Today, we are visiting rural India. I have three children that live in rural settings in India:
Kalpesh, Khushi, & Sagar
Kalpesh and Sagar both live in villages outside the big city of Mumbai, which is located in Central India. Khushi lives in Northern India, outside of New Delhi, in a village that is situated in the Himalayan Mountains. Even though my kids live thousands of miles away from each other, their lives are fairly similar, in terms of living situation.
Villages in rural India are pretty primitive, compared to the modern world. While the big cities in India are bustling with people and have most of today's modern conveniences, villages in rural settings almost seem like something out 1800's, to us living in in first world countries. These villages are made up of homes that are constructed with mud, clay, grass, reeds, and other materials found in nature. These homes do not have indoor plumbing and very rarely have electricity.
Families in these areas typically work as farmers: planting/harvesting crops or caring for herds of animals. However, these families cannot afford to have their owns farms and often work on plantations that are owned by rich landowners. People that are hired to work on these farms make very low wages that just aren't sufficient enough to provide for the needs of their children.
In the recent past, it was impossible for children living in rural areas to attend school. Schools, both public and private, were only located in the big cities and it wasn't possible for children to get to the cities. However, a recent government ruling has started the ball rolling on schools being built in these rural villages. Now, children living in these areas have the opportunity to attend school, something that their parents did not have the chance to do. Since parents are often uneducated, themselves, it is hard for children to get homework help at home. Thankfully, Compassion has wonderful tutors at each project to guide their enrolled children to a positive future in education.
Another major issue in rural India is malnourishment and lack of nutrition. Due to their low wages, parents are often unable to provide their children with an adequate amount of meat, fruits, and vegetables to get their bodies growing at a healthy rate. Every time that Compassion's assisted-children attend their project, they are given a healthy meal with all of the calories and nutrition that they need to grow healthy and strong.
Of course, like any Compassion project, the children are taught about Jesus and how important it is to have a relationship with him. The children are taught how to pray for themselves, their families, their communities, and their country. The Compassion staff in rural India have the following prayer requests for their children:
- Pray for children that have been deserted by their fathers.
- Pray that parents will support and encourage their children to pursue an education.
- Pray for reduced cases of infant mortality and malnourishment among children in India.
I want to share two teenage boys with you today. They both live in rural villages in India and are waiting for a loving sponsor to provide for their needs, write to them, and encourage them as they grow into adulthood.
Meet Sabin. He is 16 years old. His birthday is September 3rd, 1999. He lives with his father, mother, and 1 sibling. His father works as a laborer, when he can find work. His mother takes care of the home. At home, Sabin is responsible for gardening, caring for animals, and washing clothes. For fun, he enjoys soccer, art, and listening to music. Sabin has average performance in high school and he also enjoys attending church activities.
This handsome guy is Issac. He is 16 years old and his birthday is July 10th, 1999. He makes his home with his parents and 3 siblings. His father works as a farmer and his mother cares for the home. Issac helps his family by buying/selling in the marketplace, caring for animals, and cleaning. Swimming, art, and playing ball games are his favorite activities. He also attends church activities, vacation bible school, and camp. He has average performance in high school.
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