Imagine going to work to feed your family and having to use one of your
older children to watch over your younger children. Imagine them seeing
other children pass them each day with school uniforms and books. Imagine
the heartache knowing that education is one key to a better life and being unable
to provide that to your children. Imagine after the death of your spouse having to do daily labor work to simply put a little food in your belly and the belly of your child. Imagine losing not only your spouse, but your home and the ability to care for your family.
Sadly, this is not an imaginary scenario for many parents in Tribal Agency and Odisha, India. For the past fifteen years, we have been seeing this sad reality in many, many villages as we go and reach out to the unreached. Many children are uneducated because their parents cannot afford the school fees, uniforms, and supplies to send them. In Odisha, once people become Christians they lose all benefits from the government. This means they no longer qualify for rations that would help them feed their families. Tragically, this also means that now Christian parents have to pay for their children to go to school while Hindu parents do not. This is a stumbling block for struggling families, but for single parents this is a mountain. Many parents work very hard just to bring in enough food to feed
their family, and having money for school fees, uniforms, and supplies is a distant dream. Other families are struggling even more. Some are unable to provide a safe home for their children. Some children after losing both parents are being tossed between relatives or even around other villagers. These children then suffer the loss of not only a home, but of a stable family. Our vision is to see this changed and to provide a safe and loving home for them and provide them with a quality education of both their mind and their soul.
We know God deeply loves these children and Psalm 68:5,6 reads, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” God’s deep love should move us to action.
Now, you can help make a huge difference in the life of a child, a parent, and a family. Sponsoring a child will enable him or her to go to school, receive three meals a day, and have a place to call home. We want each child to feel the love of God the Father in a personal and tangible way by giving them a home that is safe, secure, and surrounded by love. Your gift will make God’s love a reality in the life of a child. You will also be helping them build their lives on the foundation of Christ, their hearts in His love, their minds with a solid education, and their bodies with proper nutrition and care.