Bethel Children’s Ministry
The dream of Bethel Children’s Ministry began when we saw the abject poverty of Boscar and his family when Jon was filming the India Face to Face episode entitled “Our Own Flesh.” In this show we saw people sleeping on the streets because there had been a flood that had washed their houses away along with everything they owned. What struck us was that the did not ask for money or food or new cooking utensils, they asked for education for their children.
We’ve since learned that without an education and religious change they are relegated to a life of menial tasks like picking up trash.
So, when Israel Prasad, JFA India Director, begged us to start an evening school we were primed and ready. Now, after only 4 years, there are 6 evening schools providing evening classes in reading, writing, and arithmetic, plus one good free meal 6 days a week. We have anywhere from 250 to 400 kids show up 6 nights a week.
Please visit the Bethel Children’s Ministry website for pictures and more info.
——-
Following is the story in pictures of how the idea for Bethel Children’s Ministry was planted. It is a series of stills taken from a video shot in 2005. You can watch the video here.
Boskar the Trash Picker. He supports ten people in his household.
This is Boskar's house
This is Boskar's littlest girl, who slept outside all night.
This is Boskar's community, kept here by religion and ignorance.
This is Boskar's job.
Boskar is lucky - he has a tricycle.
These people are sleeping on the sidewalk because their houses washed away.
Starting to Wake Up at 4:30am.
They did not ask for money or new clothes or cooking utensils. They asked if we could help educate their children.
We were so impressed by these dear people’s request. Here they just had all their possessions swept away in a flood, they’re sleeping on the sidewalk, and the only thing they ask for is education for their children. Our hearts were stirred. That’s when Israel Prasad proposed the idea of an evening school to provide education for slum children, and to augment their diet so they can fight off malnutrition and all its negative effects. That was in 2006.
The Bethel Orphanage
God also gave us an orphanage with 11 kids! But they got kicked out of rental houses so often we had to find and purchase our own children’s home. God is very good, and He loves children!
If you’d like to get involved, please let us know. These people’s greatest need is prayer. And people who will act in accordance with that prayer. God bless you!