For over 100 years, the Red Box has been a reminder that God is working through hundreds of thousands of missionaries in struggling communities across the world. In 2024, supporters in England and Wales helped raise £2.2m to enable missionaries like Fr Zachaeus and Fr Clement in Pakistan reach out to vulnerable and marginalised communities with faith and hope.
St John the Baptist parish in Tando Allahyar, Pakistan is reaching out to the many Kutchi Kohli families living on the peripheries of society. By being present, listening to their struggles, and responding with spiritual and practical help, Mill Hill Missionaries – Fr Zachaeus and Fr Clement – show the Kutchi Kohli that despite the struggles they face, God loves them and is with them always.
Huge challenges
Bringing hope to Tando Allahyar is not easy. Recently, the Kutch Kohli community have been challenged by the cost-of-living crisis, which, coupled with political and social tensions, have left this minority community struggling to find daily means of survival.
The Kutch Kohli people are also one of the vulnerable minority groups working as bonded or tenant labourers on huge farms owned by landlords. Sadly, the landlords often fail to pay them a fair wage, and, if the harvest isn’t good, the landlords are likely to pass the debt on to the tenant farmers, which they will have to work off in the next crop season. Fr Zachaeus shares:
‘It is always very disturbing, seeing poor families working the whole day, even with their children. They do not have basic food – never mind a balanced diet, and there is no proper shelter since they are living in temporary mud houses near the fields of the landlords.’
No water, no food
Another of the recent challenges was when the canals that supply water for Sindh Province were closed off. As a result, there was no water to supply the farms and irrigate crops, which led to a three-week workers’ strike to demand that the canals were reopened.
Further struggles sprang up between the landlords and farmers after the wheat harvest in April. In Pakistan, wheat flour is used to make roti and chapatti, but many of the landlords refused to give part of the wheat they had cultivated to the farmers. Instead, they kept all of it, leaving many poor families without anything to eat.
Help and hope
Mill Hill Missionaries, Fr Zachaeus and Fr Clement, lead a dedicated mission amongst the Kutchi Kohli community in Tando Allahyar. The mission aims to provide health services for the poor families, empower women and young people through education, and create better livelihood opportunities. Fr Zachaeus shares:
‘I have learnt that the poor families put all their trust in the parish pastoral team. At least 60 people come to the parish each day seeking help. Some just want someone to listen to them, and some want guidance. But 90% of the families are struggling to have basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education and emotional and spiritual support. Even though we could not provide all the answers and solutions to all the struggles of the people, listening to their stories, being with them and giving them hope was quite consoling to the people.’
Building a hopeful future
Fr Zachaeus expresses great joy at how the parish mission is also helping build foundations for a better future for young people.
According to the International Labour Organisation, Pakistan struggles with child labour issues and lack of education; in fact, the country has more than 12 million children currently employed in hazardous and exploitative forms of labour, deprived of their right to education, health, and a decent future. Children work in various sectors: not only in agriculture, but also in brick kilns, carpet weaving, domestic services, mining, and small industries.
As a result, education is truly one of the most vital routes out of poverty. And thanks to programmes provided by the mission team, many young people in Tando Allahyar parish can now focus on education.
Currently, the parish has a total of 54 boys and 33 girls in the parish hostel, studying in the school run by the Presentation Sisters. Fr Zachaeus explains:
‘I believe that education opens the door to many opportunities in life for growth and transformation of an individual and society.’
Coming together in faith
Another joy is the establishment of Christian communities, where Christian families from remote villages can settle on land purchased by the parish, and are no longer bonded labourers for landlords. The parish has two Christian settlement communities, one with 27 families and the other with 17. Fr Zachaeus shares:
‘With the Christian settlement communities, reaching out the families become very easy, and becomes effective in organising different programmes for the people. How I wish we could establish three more settlement communities, to relieve more poor families from the landlords!’
A message of thanks
Fr Zachaeus wants to stress how enriching the mission is, despite its challenges:
‘The great work that Missio has done in Pakistan and particularly for the Kutchi Kohli community will be forever appreciated. The Kutchi Kohli people are living on the margins; they experience exclusion due to the caste system and being a minority group. In whatever little way we reach out to them, we are proclaiming the Kingdom of God in our midst.’
He is inspired by the resilience and open heartedness of the people he meets:
‘Whenever we visit families in the villages, the people’s generosity by just offering a glass of water and struggling to prepare a cup of tea is a great sign of their love. This gives great joy!’
Your help makes all the difference!
While the outreach mission is already bringing positive change, there is always more to be done. With your help, this community is at last finding safe havens, practical support and spiritual comfort. Fr Zachaeus stresses:
‘We can only successfully accomplish the journey with a combined effort of the people, the pastoral team members and all our supporters. With the help of Missio England and Wales we can continue to reach out to the Kutchi Kholi community through education and establishing Christian communities. May all our friends and Missio benefactors be blessed for the great work they are doing for the people of God!’
The money you raise goes to help missionaries like Fr Zachaeus and Fr Clement to support their efforts and services for the worlds most marginalised communities; it helps train future priests and sisters, empowers women and young people through education, and brings our global human family into encounter with the love of God through practical and spiritual support.