November 2006

Serve the Children has a great operation in India.  We plan to send a mission team there in October 2007.  Michael Eatherly recently returned from India and visited our operations there.  Here is his report.
 

Ankoor Children’s Home is located in the rural town of Lasina, India (about three hours south of Nagpur by car).  It is currently home to 75 children ranging in age from three to fourteen years old, and supported by five full-time staff.  A calling by God and a heart for the tribal people of India motivated Kiron and Nalini Gaikwad to open Ankoor in an area that has extreme need.

            Children who are fortunate enough to be placed in the home arrive in great need.  Parents eagerly desire their children to be placed in the home despite the fact that parents may not have the means to visit their children for months at a time.  The children who arrive do so with skin disease, lice, worms, malnutrition, and various other ailments that would not normally be treated.  There is hope.  Within a month most of the diseases have been dealt with and the children are beginning to look healthier; by three months the children exhibit few signs that they were in such bad shape before.  This dynamic change is due to the wonderful care given to the children:  three meals a day, daily exercise, regular medical checkups and provision, education,  quality personal hygiene, fellowship, and hope.

            Despite all of the success we have had and continue to have at Ankoor Children’s Home, there is so much more that needs to be done.  There also continues to be a growing demand for entrance into Ankoor by parents who want a better life for their children.  The Rathaod’s, of the Banjara people group living in the Bander village, are one such family.  Work in this area primarily consists of agriculture and manual labor at an earning rate of 60 rupees per day or approximately $1.50; contrasted with a waiter (115 rupees per day + tips) or a taxi driver (150 rupees per day + tips).  It is true that the lifestyle demands in India are much less than the United States, but even then, only 60 rupees is barely enough to get by.  The cost of rice for a family of five is about 25 rupees per meal.  To purchase clothes will cost between 200 and 300 rupees per outfit.  Considering two outfits are probably a minimum (one to wash and one to wear) it will take two weeks just to clothe one person. 

The heat and availability of water (or lack thereof) is another significant but necessary cost.  The temperatures are often about 100 degrees and the distance to the nearest well is approximately 1/4 of a mile each way.  To carry a small amount of water in the normal container for that distance in that heat would be almost pointless; the needed mode of transport consists of two cows and a cart.  The two cows alone cost 10,000 rupees each, or about a year’s wages to purchase both.  You can make a difference in the lives of these people by supporting our operations in India.

Liberia- We have opened "GraceNet" in Monrovia.  This is an internet café that we will use to raise money for our schools in Liberia plus train our staff and children in computers.  We also have a taxi service that is raising money for our schools and providing a source of income for the two drivers that we employ.  Liberia 2007 mission team is being formed and our next meeting will be in January.

Volunteers needed- We need help with the Spring fundraiser and grant writing.  If you are interested in either of these two areas, please respond to this email.

Prayers needed- We are still waiting for our container paperwork to clear so we can schedule a much needed shipment, we have several grant requests pending and please pray for our staff in each country.

Your tax deductible gifts and prayers are greatly appreciated!