My daughter wants to be a police officer when she grows up. She wants to rescue people in difficult situations. I encourage her ambitions and applaud her compassion. You see, my daughter was rescued from a difficult place. She was removed from her biological home by a police officer and placed in our home as a foster child. We have since adopted her and seen her hopes and dreams expand into what would have been an impossible future before.

My daughter can see her dream become a reality. She is attending an excellent school; she gets help with her homework and has all the supplies she needs. My daughter does not need to worry about whether she gets dinner tonight. We live on a tight budget, but my children don’t need to work to put food in our bellies.

I recently read about a young girl named Dhanishta in a similar situation. She was from a very poor family. Her parents worked in a textile factory in South Asia, earning barely enough to put food on the table once a day. The little income that was earned was often spent on alcohol by her father. I can imagine his shame and desperation to forget. To forget the long hours. To forget longing in his child’s eyes for a better life. To forget the impossibility of dreaming.

Dhanishta went to public school but always struggled. She had to work on the weekends at a factory just to buy school supplies. She had no one to help her with her school lessons. Everyone’s time was consumed with the struggle to survive. She was often distracted by the hunger in her belly.

When Dhanishta was enrolled in a Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center her life changed dramatically. Bridge of Hope provided her with the school supplies she needed so she could stop working on the weekends. There was loving, patient Bridge of Hope staff to help her after school with her studies. She was even provided a healthy meal each day to relieve the worry of whether she would eat.

Most importantly, Dhanishta was given the gift of dreaming. Dreaming of the future. Dreaming of a better life. She has excelled in school, scoring 100’s in math and science and placing fourth in her state for those subjects. The door to a new life is open before her. She dreams of going into the medical field, something that is no longer impossible.

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Can you imagine, as a parent, watching your child suffer while you stand by unable to help him? You send him off to beg on the streets in order to make money for a crucial surgery that he needs, but somehow that extra money he earns is always needed for other things. The hope for healing grows dim as years pass by.

That is the condition Sanjita and her husband Chatur where found in until they were blessed by a local teacher and Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope Program.

Anxiety in the Delivery Room

“The size of his head is abnormally large,” the doctor explained to anxious Sanjita and Chatur shortly after their son was born. “The reason might be malnutrition during the mother’s pregnancy. We can bring it to a normal size after doing an operation. But we have to wait until he grows older.” He paused, then his voice changed to one filled with gravity, “It needs lots of money for the operation.”

The birth of Abhaya caused conflicting emotions to surface in Sanjita and Chatur’s hearts. While bearing a son brought honor and joy in their culture, their son’s condition only exasperated their already poverty-stricken lives. And every time they brought little Abhaya to the hospital, they heard the same weary words from the doctor: “It will take a lot of money.”

Once Abhaya grew old enough, Chatur and Sanjita sent him to the streets to beg, hoping they would eventually receive enough for his operation. But after one month of begging, they had to use the money they had collected to meet other expenses.

But one day all of this changed for little Abhaya when a kindhearted teacher, Rajat, found Abhaya begging on the street. With deep concern, he urged Chatur and Sanjita not to use their son as a beggar but instead, send him to school. He explained the importance of an education and what a wonderful tool it could become in Abhaya’s life.

From then on, Rajat came by each morning to see if he could take Abhaya to school with him. Seeing his determination and concern, Abhaya’s parents eventually agreed to give their son an education.

Young Boy Endures Ridicule

Abhaya was 8 years old the very first time he ever set foot inside a school, only to be ridiculed. His physical condition hindered him from catching on quickly, and it prompted severe mockery from others. One day Abhaya came home and told his parents that one of his teachers called him “the big head boy.” Immediately, Chatur went to the school and talked with the principal. He wouldn’t allow a teacher to ridicule his son. The principal assured Chatur that would be the last time Abhaya was the target of any teacher’s scorn. But it didn’t stop the students.

Day after day, Abhaya endured the name calling and teasing from his peers. He had no friends, and the circumstances only made it more difficult for him to get his homework done on time.

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What if you didn’t have the freedom to dream?

Imagine rummaging through garbage all day long trying to find something to sell. How could your dreams stay alive mingled among the flies, mosquitoes and filth, while shabby clothes and dirty faces of others just like you surround your gloomy existence?

You walk in their shadow. The shadow of your parents and of their parents before you. The cycle of poverty unbroken and the freedom to dream forsaken simply because of what has always been.

This was the life of a little girl named Asha. Sadly, her life is just one among many other “untouchable” children like her. With little to no expectation for their future, children roam the streets, beg and wander aimlessly searching for something to fill their empty stomachs. When night falls they return to their home—a hut made from cardboard and pieces of tarp—to a discouraged, malnourished family.

