Asia's Hope is based in Kalimpong, a city of about 40,000 in the foothills of the Himalayas. Our location is one of extreme strategic importance. Our vast network of ethnic Nepali pastors allows us to intervene on behalf of some of the world’s most endangered children at the time and location of their greatest risk.
The plight of orphaned children in Northern India
The Indian government has neglected the region for decades, and has made few improvements in social or physical infrastructure since India’s independence in 1947.
Orphaned children — especially those from ethnic minority and migrant groups — are left to their own devices, and are often found begging or stealing food, or working in dangerous roadside construction projects or in factories making glass, textiles or fireworks.
These children, who often have no extended family or community to provide for them, are at extremely high risk of being sold as slaves, destined to spend the rest of their lives in brothels or in hard labor.
Once trafficked, a child’s chances for escape is nearly non-existent. Asia’s Hope is committed — and uniquely positioned — to rescue and redeem these children before they are forced into a life of slavery.
Immediate needs
We have a wide variety of immediate needs, ranging from $100 to $200,000, from bicycles and cookware to trucks and buildings.
We also need ongoing, monthly support for general operating costs as we work to enhance our administrative and operational capacity on the ground in India. We need to hire teachers, child development specialists and support staff, and we need contingency funds so we can rescue kids even if we do not yet have a partnering church to sponsor them.
We also need to expand our network of contacts in the U.S. and Canada, and are eager to meet pastors, churches, businesses and individuals who may be interested in helping us rescue and raise more children in India.
Longterm, but urgent needs
We have long-term needs, specifically for church partners who are willing to make a commitment of at least two years’ support for an individual children’s home of 20–25 kids and 4–5 staff.
We pray that God will bless us with the resources we need to start up to five new children’s homes in Northeast India by the middle of 2014.
For more information about how you can help, contact John McCollum, Executive Director john@asiashope.org or 614.285.5813 (office) or 614.804.6233 (cell).