Welcome to the Harvest Bridge podcast. A part of our work here at Harvest Bridge is connecting local leaders in South Asia with people like you, here in the United States. Through our podcast we want to provide a place where you can hear their voices and listen to their stories in their own words. There is a transcription available for those who prefer to read these stories.
Today we will hear from two female leaders in Harvest Bridge. The first, Priya*, founded the GATE ministry in India. GATE stands for Gypsy and Tribal Empowerment. GATE supports gypsy and tribal communities that contain some of the most vulnerable people in southern India. In previous podcasts, you have heard from Priya as she shared about her work with flood relief and the start of the GATE ministry. Today you’ll hear about her critical project to obtain identification cards for the gypsy and tribal people.
The second, Jandi*, is the co-country leader in Nepal. In addition to her ongoing work providing medical clinics, Jandi is also leading efforts to start savings groups in churches throughout the country. These savings groups provide financial self-sufficiency for individuals in areas with tremendous poverty. These women are just two of the many women who lead throughout South Asia, changing their communities and sharing the hope of the gospel.
Let’s start by hearing from Priya. There are about 2500 households supported by the GATE ministry, and they are below the lowest caste in India. Their ancestors have lived in India for thousands of years, but they are still not considered citizens or given full legal rights. Until now.
Priya has been personally facilitating government ID cards for hundreds of gypsy and tribal families. This allows them to access basic services, open bank accounts, and even vote. Listen as Priya shares more about the importance of these identification cards:
“We applied for the ID card. It seems like – it is not only for the ID card. It’s for the local ration cards for them. And, we call the Aadhar card. Aadhar card is the most important for all the Indian, Indian people. So that’s our like identity card for the people. So I applied [for the] identity card, ration card and Aadhar card and voter card.”
Priya is the first leader working with the gypsy communities to successfully facilitate these identification cards. One individual who recently received citizenship is 78 years old, and for the first time, will be able to vote. Another is an infant, who will now be a part of the first generation in the gypsy community to grow up as an Indian citizen.
“This is very important, so I am asking the people to vote. This is the first time that people are going to vote. So once they get all the identity cards, they will, they are treated like human beings. Actually the people are saying here ‘they are not Indians’, but after they see the identity card that will be great and helpful for them. You know, 78 years old, they didn’t get identity cards till now. Even one woman or one man, they didn’t get the identity card for them for a long time. They are fighting, like freedom fighting, I call like, freedom fighting. Now they are very proud [of] that. This is the first time the tribes’ people get identity card through our GATE. That’s [why] we are planning for the big celebration. So like I don’t know how to say it, I was so happy, like encouragement words. People are saying when they are coming closer to me and saying ‘how are you so brave and you went to the government and you’re asking about the identity card? A lot of people are fighting, but no one gets the identity card, but you succeed [with] that one.’ So GATE is doing so much, so many works. This time the people from gypsies they are going to vote for 2026. They are very happy to vote.”
While we here at Harvest Bridge celebrate this momentous achievement for the gypsy people, obtaining ID cards for the GATE community is not universally accepted. Priya’s work has not come without a personal cost.
“One man was coming and talking to me very, very rude. He was very angry. He was a very big man, and he was like a big fat man. He comes and talk to me. I said, ‘Yes. Hello, sir’. I was saying, ‘Hello, sir. What? What happened? How you know my name?’ [He said] ‘Now I was hearing your stories. Everybody is – when I go to the colony, everybody says. So who is that lady? I want to know.’”
Even as local leaders push back, Priya is not deterred in her work.
“Most of the political people are connected with each and everyone, and they started chasing me, and they physically attacked me when I was started my first journey with the ST certificate. As I told you before, one man was hitting me in the nose. It was the most hard time, and they, they say they are trying to change the mind of the people, gypsy people, to pull me out, to close my ministry. That was the aim of that people. But God stand with me for – with a lot of angels to protect me at that time. And I win it.”
