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Children's life stories re-written and poverty avoided through education and safe water

I’ve been serving on volunteer mission teams to China with Heart for Kids (and its forerunner, ChinaHeart) since 2007 and seen how practical acts and financial gifts of love help kids re-write their life stories and turn around their futures. This work continues through the long-term educational sponsorship of rural children living in poverty.

One girl, 17-year-old Wang* receiving education support recently wrote, 'You have been with me for more than 10 years. Thank you for walking with me and for your help. When I was very little, our family was very poor and had lots of difficulties. I remember one day, two uncles came to my home and said someone would provide support for me. I could not believe it …. at the time I questioned was it real that there are kind people like you? I thought to myself that I must work hard and be successful to repay your help. Besides, working hard is also my way to repay my grandma and my dad. What I learnt from books is nothing compared to what you taught me. You make known to me what kindness is, what is gratefulness, which are worth more than 10,000 books! If I have a chance, I will certainly go to see you to learn how such kind and loving people look like. I want to thank you in person.’

In recent years Heart for Kids has, with local mission partners, extended its outreach to India and Indonesia and it’s to India I’ll be heading in November as part of a team reconnecting with local staff, children and families now COVID restrictions have eased.

We’ll be getting involved with Child Development Centres where sponsored children receive basic education without which they would not be able to enter next-level education and consequently severely limiting their future employment and income prospects. We’ll meet ladies being trained at Tailoring Schools to empower them to establish their own work and income so their children are better cared for and fed. The team will visit villages and hear from local people how they are benefitting from the installation of safe water bores and provision of COVID food aid.

After our previous tailoring school Jes* wrote, ‘I am so happy today that I could complete this course. I used to work long hours for a very little income. But today I got this opportunity to learn tailoring. It is a big opportunity for me. The teachers really taught us all the methods of tailoring. There are so many ladies in our village neither have any income nor any job. They live in poverty. This project will really help our women and bring a great transformation in our villages. Thank you so much for helping us.’

I’m fully covering my travel costs so any donations made through this JustGiving page will go directly to Heart for Kids and be split equally between the programmes in China and India.

It would be wonderful if you could make a donation, no matter how small, in the knowledge that together we’re bringing life changing transformation to children and families in the greatest need!

NB Heart for Kids is based in Australia so all donations are made in A$. Approximate £ to A$ exchange rate is 1.8 but you can check here: https://www.oanda.com/currency-converter/en/?from=GBP&to=AUD&amount=1 or a similar currency converter.

Thank you and God bless you,

John

* Names changed