As part of our endeavour towards social change and development, Caritas India has been working towards mainstreaming and social integration. Through the support of Missio based in Germany, Caritas India is implementing a cluster program titled Samvaad in the Western and Central parts of Uttar Pradesh whereby creating an enabling environment of empowered and sensitized communities where social integration and development are restored.

The program has yielded manifold results through the active engagement of the community, especially children and adolescents, the local gram panchayat ward members, leaders of different faiths and members of like-minded civil society organizations. Looking into the various developments on the ground, Caritas India had a delegation from Missio Internationales Katholisches Missionswerk represented by Ms. Bettina Leibfritz, India Desk Officer on April 7th 2022 to interact with the management and the program team about the developments of the social integration intervention.

The meeting was very interactive and fruitful. Fr. Paul in his message shared the essence and need for social integration and development contributing to the Transformative Agenda. The team also deliberated and discussed the future scope of intervention, preferable priority areas of engagement. Fr. Jolly suggested how the partnership between Missio and Caritas India can bring to the fore, the pastoral dimension of the church as a means toward the larger development of the society.

Ms. Bettina shared her perspectives on the social integration program and was emphatic and favourable to work on reverse migration amidst the covid scenario.

The meeting ended with a positive note of working together in building and taking this partnership into other sectoral themes as well.