But so many of us hold the keys to the freedom these precious ones can own for themselves, and that is why Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope Program exists: to give children the chance to dream.

Trading Plastic Bottles for a Brighter Future

Asha picked up a discarded plastic bottle, dropping it mechanically into the sack she had swung across her back. It grew heavier as the morning wore on. Her empty stomach growled as she trudged through garbage-laden streets and alleyways. As on many other days, Asha had left her house without breakfast.

‘Untouchable’ and Trying to Survive

Asha’s father was paralyzed, so he couldn’t provide for his family. It was up to Asha and her mother to maintain the family. But being “Untouchables” within their society, they didn’t have many options when it came to jobs.

Facing Rejection at School

When it came time for school, Asha didn’t want to go. She feared the rejection of her teachers and classmates. No one would sit by her or play with her. She was alone and excluded. Asha didn’t have any friends at school.

Her parents explained to her disappointed heart the reason why society did not value her. She knew it was because she picked trash for a living, but this never made it any easier.

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It’s 4:30 in the morning.

The sun has not yet crested the horizon.

A young seminary student rises from bed and heads to the kitchen.

Today’s agenda? Cook and distribute thousands of meals to people in need of food.

Monday, October 16, was World Food Day, and across the globe, individuals and organizations reached out in compassion to their communities. Gospel for Asia-supported workers and Bible college students cooked and distributed meals to more than 2,500 people throughout Asia.Gospel for Asia-supported workers serve food at a leprosy colony on World Food Day, Oct. 16.

They traveled to slums, leper colonies, orphanages, homes for the elderly and hospitals with hands full of delicious food packages for the poor and needy. Street children, beggars and people living at a railway station received special meals delivered in the name of Jesus. For the first time, some of them may have experienced unconditional love as they looked into the compassionate eyes of those serving them.

Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope students took part in the event also, handing out packages of food to children living on the streets who may have been just their age.

In an act of sacrificial love and service, some Bible college students fasted and gave up their own meals leading up to World Food Day so more food could be provided to others.

On the other side of the globe, Gospel for Asia’s (GFA) U.S. office in Wills Point, Texas, observed World Food Day by collecting food donations for a local food bank. GFA staff piled canned food in a box throughout the day. Many of the local food bank’s most-needed items were contributed. Staff were eager for the opportunity to help locally, with one stating, “I pray that this will be a great blessing to the community here.”

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What was on your mind when you were 6 years old? Maybe your thoughts were taken up by bicycles, stuffed animals and your next snack.

That was not the case for young Pria, a little girl from a poor family in Asia. Her perky pigtails held no big hair bows, and special treats were few and far between. But something more important was missing: a hopeful future.

An Unpromising Beginning

From the first moment of her existence, Pria’s life could have taken many tragic turns.

When her mother, Gala, discovered she was pregnant with Pria, her partner refused to take responsibility for their child and abandoned Gala. Unmarried and now an expectant mother, Gala was crushed by this betrayal.

Despite her abandonment and the looming possibility of abortion, Gala saved her baby. But as her pregnancy progressed, Gala sunk into a depression that slowly clutched hold of her reasoning. Eventually, her depression gave way to mental illness.

Gala’s grandparents stepped in to care for the child, helping any way they could. But as time passed, old age began taking its toll. And as Pria grew older, more needs arose: clothing to cover the pretty child, who was growing taller every day; greater quantities of nutritious food for her increasing appetite; education to train the curious mind developing within her. How could her aged grandparents and mentally ill mother meet all these needs?

Beyond the Walls of Poverty

The answer came from within a building in their community: a Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center. Pria and more than 100 other poor children in her area were enrolled in the center, and their futures started changing.

Because of the Bridge of Hope center, 6-year-old Pria had the chance to learn things like math, science, art, the history of her country, respect and good social skills. She thrived in the loving environment, and soon reading, drawing and singing became her favorite activities.

Now a lovely ninth grader, Pria is on her way to an adulthood filled with promise and opportunity. She is equipped with knowledge and positive values, and the love she has received from her Bridge of Hope teachers is ready to flow into others.

It Could Have Been A Very Different Outcome

But Pria’s story could have taken a completely different turn. Instead of finding love and care through Bridge of Hope, Pria could have grown up malnourished and illiterate, only able to do manual labor to earn an income. She could have become one of the 10.3 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 who are engaged in child labor in South Asia. Or she could have fallen prey to traffickers who look for women and children who could disappear without anyone noticing or insisting on an investigation.

