Women repair their hut wall with plaster made of mud and cow dung, ShivNagar
community Tikapur, Western Nepal.
Once they were slaves. But this is not ancient history. The residents of Shivnagar - a small village in Nepal - were only emancipated from bonded labour in 2001. Without formal education they were caught up in different chains, unable to gain the training, resources or skills to lift themselves out of poverty. And because the former slaves have no rights to the land where they live, the government refused to provide them with a school or teachers.
But then the church stepped in. In 2007 a team of Christians arrived, but they had no plans for a hit-and-run evangelistic mission. Encouraged by Tearfund’s partner Sagoal, they lived out the unconditional love and practical support that they had studied in the Bible and seen in the person and example of Jesus. They came and they stayed, putting faith into long-term action.
Sagoal’s training and support meant they knew that the first step was to meet the community’s expressed needs, and to work with it in the long term to develop a structured community plan. It was clear that – as people kept in slavery – their most pressing need was for education.
Sagoal and the church supplied materials and expertise so the community could construct their own school building. Sagoal also trained the teachers and paid their wages for the first year, until they secured other funding.
‘If the church were not here, the standard of living would be much worse,’ explains Sita. ‘I would like to thank the church for providing my community with a school.’
To enable the former slave families to feed and provide for themselves, the church set up an animal programme. The Love Your Neighbour scheme, administered by the church, gives struggling families a young pig, goat or buffalo. When the families have reared the animal to maturity, if it is male they sell the animal or if it’s female they sell the animal’s offspring at the market. From the first litter or sale the family gives back an animal – or enough money to buy one – to the church to give to the next family.
With the church now respected and loved by the community, its members have the opportunity to share their faith when asked. Now 16 families are members of the church and there are small groups of believers who gather in houses during the week to share worship and fellowship. By joining the church on this journey, you can support this fledgling church and follow its progress.
But there is still much to do to help the community compete effectively in the marketplace, to help them stay healthy and advocate for their rights…
The Shivnagar community plan:
Provide vocational training for men and women (in areas such as livestock management, bicycle repair, plumbing, tailoring and knitting) and distribute pigs and goats so those most in need have better income earning opportunities.
- Provide non-formal education for illiterate women and help them to form a savings group.
- Register the school in Shivnagar with the government – and provide furniture and toilets for it.
- Organise a Christmas program in the school and share the gospel with the children and their parents.
- Assist the Christians in Shivnagar as they establish their own church fellowship.
Follow this community and you will see this transformation to continue. In the months and years to come you will be part of this exciting journey and will see for yourself the power of the local church to bring material and spiritual transformation.
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