Cooperation and Development
CDEW with Women Toward the Fullness of Life Anna Rita Cristaino Throughout all of India the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have chosen to alleviate poverty and promote literacy through a campaign in which women acquire the basic abilities to make their lives more sustainable. The FMA have chosen women as recipients because they hold the winning card to alleviate poverty and improve the standard of family life in terms of food, health care, and the instruction of children. The state of Karnataka is located in the south-western tip of India with the capital city of Bangalore. It is the third most highly populated city in India and one of the cities of Asia that is fast becoming cosmopolitan. The information technology industry is prospering, but at the expense of the rural populations. Only 28% of Bangalore is located in the urban area, and the greater part of its population is based on agriculture. The economic and cultural difference become ever greater. The focus on technology is at a high level with respect to the principles of the agrarian economy that given has two sides to the same city. The first is vibrant, innovative, and extremely modern, showing the success of a nation in development. The second is that of people living on the margins, on the streets, with huge differences in income with poor health, opportunities. In the Province of Bangalore the FMA are committed to the empowerment and transformation of the lives of women and children. They work for the dignity and rights
of women through the promotion of selfawareness, social participation, education, cultural,formatin, economic independence, and health care. Their attention is for women and their efforts are for sustainable development and the transformation of life conditions for the poorest members of the population. The development center of the woman, called CDEW, is the official organization of Social Action of the FMA in the province. It was started in 2003 as a volunteer organization. Its mission is to build a society based on love, brotherhood, solidarity, economic improvement, and the empowerment of women. There are five strategies that CDEW employs for the empowerment of women: organization, instruction, economic selfsufficiency, care of the person, and the capacity to make decisions. Implementation of these strategies have brought good results. Over the years the CDEW has successfully completed various projects and programs: the formation and growth of about 700 Self Help Centers that form a federation; programs for the generation of income, the construction of houses, schools, and programs to promote literacy for poor children in three states reaching about 3000 children, prevention programs, and information on HIV / AIDS. There has also been the construction of more than 500 wells for the collection of rainwater for the poorest in Kanakakkunnu and Kattappana, programs for children excluded from school, and 10 000 persons recovering from alcoholism.