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Child Abandoned by Her Parents
The child in her arms was her granddaughter Daya. The little girl was once happy, but strife tore her family apart.
Daya's father began to beat her mother badly. He had no love for his wife, and neither parent had any love for Daya.
It wasn't long before he abandoned the family and married another woman. Sadly, even Daya's mother deserted her, so her grandmother was the only one left to care for the abandoned girl.
With no income, they began begging at bus stops, train stations and shops. Now, they stood eye to eye with a cook who was hesitant to give a handout to another adult he thought was exploiting a helpless child.
The cook was moved with compassion when he saw truth welling up in the eyes of the grandmother. He invited her to enroll Daya in the Bridge of Hope center, where he could cook the young girl meals for many years to come.
Daya joined the Bridge of Hope center wedged between a railway station and a slum. Even there, she stuck out as the poorest of the poor. Having lived much of her life in the slums, she knew little of hygiene and came to class in the same dirty clothes each day. On the rare occasion when she did bathe, she didn't use soap.
New Student Faces Opposition
Although Daya was opposed for knowing little about hygiene, the staff committed themselves to her growth in the Lord and in practical matters like cleanliness.
Some parents began pressuring the Bridge of Hope staff to drop Daya from the program. They didn't want this dirty child around their sons and daughters.
They even threatened to remove their children from the center if she didn't leave.
Daya's future hung in the balance. If rejected from the Bridge of Hope center, she would return to the streets as one of the 300,000 child beggars in India. At some point, she would likely join the 20 to 30 million other boys and girls there who are exploited as child laborers.
With only her grandmother to protect her from predators in the slums, she would be at risk of becoming one of the 1.2 million Indian children abused as prostitutes. Worse yet, if her grandmother died, all hope would be lost for her future.
But even if Daya did escape these evils, where else would she learn about Jesus?
Cook and Bridge of Hope Staff Remain Committed
Because the staff knew God had brought Daya to them, they made the decision to keep her in the program—no matter what the consequences would be.
The staff members tackled her hygiene problem head on. They scrubbed the 8-year-old down and gave her new clothes; by the time they were finished, she was almost unrecognizable. The staff continued to teach her and her classmates proper hygiene, along with other practical life skills.
Six Years of Compassion
Daya, now 15 years old, knows the Lord and has escaped the social evils that plague young girls in South Asia.
It's been more than six years since Daya joined the Bridge of Hope center. Today, Daya wears the beautiful dresses she and the other girls are given as their uniforms.
She's not begging on the streets. She's not in bonded labor. She's not enslaved in a brothel. She's not helpless.
Daya has hope for her future. With the education she receives at the Bridge of Hope center, she has done well academically and wants to become a teacher.
But most importantly, today, Daya knows Jesus.
Bridge of Hope Changes Communities
GFA Bridge of Hope changes entire communities, not just students. The care given to the children and their families brings many to an understanding of the Savior.
Daya's grandmother has seen the kindness shown to her granddaughter, and now they both live in God's love.
More than 60,000 children like Daya are finding hope in Christ through Bridge of Hope centers, but millions of others still live in despair. Reach into their world by sponsoring a child.
It only takes $35 a month to give a child everything they need—school supplies, a daily meal, medical checkups and more—to attend a Bridge of Hope Center. 100% of your sponsorship is sent to the field to support your child.
We have the opportunity together to change the fate of a child, but time is short. You can make a choice today that will change a life forever.
For more information, please go to: http://www.gfa.org/sponsorachild/browse/
| Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia. |
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