Sister Deepthi Madappallil DST is a beloved figure to 4,000 families in the villages near Ujjain. She is the life and inspiration for the 150 or so self-help groups she is a member of. For a quarter of a century, Sister Deepthi has served these impoverished people. Just as night turns into day, their lives have been transformed.
Originally from Elikulam in the Kanjirappally diocese, Sister Deepthi joined the convent after her pre-degree studies. From a young age, she had dreamt of becoming a nun to serve the poor. After finishing tenth grade, she completed her pre-degree at her parents’ insistence, but her decision to become a nun remained unchanged. Her desire to work in poor villages in mission areas led her to choose the congregation of the Daughters of St. Thomas. After earning a postgraduate degree in Social Work from Loyola College, Thiruvananthapuram, she arrived in Ujjain in 2000. She continued her studies there, earning a B.Ed. and an M.Ed.. From 2007 to 2012, she also worked as a social work professor at a university.
Sister Deepthi’s experience is that once people understand that the Sisters are with them, there to listen to their problems and help them, they will support and protect them. She says that for them, preaching the Gospel and missionary work are about simply living as a Christian among the people. Missionary work here is not about converting people or boasting about numbers.
However, even while studying and teaching, she never stopped her village service. For many years now, she has been a full-time social worker in the villages. Sister Deepthi recalls that when she arrived in Ujjain in 2000, the condition of the villagers was dire. Starvation was a constant companion, and there was no education, toilets, or healthy hygiene habits.
Transforming Villages Through Self-Help Groups
Sister Deepthi began visiting each of these villages to form self-help groups. It was not an easy process, but through her continuous efforts, she gradually began to see results. She understood the social and cultural context of the region, so she formed groups consisting of people from the same caste. This was a practical necessity, as it would not have been feasible to create mixed-caste groups. The groups hold monthly meetings where they resolve most of the village’s problems.
These groups and their decisions play a crucial role in electing village leaders, and they are the ones who decide who should stand for and win the elections. In all discussions, the villagers highly value Sister Deepthi’s words, and in every meeting, her opinion is the final say. Regular village assembly meetings are also held to decide on development projects for the village and to submit requests for government funding. Sister Deepthi attends all of these meetings. As a result of these efforts, roads, water, schools, houses, and toilets were built in the villages.
Education and Social Change
Previously, it was common for children as young as 12 to start working in these villages. Many of the employees in hotels in the pilgrim city of Ujjain were young children from these villages. However, after the self-help groups were established, this situation changed significantly. Now, very young children are not seen working in the hotels. The importance of education was made clear to both children and their parents, and parents in the self-help groups are no longer willing to send their children to work. The children themselves are now showing an interest in their studies. When Sister Deepthi first began her work, there were no roads or other facilities in the villages.
While casteism could not be entirely eradicated, Sister Deepthi says that the self-help groups have been able to increase cooperation among different castes. In general meetings of the various groups, people from all castes come together, which is a revolutionary change in the area. Such interaction was previously unthinkable.
She and her team had to walk many kilometres to reach each village. Today, the situation has changed. Many new roads have been built, and basic infrastructure and development have made travel by vehicle possible. The self-help groups and the local leaders who emerged from them have played a major role in this development. While casteism could not be entirely eradicated, Sister Deepthi says that the self-help groups have been able to increase cooperation among different castes. In general meetings of the various groups, people from all castes come together, which is a revolutionary change in the area. Such interaction was previously unthinkable. The continued strict caste divisions in villages without these groups are proof of the change Sister Deepthi’s work has brought about. The difference between villages where missionaries work and those where they do not is very clear in this regard.
Overcoming Superstition
Another area where Sister Deepthi’s persistent efforts have brought change is in the villagers’ superstitions. The villagers were once slaves to serious superstitions. For example, if someone was bitten by a snake, they would go to a sorcerer instead of a hospital. In the villages where Sister Deepthi works, this has changed. The people know they should go to a hospital for a snakebite, which has saved many lives. To see the difference, one only has to look at villages where the Sisters are not present; there, people still rely on sorcerers for snakebites.
