Home For Children
India has the largest child population in the world, with close to 500 million children in the nation. It is estimated that at least 50 million of these kids live on the streets or in slums, where they face starvation, drugs, violence, and sex trafficking. These numbers are staggering, but we know that lives change one at a time, and we are committed to whatever the Lord puts in front of us to do. Jesus said, “let the little children come to Me,” and we have had a wonderful opportunity to change the lives of some of these children.
Several years ago, we were approached by local community leaders who asked for our help. They had established a children’s home but were having some serious problems as the kids were really in need in so many ways. We gladly jumped in and it’s been an amazing blessing to us and also to the children. We continue to have favor with our local community and community leaders, and our children have made amazing progress.
The home is structured so that kids receive food, clothing, and a safe and peaceful environment. They live at the home full time. and attend public school during the day. In addition, each child is taught life skills and a trade while they live at the home. Our goal is that when they are old enough to graduate from school and will move out of the home, they will have the skills they need to get jobs and be self-supporting. Because they have had their basic needs met and have lived in a peaceful and supportive environment, they’ve done great in school and their progress reports have been at the top of the charts! We love our children dearly, and we are so proud of them! But the events of last year threw our family a huge, unexpected curve ball.
Indian culture places an extremely high value on education, and as the pandemic unfolded in 2020, students were among the most affected members of society. The government closed all schools, and subsequently, all children’s homes like ours. This was devastating, as students were left feeling like their futures had been torn from them. For our kids, it meant that they were forced to return to living on the streets or to other impoverished, abusive situations. Our local leaders did their best to keep in contact with the kids throughout 2020, but none of them were in ideal situations. Thankfully now, as public schools across India are reopening to middle school/high school students, our home has also been allowed to reopen. Many of our kids are now returning to the home where they are safe and well-provided for.
We are thrilled that so many of our kids are coming back and we are anticipating even more will be returning to their home with us - a place of love, safety, and security. We know that each of our kids has a great future planned for them and it is a joy to be part of their journey and to see them grow into the people they’re created to be!
