Donna Glass of India Partners says widows in India don’t typically receive much help, even if they cannot work. She says, “If they do not have family members who can care for them so they have a place to live, then they are often times reduced to begging.”

And adding insult to injury, people who face the tragedy of losing their husband are often shunned because people think they are cursed. This means the likelihood of remarrying is low.

The ostracism can be even worse, Glass says, if they haven’t been able to have children — that’s looked at as a curse, too. And then there’s this: “The plight of the Christian widow is even worse in many cases, because they might have family who could support them, but because they have become Christians, they are cast out.”

On a trip to India years ago, Glass met several widows at a church dedication. These women knew if they renounced their faith, their family might help support them again. But to them, that wasn’t a true option.

Pushpa, a widow in need of a sponsor through India Partners. (Photo courtesy of India Partners)

“They had such strong faith that that was not an option for them. They continued to stand strong in their faith even if it reduced them to begging from door-to-door, village-to-village,” Glass explains.

Right now, there are 20 women up for sponsorship through India Partners’ program. One of them is named Pushpa. She lost her husband 11 years ago. Her daughters have all married and moved away. Pushpa is currently trying to take care of her elderly father-in-law, but is struggling to make ends meet. A sponsor could ensure she has all of her needs met!

Why Mother’s Day?

The fact is, these women face insecurity every day — for food, shelter, clothing, and more. They don’t have the benefits of a society like ours: education that opens up job opportunities, savings plans, and assistance. For one reason or another, work is hard to find or impossible to do.

By supporting a widow through sponsorship, you can support her as if you were her family. What better way to say “thank you” to your mom than by giving out of your abundance to a woman who doesn’t have her own children to spend this day with?

Glass says, “I suggest a person thinks about helping a woman in India who may not have children who can help her, who may have had a husband who abandoned her, whose husband has died and never had any money to leave for her to build up a support system for her so she could survive on her own.”

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

And, she continues, this sponsorship is a direct response to Jesus’ call for us to help the widow and the orphan. While most of the women in the program are Christians, some are not. In this way, it becomes a way to exemplify the Gospel and share it.

If you feel led to sponsor a widow, you can sign up for a monthly gift of $35 or for $420 for the whole year. What an amazing gift to give on Mother’s Day, for every single one of these women to be sponsored by the end of the weekend!

Click here to read the profiles of the 20 women waiting for help from people like you.

And, even if you choose not to sponsor, could you pray for these women? Ask God to strengthen them in their faith, and that they would be joyful witnesses to their community about the love of Jesus.

“The Indian government, in an attempt to reduce the amount of ‘black money’ in the marketplace, has decided to demonetize the 500 and 1000 rupee note. They’ve given the people until the end of December to change their money at the bank.”

This means after December 31, any money left in these note amounts will disappear.

Life savings at stake

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

The 500 and 1000 notes equate to about $7.30 and $14.60 USD respectively. Sparks says the overwhelming majority of transactions that take place in India are done in cash. Even worse, these are the most commonly used bills.

“By taking the 500 and 1000 rupee notes out, they’ve identified 87 percent of all the value of rupees in the marketplace,” Sparks says.

Not only do people use this money for their daily business, but for people with less economic means, and especially those living in rural areas, this is what their life savings are made of.

The ban went into effect hours after the demonetization announcement was made. People stopped trading these notes quickly, not wanting to compound liability if they couldn’t switch their money over in time. That meant day-to-day transactions have become much more difficult.

“The lower end of the economy has sort of ground to a halt in many different places. It’s hard to do trade, hard buy vegetables in the market, pay for your auto-rickshaw. All of these things have put a real hindrance on the people,” Sparks says.

Barriers at the bank

There are a number of reasons why it is difficult for people to change all of their rupees out for smaller notes. The obvious barrier is time. Just over a month and a half was given between the ban announcement and the exchange deadline.

Another barrier is the daily withdrawal restrictions. According to the BBC News, the limit on withdrawal amounts has changed a few times. The latest allowed amount comes to just over $36 USD — such a small number for the hours spent waiting in line.

The long lines are caused by another difficulty. There aren’t enough banks. Sparks says even in areas where banks are close by — cities and coastlines — the ratio of banks-to-people is terribly low. In other areas, the banks are just too far away.

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

“In rural areas, about 60 percent of the population has to travel at least five miles to find a bank. If you are walking, of course, this five miles is a long distance and for about 30 percent of the population, there is no banking relationship. They don’t have ID, they don’t have a bank account, and so they’re unable to change their money by common means.”

Often, people resort to other methods of getting their money. Sparks says that in desperation, people are turning to the Black Market. They’ll get a significant cut taken out of their money to have someone exchange it for them, but at least they’ll keep some of it.

Future without security

“The people who are hardest hit by this are probably rural women. They’ve used cash to save money for many years. And they’ll save it, of course, in 500 and 1000 rupee notes because it’s a larger amount. So they have all of their savings…in these notes that they are now unable to do business with, unable to go and change at the market place.”

Among the rural women, the elderly and widowed will be the most vulnerable to poverty. Many times they are uneducated, illiterate, and without family. Their options are few.

Sparks says unfortunately, there is no good short-term solution. However, there is a great way for you to help right now and into the future.

Through India Partners, you can sponsor a widow on a monthly basis. Not only will they receive the food they need to survive, but they will also learn about Jesus.

Sparks says it’s an example of pure religion that James 2 talks about. “Ultimately, sharing concern for the widows is a huge demonstration of God’s love.”

Please pray that as these widows receive this food, they would have an open heart to the Gospel.

“Transformation leads to transformation. So, transformation through economic means [and] caring for them leaves an open door to transformation in their heart.”

If you’d like to sponsor a widow, click here.

Why? To symbolize her uselessness. Women are second-class citizens in India. Those who lose their husband lose a provider and protector, as well as any perceived value.

While the practice of sati has been outlawed in India, the nation's male-dominated culture considers widows to be unlucky. Widows over the age of 60 can receive a government pension of $16/month, but an 80% illiteracy rate makes the system practically impossible for widows to navigate.

"When we say 'the poor of the world are living on $1 or $2 a day,' the government's not even providing that," says Donna Glass with India Partners.

Sometimes, widows can't even get help from their own children. Sons who offer their home as refuge for their widowed mothers often meet resistance from their wives.

"[Widows are] not welcomed in their home," said Glass. "So often they'll be cast out and they will go to other villages where widows gather, and they live together."

Nearly 15,000 women have gathered in one town known as the "City of Widows." Many left their home villages to escape discrimination, while others were simply banished by their husband's families. Glass said widows often turn to begging as a source of income. One report said widows can earn up to $150 month by begging from tourists and pilgrims.

Through Jesus, widows find that the troubles of this life are only temporary. They'll find rest from their hardships in heaven.

"They find hope in the Gospel. They find hope in the resurrection. And that gives them the strength to continue on," Glass explains. "And the Widow Sponsorship Program provides them even more strength.

"They know that people care; they know that people half-way around the world care enough about them to provide support for them."

Glass says 40 widows still need your help.

"That's a significant number of people who are begging or scrounging for food," she said. "It's heartbreaking."

India Partners' sponsorship program provides widows with food, shelter, medical care, and the Gospel. It costs $30, less than a week's groceries, to support a widow for 1 month. Click here to get involved.