuits have spent the minimum possible to provide reasonable temporary accommodation which enables the Dalits to continue with their daily work in the fields. However, they now have a long way to walk to collect water (around 2km) – previously they were close to the water’s edge. The Jesuits are currently negotiating with the government to grant permission for building permanent accommodation on higher land. This is where the majority of the funds will be used.

Incredibly, no-one actually actually died in the flood, although there were a few close misses, however several people died from snake bites and diseases (which were a direct consequence of the flooding)

Recently there was a large retreat organised by Fr Eric in Pannur -a thanksgiving service for saving their lives in the flood. Over 500 villagers turned up, despite this being the busy agricultural season.

A huge tent was set up for the Masses and prayers sessions and the women turned up in their multi-coloured saris from far and wide along with the men and children. Huge cooking pots were set up on fires for the mass catering required! It was a very joyful occasion !

Thanks once again for your support – it really has made a difference.

With all best wishes,

From the team at Jesuit Missions