Dec 14
Those of you who follow our work know that we've been fundraising for The Promised Land Project since this January. You may have also heard the GREAT news that we announced on November 1st - a Children's Home has been purchased and is being prepared to take in kids! Well, last week we got our first glimpse of the new home, and as promised - we're sharing the video with all of you! Read more...
Here in India, we've found that there are 3 main areas that the children at our homes are rescued from - the Red Light District, Leper Colonies, and the Slums. We've visited all three of these areas during this trip, but our visit to Chauma Slum was definitely the most overwhelming.
After a short drive from the Children's Home, we arrived at what appeared to be an empty trash heap. But as we peered inside the open huts made of leftover plastic and cardboard, children began to arrive out of nowhere. Within a few moments, we were surrounded by filthy, beautiful, pathetic, precious little boys and girls.
They were covered in dirt and sores. Snot dripped from their noses and their matted hair looked like it had never been washed or brushed. Their clothes were trash - torn, worn peices that other people had thrown away. And as they ran to us, Babu (our Indian partner) explained that any food they got was also from the trash - leftovers or spoiled items their parents found while trashpicking.
I looked deep into their eyes and it was more than I could take.
Read more...Who says people in India can't celebrate Thanksgiving!? Let me tell ya, our kids and staff at Asha House are VERY thankful today.
If you've been following me, Ericka or The Sound of Hope on facebook or Twitter then you know one of our orphanages here in India had a very urgent need a couple days ago. You can read about it and watch the video HERE.
Here's the bottom line - we needed to raise $5000 in a week. Sounds crazy, right? Well, believe it or not, it was donated in only 20 hours!
There were 21 people/families that gave to this need. Today, our kids are THANKFUL for YOU!
Read more...As you saw in the last video we posted, we've spent the last four days at Asha Mission - one of our Children's Homes in Delhi, India. We still have a lot of great stories and videos (and long-term needs) to share with you about this home, but during our visit to Asha House yesterday (our 2nd Children's Home here), we found out about an URGENT need that we had to share ASAP. (*note - if you're wondering why both homes have the word Asha in their name, it's because Asha is Hindi for HOPE.)
Yesterday, we found out that the children and the staff are literally being kicked out of the home they've been living in for the past 4 years. Unfortunately, this is a risk when you run an orphanage in a rented house (which is why our hope is to someday help the house parents purchase land of their own!) The landlord has decided to rent the property to another organization for twice the amount, and he's decided to do it quickly. The staff, all 30 children, and all of their belongings have to be out of this house by December 17th!
Read more...Today we spent about 8 hours visiting Asha Mission - one of the Children's Homes we are partnered with in India. I can't express how incredible these children are - and how good it is to see them so happy and well cared for. They sang and danced and laughed and played - and we loved being a part of it all!
We got quite the welcome when we arrived (as you will see in the video). What we weren't able to shoot was all 32 children hugging us and introducing themselves to us. It was the sweetest thing!
Hello Asha Mission from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.
But these children are more than just sweet - they are SMART! We heard about how hard they work in school, and that they have received outstanding marks and honors in their classes. The house mom and dad, Sharma and Sasi, are incredibly proud of them, and they told us about some of the children's dreams. These little boys and girls want to be doctors and nurses and teachers and policemen when they grow up.... but it's up to you and me to be sure that happens.
Over the next few days, we'll be sharing more about the kids at Asha Mission, and what some of their needs are. I can tell you right now that need #1 is a bigger house, considering there are 32 children and only 2 small bedrooms - with nowhere near enough room to sleep or play or study. So keep checking back to hear the details of their current living conditions, and to find out how you can help. Together we can provide for these children and empower them to reach their dreams!
Read more...