This is Kavita. She is in the 5th grade and is 11 years old. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father remarried and left Kavita in her grandmother's home, while he moved on with his new family. Since then, her grandmother has been taking care of her, but is now unable to work due to her age and health. Kavita and her grandmother are currently struggling to make ends meet and afford basic needs.
This is Yeshawanth. He is in 5th grade and is 11 years old.
He has one older sister and one younger sister. His father is blind so his mother is working in agriculture to support the family. She makes very little money and is struggling to provide basic needs for her family.
This is Deepa. She is in 4th grade and is 10 years old. She has an older sister in 7th grade and a younger brother who is 3 years old. Her father did electrical work and in 2001 he fell from an electrical pole and hurt his leg very badly. He has not been able to work ever since. Her mother is now responsible for taking care of the whole family and doesn't make very much money. They are also struggling to afford basic needs.
This is Prashant. He is 16 years old and is mentally disabled. His father had a heart attack while he was driving and passed away. His mother is now alone, working as a daily labor worker and is earning very little money. She is having a hard time paying for the extra care and treatment he needs.
This is Nagamma. She is 24 years old. Her father hanged himself and since then, her mother had been taking care of her. Nagamma is now studying for her Bachelors of Education, but her mother has been diagnosed with Tuberculosis. She is now struggling to continue her education because her money and time are going towards taking care of her mother.
These are just a few of many stories. When I was there visiting, these kids wrecked me. The moment we got there they were holding our hands and laughing with us and stealing our hearts. Most of them didn't have shoes and had dirty, tattered clothes. Boys as young as middle school weren't out playing soccer, they were working in 100+ degree heat, making bricks for their families to sell. This is sometimes where life gets them to. Working in fields at very young ages.
When we were leaving, they all surrounded our car and asked us to stay. When my dad asked where we would stay one little girl said 'they can have my bed.' This girl didn't have much to offer and was willing to give what she had. This is what made me want to give back to them. Their soft, selfless hearts.
Have you ever watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? You know...MOVE. THAT. BUS!!! Well, whenever I watch it, I notice that the people doing the giving always seems so honored to make someone else's dreams come true. Wouldn't it be cool to do something like that for someone else? These kids in this random village have never had a group of people from the United States shower them with love. We can be that! We have the opportunity to know the joy that comes from giving to others.
We will have jars out at the MOPS meetings for those of you who want to contribute money. This is not mandatory. There will be the opportunity to give all year, but we really wanted to send something over to them during the holidays. So, if you want, start thinking about how you could make this meaningful to you and/or your family to give during the holiday season!
--Lisa Barton
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