4 year old Gurleen is not just from learning new things, she comes to school every day loved, known and valued. We are working hard to give her a bright future.
Last week we told you about our new centre close to the India-Pakistan border – Venturing Further Than Ever Before – A New Centre
We want to say a HUGE “thank you” to two Australian families who this week responded to our call, making a combined donation of $1709. Your generosity has made it possible for us to help this very poor community.
Just 3 weeks ago we started with 50 kids – most of whom have never been to a school before. The word has well and truly spread and this week even more new kids have shown up for the first time, and we now have 80 children most days. We anticipate that we will soon have 100+ enrolled.
Guleen’s Story
Whilst education is a human right, the majority of children in this isolated and marginalised district are unable to attend a local school. Little 4 year-old Gurleen Kaur (pictured above) is one of these kids. Gurleen is the eldest of 4 siblings. Her mother died during the delivery of her baby sister. Gurleen’s father is an addict in a community where drugs are cheap and easily available. He would only be in his early twenties, he never comes home and he is unemployed. The kids are looked after by their ill, elderly grandparents who live in a house that is falling down. Our new teacher Sonia Rani appealed to the grandparents to allow Gurleen to attend our centre and we are pleased that she now attends school on a daily basis. As well as starting to learn new things, we see Gurleen respond to the nurture and safety that school provides – for her this is a transformative experience.
Meet Sunita our teacher
Each one of our 80 students has a similarly sad story. Our work powerfully impacts their lives bringing love, hope and opportunities to shine and flourish. Even in these early days, we see small but significant changes. We are excited for the many possibilities.
We still require $791 to reach our target of $2500 which is needed to cover most of the costs required to provide 12 months of very basic education for 100 kids. Beyond this amount we will explore the possibility of providing all of the children with a daily meal as well - In our other projects, it currently costs about $40AUD a year per child to provide them with a daily meal - not including the cook's salary.
Can you help us to reach our target please? Your donation is tax-deductible.
