Rehabilitation for People Displaced by Ethnic Violence
Victims of ethnic violence in North Cachar Hills of Assam, inhabited by Dimasa, Naga and other mongoloid tribes, received assistance to access houses. Villagers who were forced to leave their homes and belongings and took shelter in government- designated camps, wanted to go back to their villages to start anew. Jesuit Society helped them to build their homes as a way to start a new life.The project started in April and was completed in July. The whole village organized to carry wooden posts, bamboos and tin sheets to the building site; families had prepared the site, cut the bamboos to make walls and were ready by May to start construction. Though initially only 40 houses were envisaged, additional help was received to put up a total of 56 houses. Now half of the village has new houses and many people without houses are accommodated in new homes by mutually sharing their living space. There is a sense of security, mutual dependence, better understanding, resolve to stay together to face problems and most of all a sense of great joy that they were looked after by people who came to help them from unknown places. Self Help Groups are now organized in many villages to help people to save money and eventually replicate the project. Contact: Fr. Charles d´Souza SJ sjkohima@gmail.com dscharlessj@gmail.com
