Dumka-Raiganj Province

Pioneering missionaries built up and nurtured Christian Communities since 1924.

The target groups are: Santals, Paharias, Dalits, Women and the illiterates.

The common problem in the area is the exploitation and discrimination of the Adivasis by outsiders who have come here and settled for years and monopo­lize the market, do illegal money lending and take adivasi land and charge exor­bitant interests for the money. Hence majority of the people are poor, illiterate and sick.

Social Action ministry was started in province soon after the 32nd General Congregation and the Janata party Government experience in the country.

We began to involve in the lives of the most deprived groups, the Paharias and started a social centre at Satia.

In 1985 we began our second centre at Kodma. While these two are grass-root involvement, we started a training centre, socio­legal centre, at Dumka. Due to lack of personnel it was closed down for a period of time and again started with new vigour in 2000 as a Human Resource Cen­tre.

Again a socio-pastoral centre is started in Bhatbanga in 2001 to concen­trate on the education and organization of the Paharias.