Madras Chennai, South India - Church of South India

The Church of South India is a longstanding partner of Global Ministries. It has strong witness in outreach, Christian education, and leadership development, as the church engages the Gospel in the midst of its country's many cultures. India is the second most populated country in the world and home to over one billion people. Indian society faces limitations because of its fragmented social groups, extreme poverty, and lack of education. Forty percent of Indians live on less than $1 US a day and are too poor to afford adequate nourishment on a regular basis. Famine and drought are frequent in India.

For over two hundred years much of India was controlled by the British East India Company. This colonial enterprise created huge plantations and mines using Indian labor, and exported the products and profits to Great Britain. India achieved independence from the Great Britain in 1947. Today 14 percent of the Indian population is Muslim. Christians have lived in India since the first century, but only approximately 2 percent of its population is Christian.

To meet the social need to educate women, the Women's Christian College was founded in 1915. The college is located in Madras Chennai, South India. The College has been successful in its mission to provide higher education to women. The college today has 1,500 students bringing with them much diversity. These students are from various communities with different languages, religions, and social-economic backgrounds. More than 30 percent come from very poor families and the college is committed to providing scholarships and various forms of financial aid to deserving students.

The Doveton House, built before 1798, is a historical monument of the British period in India. It is also the main college building and accommodates the facility offices, meeting hall, and provides several classrooms. Due to age and lack of resources for maintainace, the Doveton House is in great need of refurbishment and renovation. This restoration is to preserve Doveton House and the architectural features and will involve repairing or rebuilding the walls, columns, beams, doors, windows, flooring, wood trim, and tile roof. The building also needs a new drainage system and updated fixtures and plumbing. Support for this project is needed both to preserve the historical significance of the area and to help the college maintain its high standard of education to the students.