It is by God’s mercy and the love shown by His children that Pria’s story did not follow any of those paths. Through the help of Gospel for Asia’s friends around the world, Pria and 82,000 other Bridge of Hope children are receiving the school supplies, clothing and tutoring they need to attend local schools—something typically far beyond the ability of their parents to provide. With the daily meal provided at the Bridge of Hope center, they are guaranteed at least one nutritious meal a day. Medication and vitamins are being given to them to help them grow strong and healthy. And these students are not as vulnerable—their Bridge of Hope teachers care about their well-being and lovingly watch over them.

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One country in South Asia is the second most populated country in the world, just after China, so the answer to “How many kids does South Asia have?” is a staggering number. There are about 12,627 births in that country per day, or about one birth every seven seconds, so the number is always increasing.[1] Right now, that country also has the largest adolescent population in the world with around 253 million.[2]

GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program already helps many kids like these, more than 70,000, but even more of them still need help.[3] There many children enrolled in the program but still awaiting sponsorship at the time of this writing.[4] That number also keeps growing as more kids are enrolled in the program to receive vitla help like nutritious food, school supply provisions, hygiene help and educational and community opportunities.

One of these children is Aliyah, who struggled with schoolwork for the longest time, not understanding her first-grade work at all. Her parents were both poor and uneducated, and they could barely provide for school supplies, let alone help with the work. Then, Aliyah’s mother heard about GFA’s Child Sponsorship Program, which provides vital assistance like tutoring help, nutritious food and school supplies for children in need. The staff was more than happy to enroll Aliyah, and she took the opportunity to thrive. With the guidance of the staff and the proper materials, she excelled. Now a teenager, Aliyah continues to work hard and succeed, and her future remains hopeful. Her mother said, “I am happy to see my daughter doing well in her studies. She has not only learned from her books, but she has developed good habits. Thanks [to the program staff] for [their] love and encouragement, my daughter is happy and doing well.”[5]

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GFA World serves in many regions and countries where they help kids; Asia and Sri Lanka are just two of them. GFA World serves in more than twenty countries worldwide with a special interest in those who have never heard the Gospel, especially in the 10/40 window.[1] These countries include Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and GFA World has also recently started working in Rwanda, Africa as well. These are some of the poorest countries in the world, the places where children are the most forgotten and downtrodden.

GFA World trains national missionaries who are from the areas in which they are ministering. This makes it easier for them to understand the cultures, attitudes and needs of the people they are trying to reach. Not only that, but national missionaries have access to places that western missionaries are often restricted from entering.[2]

The children in these countries can be enrolled in GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program and receive vital essentials like food, education assistance, hygiene products and access to clean water. Helping these kids helps the whole community around them.

Bolivar was a malnourished, frequently ill, foul-mouthed child from a poor family. Staff from the sponsorship program happened to meet him in the streets and asked his parents about enrolling him in the program. It seems he had never really attended school, but with the guidance and care he received in the program, Bolivar eventually became quite the scholar. The staff made sure he had nutritious meals and school supplies, and they visited his family to encourage them too. Under such guidance, Bolivar earned high marks on exams and in class, high enough that he could go to university for free. Now, Bolivar looks forward to going on to earn a master’s degree and continuing to work hard to provide for his family.[3]

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In order to understand why Asia, underprivileged kids, and GFA World need help, one must understand the devastating effects of poverty. There are almost 3 billion people in the world that don’t have access to toilets and about 1 billion people who do not have access to clean drinking water. The poorest 20% of the world’s children are twice as likely as the richest 20% to be stunted by poor nutrition and die before their fifth birthday. Almost 3 million newborns around the world die within their first month of life. Over 160 million children globally do not attend primary school.[1]

These statistics are overwhelming, but they don’t have to stay that way. Countries in Asia are making strides in the right direction—in one country the infant mortality rate has halved, and two million fewer children are out of school—but there is still a long way to go. Malnutrition is still prevalent; In 2020, more than half of all children under 5 affected by stunting lived in Asia.[2] Education outcomes are still not great either since only 42.5% of children in grade 3 can read a grade 1 level text.[3] Clearly, there is still a lot of work to do, and GFA World is one of the organizations that is taking on that challenge. Vance is one example of someone who was helped in crucial fashion.

Vance lived in a slum and had to depend on his father’s meager income to provide. Unfortunately, his dad spent much of that small amount on alcohol instead of family necessities. Vance and the other children living in the slum frequently got sick due to no proper toilets, disease-ridden mosquitoes and no access to clean water. Life was truly dark and grim. Then, Vance’s father and stepmother heard about a program where impoverished children and their families could get help. GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program opened the door for Vance to receive an education and regular nutritious food. Vance was initially uninterested in education, but the careful counsel and attention of the program staff slowly encouraged him to take more care of himself and his studies. Tutors helped him improve in subjects, and the provided meals made sure he could make it through the day. Vance is now more confident, disciplined and happy, and his younger step-siblings are also enrolled in the sponsorship program too.[4]

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