One of the first ministries Harvest Bridge supported was Gypsy and Tribal Empowerment (GATE). Started in the south Indian city of Chennai by our partner Priya*, GATE reaches gypsy and tribal peoples with the Gospel and demonstrates Christ’s love through holistic community development initiatives. Gypsies and tribals, generally considered to be the lowest of the low castes in India’s social hierarchy, suffer from inadequate housing, low-paying jobs and poor nutrition. GATE’s work includes helping these communities gain civil rights – helping them access land, education, job training, government ID cards, proper water and electricity, and so forth.
Over 20 gypsy and tribal communities, consisting of about 2,000 households, are served through GATE’s 13 local missionaries and volunteers. 15 years ago, in these communities, the number of children in school could have been counted on one hand. Now, about 75% of the children attend school. Since 2008, roughly 70% of the people have professed faith in Christ in the three communities where GATE focuses the largest share of its efforts.
*A pseudonym
Give directly to the Gypsy and Tribal Empowerment fund: