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Monthly Archives

September 2022

Sam

By Project Stories

Backpacks With a Side of Sizzling Dosa, Warm Smiles, and a Bright Future.

The whole scene was a bit chaotic. It was July 2022 and we had just arrived in Kalandra for the first time in three years to visit our feeding center and backpack recipients there. The village stirred with energy as our car pulled up, and we were greeted by an excited crew of elementary and middle school-aged boys, eager to share their village with us. At the front of the pack, with the biggest, uncontainable smile was Sam Kumar.

He grabbed our hands and directed us through the narrow, winding streets to a small home in the corner of the village. “Is this where you live?” we asked. Beaming with pride he said it was and proceeded to bring his parents out. Sam loves his family and wanted them to share time with us, even though family dynamics haven’t always been easy.

Sam’s dad struggles with an addiction to alcohol and spends most of the family’s income on liquor. His mom has struggled through some heavy bouts with depression, leading to a near-suicide attempt while Sam was present. Through it all though, Sam seems to have a contagious optimism that draws the family together. In fact, his mom was talked down from her suicide attempt by Sam’s encouragement for her to trust God’s provision. Sam’s love is felt by the family but they are still left with some significant struggles. Both of his parents work day to day and the income is so slim. Sam’s dad works as a coconut peeler, and his mom tries to find work as a maid for a local landlord. After the continued dependence on alcohol and a meager supply of food and necessities, there is no money left to spend on an education for Sam. Even though school is government-funded, Sam couldn’t afford to pay for the basic supplies like books, paper, and pencils. Supplies needed by anyone who wants a chance at succeeding in school, and for Sam, success in school could be a lifeline out of poverty.

Everything changed a few years back though. In 2020 we raised money for our Backpack Project at A Night For Hope and we were able to send enough money to our partners to distribute over 5500 backpacks full of school supplies. One of those recipients was a kind and smiley young boy in the little village of Kalandra. Yep, Sam got a backpack thanks to the generous support of a few hundred people gathering together in a parking lot in Lincoln, NE for a Covid-friendly, drive-in fundraiser. And that impact was not insignificant.

Equipped with a backpack full of all the supplies he’d need, Sam now had the confidence to approach school with the same love and enthusiasm that he approached all of life with. But even more than that, Sam got connected to our local partner Aaron who has loved and invested in him. Aaron has started teaching Sam and his family about Jesus and his love for them. They have started to open up their home to the community to have a small church gathering each Sunday and lives are changing forever — all because of a few pencils and notebooks in a backpack.

As we wandered in behind Sam, he and his mom pulled out a small stove and lit a fire. We gathered around as Sam poured fresh batter onto a sizzling skillet, preparing each of us some of the best Indian dosa you’ve ever had. Sam giggled as I tried to help with the dosa and really butchered it. The fire was hot, the food was warm, and the smiles touched us. In the midst of a broken home, in the corner of an impoverished village, hope was stirring. 

Our bodies warm with food, we said our goodbyes and departed out into a now rain-soaked evening. Looking back, we longed for more for Sam and his family. Yet at the same time, his radiant joy reminded us that even on a dreary night, in a cold concrete home, next to a self-consumed, alcoholic father, Sam has hope. The future still holds light.

To impact more students like Sam, donate to our Backpack Project today!

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Jayraman & Madathesri

By Project Stories

Known and Loved More than Skin Deep.

Leprosy is no joke in India. Jayraman and Madathesri would know. Both have had leprosy for around 30 years. In India, leprosy is not just a disease. It’s viewed as a curse from the gods. The person infected with leprosy becomes the disease, not just a person battling it. There is intense prejudice and little care given to those with leprosy. They are left to live in isolation because no one wants to be around them. They are considered “untouchables” in society. They are neglected. Rejected. Ignored. Unwanted. Abandoned. Left to themselves with no help or treatment.

Because of the lack of care, Jayraman and Madathesri’s physical condition has only gotten worse. Jayraman has experienced a loss of vision, and his arms and hands are affected. Madathesri’s hands have been affected the most, and she can hardly use her fingers.

The two of them have been married for about eight years now, and have a beautiful and healthy son and daughter in elementary school, hoping to complete their education. But achieving this goal is difficult when there are requirements for school fees to be paid, and they don’t have enough money to do so.

Because of the neglect and stigma they face in society, no one wants to hire them. Even if someone did hire them, they couldn’t work because their leprosy has gotten so bad that their hands cannot complete tasks, at least with ease. They are dependent on money or donations from others for their needs or are forced to pull from their slim savings.

Right now, some of their greatest needs include food and surgeries to treat the effects of their leprosy. Through the help of The Hope Venture’s Medical Kit Project, Jayraman and Madathesri have received medical supplies, clothing, and groceries in the medical kits they were given. These items are simple, and while they might not completely cure their leprosy, it shows that they are cared for and provides assistance to them when nobody else will. Another big piece of giving care to them came from Martin, a volunteer for the Medical Kit Project.

One day, he saw Jayraman walking along the road outside. Martin ran out, his feet frantically trying to place themselves back under himself, picking up pace as he rushed to meet Jayraman. Martin’s cheeks were tight from the big smile lighting up his face. He gently placed his arm around Jayraman’s shoulders as he came to greet him. Martin was not afraid to touch Jayraman, to be in his presence. Both of the men’s faces were beaming as they talked, displaying an excitement of connection—just one of the many ways Jayraman has found belonging and community.

Jayraman and Madathesri have been able to experience a pocket of community where they are no longer the outcasts of society. They aren’t neglected—they are cared for. They aren’t rejected—they are cherished for the humans that they are. They aren’t unwanted—they are welcomed with open arms. They aren’t abandoned—they have people coming alongside them and around them to help them out.

It’s in moments like this that hope is so vibrant for them. To be known and accepted as they are in their medical condition is evidence of the love poured out for them. Some of the steps taken to help them have been small, but it’s in these small steps that they see the realness of the love and acceptance they are being embraced with.

To impact more people like Jayraman and Madathesri, donate to our Leprosy Care Project today!

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Madhaven

By Project Stories

The adventure of persistent hope.

Madhaven is one of those guys that just seems to have new crazy stories about his life that get uncovered every time you interact with him. He will start telling a story about something that happened in his life and you can’t help but let your jaw drop. He has a lot of years under his belt at 75 years old, but at the same time, he is also one of the most youthful-spirited guys you’ll ever meet. He is persistent and driven, joyful and hopeful – determined to live life to the fullest with many adventures ensuing along the way.

One of his crazy adventures stems all the way back to his birth. Madhaven was born without his left arm from the elbow down. This was a journey that Madhaven didn’t choose to embark on. It has proved to be an obstacle throughout his life as he navigates embracing the  adaptability of completing daily tasks in creative ways due to his disability.

In his aging, other health problems have come up for Madhaven. He often gets pain in his neck that won’t go away. He also has to put in a lot of effort to take a full, deep breath – his lungs don’t have the capacity and strength that they once had. He battles chronic asthma and is often wheezing, begging his lungs to fill and deflate with ease. It has been bothering him for over two years. These health issues may be small, but it adds up for Madhaven, especially when he would prefer to be on the move, collecting and chopping firewood, taking care of his cattle, farm, and family.

Fortunately, Madhaven doesn’t let these health concerns get in his way of living his life to the fullest. Every week, Madhaven walks to the Jack Norman Hope Center in Masinagudi where he is able to get free healthcare and treatment provided by Dr. Sally and Dr. Babu. Madhaven says he would have died long ago if it weren’t for the great care he continually receives from Dr. Sally and Dr. Babu, who to Madhaven have become “mom and pop.” The bond and care built and received by Madhaven at the Jack Norman Center have been an adventure beyond his health – it touches his heart. 

Madhaven can delight in the clean and safe environment brought by the Jack Norman Hope Center where he repeatedly gets good care for his health. He can see a physical difference being made in his daily life as he is brought up to better health and takes joy in this change. He is given dignity as he gets his needs met at the facility.

Madhaven isn’t pain free. His life is still tough. But Madhaven only sees his difficulties as hurdles to leap over, continuing on the path beyond them. The Jack Norman Center is a springboard for Madhaven, helping him over his health obstacles. He is full of optimism, joy, and humor. Despite the hard things Madhaven is walking through, if you had a conversation with him, he would make you smile. He’d tell ya stories about his younger years, brag on his family – his four kids, his eight grandkids, or his beautiful wife who passed away four years ago. He’d crack some jokes, tell you about the hope he has found in Jesus, and make you feel so seen and known after concluding your conversation with a firm handshake, looking at you with his eyes sparkling, crinkled in a friendly squint from his persistent smile.