A Life Transformed
Sister Deepthi recalls a family she encountered when she first arrived, which had eight children and a husband who was a heavy drunkard. She tried hard to get the wife to join a self-help group, but the woman refused, as she couldn’t afford the monthly 20 rupees contribution. After persistent encouragement, she finally joined the group. The change it brought to her life was something she could never have imagined. Her seven daughters are all married now, and her son works as an electric rickshaw driver. The woman often tells the Sister that none of this would have been possible if she had not joined the group. She had been seriously considering suicide, seeing no way forward, when she joined the self-help group and her life’s direction completely changed.
Community Support and Acceptance
Sister Deepthi noted that the MST Fathers also provide great service in Ujjain, and their cooperation plays a big part in moving her work forward. Some of the villages she visits are strongholds for Hindu fundamentalists, but they also cooperate with her. They hold a sense of gratitude, acknowledging that the Sister supported them in their time of need. Their leaders have told her that she can be called upon for any problem. They have no hesitation in greeting the Sister with “Jai Yesu” (“Victory to Jesus”). Sister Deepthi visits the villages from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then again from 2:30 p.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. without any issues. If it gets late, the villagers are willing to drive her back to the convent.
When Sister Deepthi first began her work, there were no roads or other facilities in the villages. She and her team had to walk many kilometres to reach each village. Today, the situation has changed. Many new roads have been built, and basic infrastructure and development have made travel by vehicle possible. The self-help groups and the local leaders who emerged from them have played a major role in this development.
Once, a young man named Vijay Singh told her, “You are here for religious conversion, and I will not cooperate with you.” Sister Deepthi took note of him and decided she would visit his house on her next visit to the village, which she did. What she saw was a tragic situation: his mother was undergoing treatment for a mental illness, and his father was unable to work. Vijay was the sole breadwinner, and his parents’ illnesses had prevented him from getting married. Sister Deepthi spoke with him at his house, which cleared up his misunderstanding. Now, whenever he sees her, he touches her feet and bows before he begins to speak.
Sister Deepthi says that the lesson she has learned from all this is that one should not shy away from anyone out of fear. Her approach is to boldly step into the field of work, believing that if one’s purpose is to do good, there is nothing to be afraid of. Based on her own experiences, she says that people will recognise this goodness sooner or later.
A Change of Heart
Near her convent in Ujjain, there is a medical college with many Malayali students and staff. The Sister used to go there to say the rosary with them. One day, the superintendent ordered her never to set foot inside the hospital grounds again. Sister Deepthi left without a word and obeyed his command. However, a few months later, the same superintendent called her on the phone. He told her she was welcome to enter any building in the hospital at any time. This change was a result of him realising that the Sister had no bad intentions.
Sister Deepthi says that people in the area are generally innocent. Some may have been negatively influenced by outsiders. She believes that deep down, the people understand that missionaries are well-intentioned and have come to work for the people. She says that if one is willing to bravely go among them and interact with them, problems will be resolved.
In her quarter-century of service, Sister Deepthi has had many experiences that have given her life meaning. One example is a village next to the convent where no family had a private toilet. The villagers used public spaces for their needs. Thanks to the Sister’s efforts, toilets were built for all the families. It has been six or seven years since then, and the change has been significant. The villagers still talk about it today.
Sister Deepthi says that in villages where mission workers are not present, the old conditions still exist. When she visits the homes of her students in other villages, she sees the difference between their villages and hers. She has observed people who have no hygiene habits and will strain tea through the end of their saris, which they then use to wipe utensils. However, in the villages where the Sisters’ self-help groups are active, this has changed, and these changes were brought about through constant reminders and guidance.
The Mission of Living as a Christian
Sister Deepthi points out that there is still a lot of social work to be done in the rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. Many people wish for the Sisters to come and serve in their villages and invite them to do so. It is the relatives of those who have benefited from the Sisters’ work who extend these invitations. However, due to a lack of people, the Sisters are unable to go everywhere they are invited.
Sister Deepthi’s experience is that once people understand that the Sisters are with them, there to listen to their problems and help them, they will support and protect them. She says that for them, preaching the Gospel and missionary work are about simply living as a Christian among the people. Missionary work here is not about converting people or boasting about numbers. Villagers who had never even heard of Christ or Christians before now greet the Sister with “Jai Yesu.” They know who the “Isais” (Christians) are and view them with respect. The 4,000 families the Sister works with regard Christ and Christians with reverence. The villagers know the Bible verses and stories that the Sister has told them in group meetings. The Sister says that this is their way of preaching the Gospel.