Not only are some pushing back against Priya’s work to help the GATE community receive identification cards, but they are also angry that she is spreading the gospel there. Anti-conversion laws in India are increasing, and there are significant punishments for those caught evangelizing.
“I said…I’m a Christian, but what you are thinking is not right.’ ‘You are spreading gospel?’ I said, ‘you see, I am having only one bag, no Bibles. How can you say I am spreading gospel?’ ‘Then what you are doing?’ ‘I am a social worker.’ ‘Okay, so you are a social worker. Okay, so what you are going to do with the social work? Why you are changing the people like this? Do you have any sense – how you are adding these people, like Indian citizen, who gave the power?’”
Despite these obstacles, in 2023 and 2024 Priya helped over 1300 Gypsy and Tribal people to receive their identification. But she is not done yet. Even with this huge accomplishment, Priya is praying for more resources to help even more people. You can give to this ministry by visiting HarvestBridge.org/Give and clicking on the GATE ministry. Priya’s work is changing the lives of the gypsy and tribal communities, and showing them the hope of the gospel.
“It really bring us, like, happiest tears in my eyes, because we had so much of struggle, really, definitely, I had so much of trouble and so much of problems. But I see the real happiness when the people getting all the certificate. One lady was came closer and hugged me and cry for like a one minute – nonstop cry. She was crying. She was coming on my shoulder. She was crying, crying, crying. Then I asked, ‘what happened?’ Then she said, I don’t know how to give you a hug – because this was like our dream for three generations. We don’t have a certificate. Now, we have a certificate, because God is helping us. God is very super God. Then they are saying – proclaim about the God beauty things, what God did in their life. So they were so happy, and saying, how God is so beautiful to us. Like – so we are not very rich and something like that. They are saying, started saying. Then after that, the certificate was progressing well, and after I applied the housing – they was, it’s so incredible. Everybody was flying, really.”
Next, let’s hear from Jandi in Nepal. In addition to her ministry with medical clinics, disaster relief, and evangelism, Jandi also leads the savings groups program in Nepal. Savings groups help people living in poverty support one another and save small amounts of their income to provide for a more sustainable future. Let’s listen:
“Pastors and leaders are trained and they are training their people, and they are equipping their people, and they are discipling them. Same time there are – two things are going on. Like they are discipling and also coming [up] in leadership, because of the saving group ministry. They meet most every month. Some groups meet two times in a month, and they talk, they pray, they share, they visit. It’s really good. And they visit each other, like in the time of sickness and these kind of things. Yes. It is really making great impact, they are, they are in unity after joining the saving group in the church, and it’s really . . . and pastors and leaders, they are so much excited because 50% or more of their burden about financial support of believers is taken away by the saving group ministry.And the people who were unable to even offer a cup of tea to the pastor, now they can feed their, they are feeding their pastors with chicken and rice.”
The savings groups are being held by local churches throughout Nepal. Just in 2024, 23 new saving groups were started! This is one of the many ways Harvest Bridge is supporting leaders who are meeting both physical and spiritual needs of the people in their communities. The needs being met are not just the immediate needs like food, but opportunities like getting a driver’s license which provides long term support.
“Saving group is supporting, as a loan, to make the driving license. Great thing. They have to go to their written test, they have to go to the trial. They have to pay some money, and they have to do that, go to the driving center. It takes money, and because of money, they, they don’t do.And some saving groups are like giving the loans to some members so that they have the license now and they can drive auto rickshaw or something like that. They can work. They can drive something, and they can work. So these kind of things, so . . . they started, some saving groups, they started keeping turkeys and ducks and they are buying some others. This ripened fruit tree they buy- means the food they buy, and they take how much they like, and they sell, and they make profit out of that. They, they are, like, paying their school fee, children’s school fees, and they are providing food for this. So, like, they are, they are creating, you know, new ideas of business. It’s really, really – even for us, ahhh, “oh, they are smart!”
