The monsoon rains in India were severe this year. Children of Faith did not suffer any flooding or damage, but other communities were not as fortunate. Children of Faith youth recently joined a group from their church to provide relief to victims of nearby flooding in Vijayawada. The group of 25 volunteers included 12 older boys from COF, COF Staff, members of Rosie Thandu’s family and other volunteers from the local church. They traveled several hours by bus.
Once they arrived in the area they purchased needed supplies to distribute at a nearby wholesaler. The supplies were sorted into packages in a nearby church by the boys who worked long hours to be ready for the next day’s distribution. Needed items included clothing, blankets, sheets, towels dishes and cooking pots.
The flood victims who received the supplies were pre-screened by local authorities and directed to the distribution site by local church leaders. We were able to help 450 households with the supplies we provided. Many aid workers have found that their distribution sites were crowded as the need in the area is so great.
I have never seen flood affected areas and it brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy to be able to be part of COF and help them.
— Sugana Raju, 10th grade
Conditions still remain difficult for those who lost everything in the floods. Aid is slow to arrive and the number of people in need is great. Those helped by this service trip expressed their gratitude.
This trip, the first of its kind for Children of Faith, provided the young participants a chance to be of assistance to others instead of being on the receiving end of charity. This will help our children understand that they are called to help others in need and to demonstrate their value to the larger community. Experiences like this can be life changing as we have seen in the youth that visited Children of Faith to serve us. In addition, our growing reputation for serving those around us in need is improving our standing in our community.
We started with prayer and ended with prayer, everything went so well and it is so sad to see the hard lives of many people.
— Ganesh, Grade 12
We are thankful for the supporters who made this opportunity possible with their special donations. We hope you will join us as we continue to pray for those who lost so much in this seasons floods in India and the US.
You can watch a video of our distribution efforts….
Your Support makes our work Possible
Your donations to our general fund make our Home successful. Our sponsors help us feed and clothe the children and provide tuition for college students, but we rely on donations to our general fund for the unexpected things that come along like special medical needs, And opportunities such as this service trip. We couldn’t keep transforming the lives of young people in India without these additional donations, please help us however you can.
