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by Kent

 

 

One of the challenges living in India is working with those who are living under the  poverty line. They are forced to live in the slum. The majority is labeled as the "untouchable" in the caste system. They struggle everyday with injustice and pressure from the society. The conditions in slums are unsanitary, over crowded, lack clean water supply, with frequent power cut. Alcohol, substance and drug use as well as premarital sex are common among slum youth. In the city where we live, 25% of the population lives in slums.

 

 

Who are the poor? Because this nature of sin, everyone has broken relationship with God, with himself, with others, with the environment, and with the community. So every human being is poor because we are not experiencing these relationships in the way God designed. For some people the brokenness in these relationships results in material poverty.

 

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So the goal of “material poverty alleviation” is working to reconcile broken relationships so that people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work.

 

Our team has established a non-profit organization (NGO) with this social objective in mind. We offered creative ways to serve the children and youth in slums. Through conversational English classes, jewelry making class, sewing class, health awareness workshops, informal school, formal school through sponsorship, after-school tutoring, we help them discover their abilities, restore their sense of dignity, and empower them by working side by side with them.

 

We also utilize the "Investment" model to help them see what they have rather than what they lack; learn to be independent rather than dependent on others; be a contributor, not a consumer; be a giver, not a taker; live as victors, not victims; not struggle in their past, but invest in their future.

 

As we work closely with Tuli, the coordinator of our NGO, over a period of almost seven years, she began her study in MBA two years ago. She will complete her study in November this year. Her disciple, Priya, also began her study in Bachelor of Education a year ago. They are not only passionate about teaching and mentoring children from the slum, but also working hard to improve themselves.

 

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Both of them work as a team to disciple two other teachers, Trapti and Kajal. Although they've been struggling financially,  they are committed in building a learning environment filled will love, spending time after class to  counsel their students, visiting their families in the slum.

 

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Theses teachers encourage the parents in the slum to invest in their children's education. The parents willingly pay a minimal fee regularly. They also encourage their children to attend school, after-school tutoring and Sunday's students small groups.

 

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Theses teachers remind their students not to look down on themselves because of where they live. Instead, they are encouraged to see how precious they are in God's eyes. They can use their talents and resources to invest in their future and bless those in need. These teachers bring out the best in them. The students are motivated to do well academically.

 

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Theses teachers also influence their friends and relatives to care for the needs in the community. Tuli's classmates in MBA came to visit the students during the end-of-the-school-year party & showered them with smiles, acceptance and gifts for doing well in school. Priya's relative contributed financially to support our kids summer camp. One of Tuli's classmate also donated a foldable swimming pool. 

 

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Both Tuli and Priya's reporter friend interviewed them and placed an article in a newspaper to let the community know and support our educational project among the slum children.

 

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I remember an old song that says, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing; That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it, you spread the love to everyone, you want to pass it on."

 

We've been living in India for almost 7 years now. We're so thankful to see some Indians we work with reconciling broken relationships. They are fulfilling their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work. We firmly believe community transformation is underway.

 

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