Ms. Stephanie Heighes, program coordinator from Caritas Australia embarked on a three-day field visit to Chhattisgarh, India, to gain firsthand experience and insight into the initiatives supported by Caritas Australia. This visit aimed to assess the progress of the projects, understand the challenges on the ground and strengthen the collaboration between Caritas Australia and Caritas India.

During her visit to the Khushaal Bachpan project location at Raigarh, she interacted with children and community members. She also visited a Bal Chaupal (a learning space for children) where she witnessed the various education initiatives under the programme and gained a firsthand experience of the positive steps undertaken. A noteworthy highlight of her visit was the inauguration of a new library, a valuable resource for the community. This library promises to be a source of knowledge and inspiration for the local residents, further enhancing the educational opportunities in the region.

Along with her visit to Khushaal Bachpan sites, Stephanie also visited the field locations for Gram Nirman and Jeewan Nirman programmes in the Raigarh district. For the latter, she had a detailed discussion with the migrant population understanding the challenges and nature of migration. Fr. Yacub Kujur, Regional Secretary for Migration in Chhattisgarh provided the visiting team with information about migration in the state from the ground up. Her field visit to the agricultural farms of paddy was instrumental in understanding how the technology transfer and good agriculture practise have helped families of the Gram Nirman programme to have food security with an increase in production. During her visit to Tonahinara, a Gram Nirman intervention village, she interacted with youths, farmers, PRI leaders, and aspiring women who have started their enterprises.

She also had the opportunity to meet his grace Rt Rev. Bishop Paul Toppo at Raigarh and Diocese Director Fr. Nirmal. The interaction was fruitful in terms of understanding the social work done by the diocese and discussing the scope of partnership and joint efforts.

 Her visit reached an insightful conclusion on Day 3 when she met with the dedicated teams from Gram Nirman, Khushaal Bachpan, and Jeevan Nirman,- projects supported by Caritas Australia. The objective was to understand the roles of the on-ground team members and understand the peculiar challenges they encounter on the field.

Challenges and potential solutions were discussed for each project. Stephanie’s visit celebrated the unique relationship between Caritas Australia and Caritas India that has cemented and flourished over the years and transformed the lives of countless individuals. Stephanie expressed appreciation for the hard work and dedication of all involved.

Stephanie’s field visit left an indelible mark, shedding light on the significant impact of the supported projects and strengthening the bonds between Caritas Australia and Caritas India. It served as a testament to the power of dedicated efforts to bring about positive change in the lives of those in need.