By Sushma Ramswami

New Delhi, Feb 15, 2022: In any natural calamity, the Church steps in first and with its selfless services stands by the needy only because of the teaching of Christ: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

The Church agencies first rendered their services in the field of education and later extended their services to the areas of socioeconomic development. The Christian communities are the bases from where the volunteers reach out to all sections of the people through the services rendered in the field of education, medical aid and social aid.

The Church opened stations in remote areas and has been undertaking literacy campaigns, adult and child education, relief work, social service, health care services, family visits.

The “good works” carried out by missionaries and Christians have always been understood to be an expression of their love and obedience to Jesus. The underlying motivation, of course, was their obligation to proclaim the salvation of God through the Christian faith.

Still, the Christian community has felt that it has contributed to the building of the nation and to an upward social mobility that has changed lives and benefited families and communities.

A strategy of purposive actions such as education, alternative employment, financial support through institutional means and so on for socioeconomic uplift and liberation was initiated by the Church.

The Social Aid and Development Division of Baptist Church Trust Association India has been focusing specifically on developing social-centered models to expand access and support to health care and education to improve outcomes at grassroots level in resource-limited settings.

The goal of BCTA social and educational support work is to pilot and demonstrate new solutions that can be scaled and replicated, ultimately making life better for more people in the society.

The Baptist Church Trust Association – Social Aid and Development Program division aims to:
 To address with various social issues and to provide a better society through community initiatives and participation for the welfare of society and in particular to children and women and work towards the upliftment of the marginalized communities through different livelihood and sustainable development programs
 Its focus areas are Public Health, Education, Livelihood, Advocacy
 BCTA is socially oriented and community driven to contribute towards the society by closely working with the District Administration, Health department and other organisations in best possible manner for improving the quality of life and alleviation of human suffering of the fellow beings.
 BCTA continually strives to exhilarate marginalized people of the society not only now during the times of Covid-19 pandemic but also activities in preparedness of Healthy, Educated and Empathetic society
As the nation faced a grim adversary of coronavirus, during 2020, in extreme trying times BCTA started the community kitchens in central district (Daryaganj) and north district (Civil Lines) of the national capital to feed the homeless, stranded and the needy. More than 2,000 meals per day from each kitchen were distributed through the various police personals. More than 500,000 meals were delivered since we started on March 27, 2020.

A drive for distribution of protective gears – masks, gloves and hand sanitizers were conducted at the central, west and north district police department, Delhi state. More than 250 sets of such protective gears in each police station were distributed. Around 5000 bottles of sanitizers, 5,000 pair of gloves, face shield, face masks and full body protective suits. All these were carried out during the first wave of pandemic in 2020.

During the second wave of Covid-19 in 2021, While Delhi struggled for oxygen for its sick patients, BCTA joined hands with the Delhi police department, north district and civil societies and whole heartedly extended its premise of B M Gange School and converted the school hall into a 30-bed Covid oxygen center and Covid care facility with oxygen therapy.

Telephonic consultation was also made available. Vaccination center at BCTA premises was established for the Rapid Vaccination Drive across Delhi post the second wave of the deadly virus. Any person with valid Aadhar card was welcomed to get her or his vaccination done at the center. It had special provision of swift support to Elderly and Women.

BCTA continued its community program starting distribution of Dry ration support Food drive #foodforall an initiative of BCTA & NORA Solomon foundation. It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that make us joyful. We are grateful to God to give us this Opportunity to help needy people.

Through project Gurukul, BCTA works with the underprivileged children (rag pickers, street urchins, beggar’s children of construction labors and slum dwellers) under the “reach to teach” model/flagship and we implement work in Delhi, Gurugram in Haryana and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. Currently 12 chapters across Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) are teaching about 950 children. Most of these children are school dropouts due to Covid.

BCTA through an Outreach Healthcare to reach people, who were scared to visit hospital during the pandemic, initiated its project Nayanasha for providing ophthalmic care and education on covid hygiene, to marginalized communities, chiefly women, at their doorstep through ophthalmic medical camps observing distancing and hygiene precautions. Doorstep delivery ensures greater access.

On March 8, 2021, the Women’s Day, a successful eye camp was held by a team of specialist eye surgeon and doctors in central Delhi with over 200 plus senior citizens and women attending the camps and about 100 spectacles were given free of cost to the ones diagnosed with refraction error all medicines were given on the spot free of cost. Four surgeries were also performed at the designated hospital completely free of cost and supported by BCTA.

BCTA has initiated Saksham School Project –School Covid Corner, Covid helpline and support initiative through its schools.

The main objective to initiate the above is:

1. Prevention
2. Linkages to existing medical / vaccine services
3. Psychological support /emotional well being
4. Economic support linkages to the existing /announced government schemes or help
5. Creating a Covid corner in each school
6. Social and minorities scheme linkages for children and parents

The Delhi police have recently set up “Covid Response Team” for combating “Omicron” variant and BCTA is proud of being invited and facilitated to be part of this team.

Addressing social determinants of treatment adherence among DR-TB patients using an integrated digital platform in Delhi, BCTA India has collaborated and working with an international organization. The project aim is to enhance DR-TB treatment adherence by addressing two relevant social determinants namely food and transport and addressing the mental health needs specifically depression and thereby achieve improved DR-TB treatment success rate among vulnerable populations.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 15:31-33, “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.”

BCTA firmly believes in its vision “Be a united family of diverse congregations, whose ministries express God’s love and create pathways to health and opportunities.” …following on legacy of empowering people through education, since our inception in India from 1793 when “William Carrey” the father of modern mission began his journey by studying Indian language and dialects, translated the Gospel in more than forty Indian languages/dialects and went in to setup the Serampore College and primary schools for boys and girls in upcountry Bengal.