In the diocese of Rourkela, in the north of the Indian state of Odisha (formerly Orissa) there are 63 sisters of the congregation of the Daughters of the Cross. Normally, most of them work in the schools or parishes of the diocese. However, during the coronavirus pandemic they are now all occupied in helping those who are suffering most from the situation. They care for the sick, the elderly and handicapped and in particular they are supporting the migrant labourers, who have suddenly found themselves with no work and nothing to live on. Meanwhile, India is now in fourth highest place in the world in terms of the number of Covid-19 infections. And at the same time many millions of the poorest people, above all the migrant workers and day labourers, have lost their sole source of income.
The sisters are doing all they can to help. They write, „We cannot save the whole world, but at least we can help those people here among whom we live and work.“ Some of the sisters are sowing hundreds of metres of material into protective face masks, which they are then handing out to the needy. But the material is not cheap, and they also need disinfectants and gloves in order to prevent the spread of the virus as far as possible.
But since the schools are also closed on account of the pandemic, those sisters who were working as teachers have received no pay for months now. And yet their salaries are the principal source of income for their congregation. ACN is proposing to help with 10,000 Euros.