It might seem impossible to ask people who are in significant poverty to save some money for the future, but Jandi shares that even a little bit of saving now can make a big difference over time.
“Yes, because what he [certain pastor] said, and same thing, some of our church leaders also say to us, like, ‘Even our people cannot save 100 rupees in a month, or 50 rupees in a month. They are so poor you don’t know that.’ That he said -same thing. Our village pastors also tell us, ‘No’, same thing. But we tell them, you try one month, you try next month – three, four months, you suffer and collect – save. Then from five months, from six months, then you will have a habit of saving. So we encourage them. Like, okay, we know that you don’t have, but you must do for your family, for your future, for your needs. Like, you know, we encourage, and we like encourage our people. We try to, try to make them understand and the need they have, and they borrow the money, and the same, how they borrow the money, same way we tell them, now you go to the people. Why don’t you go to the [saving] group? And where you are also the member, and it’s really good, you know?”
Jandi shared with us the stories of some people who were helped by the savings groups. Let’s listen.
“One of the saving group, recently… one saving group members -ladies. That is like – her husband died recently. But, she’s a saving group member, and that saving group is talking [about] how they can support her. And most of the saving group members went to visit her, like somebody took some sugar, somebody took some – bought some food, somebody took some, something. At least one thing, one person took at least one item, maybe a little. And she was feeling so happy with that one. And also they are thinking like they want to support with some little amount, so that maybe after some weeks, they are thinking to collect, like raise, personally, some rupees, like 50/50, rupees, or 100/100 rupees. And they bring together and give it to her. They are thinking, you know, to help. It’s, it’s not the saving money, but their personal money that they are, like, thinking to support that friend. It’s really good, you know.So this kind of way, like people are supporting each other, and it’s really amazing.
So many things we see like, you know, I mean, maybe you, you hear about this buffalo story, water buffalo last time? That – you know – the husband mostly was not supporting wife, usually. But after coming to saving group and after buying buffalo, [here’s] what he said: ‘Now, my wife got the grass, I will carry the grass from the field to the house.” Now because she’s getting milk from the buffalo, and he’s taking this milk to the market to sell, and immediately he brings money, and he likes to help now. Very interesting story. She’s earning money for the family, and he’s so happy to help now. The [have] loan from the saving group and bought the water buffalo. Actually, the wife, and now the husband is helping her a lot [more] than ever. It’s really, you know, it’s also becoming another way. After starting work, working, he likes to help. So they are working, helping each other, like this kind of things we see. And it’s really, really many, many stories we find. And I shared the story from [the] far western region about the one brother who is doing this haircut business. After joining saving group, he got loan, he got training, and he started salon. And he is the one first we heard like, he was unable to give offer a cup of tea to the pastor now he is giving chicken and rice.”
Jandi’s leadership in Nepal through savings groups is empowering individuals like this man who started a salon, and entire communities to create sustainable change. What may seem like a small financial step—saving a few rupees, investing in a skill, or buying a buffalo—has the power to reshape lives. These efforts provide not just economic stability but also dignity, unity, and hope.
Likewise, Priya’s ministry with the GATE community in Chennai is nothing short of transformative. Through perseverance and faith, she has helped hundreds of people gain something many take for granted—their identity as recognized citizens. With these ID cards, they can now vote, access essential services, and be acknowledged as full members of society.
As they meet these practical needs, both Jandi and Priya have opportunities to share the hope of the gospel, demonstrating Christ’s love in both word and action.
Here at Harvest Bridge, we are honored to walk alongside leaders like Priya and Jandi as they bring lasting change to their communities. If you would like to support their work, we encourage you to visit HarvestBridge.org/Give. This month, we are raising more funds for GATE, so that Priya can help more people get their IDs. So we encourage you to give towards our Gypsy and Tribal Empowerment fund.
Thank you for listening to the Harvest Bridge podcast. Follow us on social media, or subscribe to our email list to learn more about the ministry of leaders throughout South Asia who are doing much, with little.