About to turn 75 and retire, Most Rev. Fürst Gebhard wished to transform his interest and love for Indian mangroves into a commitment to the communities. To make this vision a reality, Caritas India successfully hosted His Excellency and delegates of four in their visit for Solidarity from Rottenburg-Stuttgart Diocese, Germany on 1st September 2023. The team visited Dulki village in Gosaba, Sundarban and interacted directly with the communities to understand their perils and hardships. They expressed their gratitude to the Caritas India team and Partner (Palli Unnayan Samiti) who beautifully organized the entire visit. They conveyed special thanks to Caritas India Executive Director, Fr. Paul for his promptness and consistent support in making the visit happen. The presence of Fr. Jolly all the way from Delhi showed them Caritas India’s dedication and commitment towards their communities.

It was a delightful amalgamation of views especially with the German delegates’ interest towards the mangroves and its exceptional uniqueness of Carbon sequestering. Their concern over climate change and the resultant impacts on one of the world’s largest and unique ecosystems was truly inspiring. The German team also tried to capture the essence of the daily struggles that these vulnerable people face due to certain lifestyle choices of people at the other end of the world. They wish to make efforts to convey the message of having a positive impact through conscious efforts promoting the values of Laudato Si.

The group visited the Bishop’s house in Baruipur followed by a partner visit in Palli Unnayan Samiti to see the efforts of uplifting the not-so-fortunate people. The group then proceeded towards Gosaba accompanied by Most Rev. Shyamol Bose of Baruipur and Director of PUS, Fr. Saumen Malik. The teams reached the village border by boat around noon and did a semi-transect walk to see the climate impacts on the embankments, the sea-and-land disbalance and the critical condition of the households.

After this, they were welcomed by the local communities who shared their experiences of being the inhabitants of the island. The community shared their perspective on the observational changes in the climate, sea level, frequency of disasters, loss of agricultural productivity and resultant livelihoods. They emphasized that this was causing large-scale migration in the region with primarily male members moving out and thus leaving behind families more vulnerable. Following this the team left for the Gosaba parish and made a halt for lunch followed by another community interaction. The community people shared their challenges, understandings of Climate change and suggestive solutions that they felt would make a difference in their lives. However, this time much focus was on the mangrove depletion that caused a major impact during disasters. The communities well recognized the importance of the mangrove ecosystem in protecting against disasters and shared the need to protect these with accountability. They also emphasized the need for some skill-building initiatives for the women and youth who are seen as an asset for securing the future of these vulnerable villages and their people.

With these enriching experiences, the team of delegates returned to Kolkata witnessing the stark differences and challenges that people face to make a living. They were truly humbled by the simplicity and warmth of the people, who in spite of such hardships, did not forget to smile and make every effort possible to leave behind a safer space for the generations to come.