Here are a couple of real life stories to highlight the work of El Shaddai in Goa, India.
Veena [not her real name] lived in northern India with her family. When she was only 12 years old she lost both her parents. Now left to fend for herself and raise her two young brothers, they had no money and no means of supporting themselves. However, they were not without hope – Veena knew that she had an uncle, she didn’t know his name but did know he lived in Goa.
Probably completely unaware of the distance they would have to cover, 12-year-old Veena and her brothers headed south, embarking on a 1,600km journey in search of her uncle. Eventually arriving in Goa they began their search which, as it turns out, would be futile. Goa covers an area of 3,702 km² – the chances of finding an uncle they didn’t know was remote and even more unlikey was the possibility of this stranger taking in the three homeless children.
One Saturday their fortunes would change completely. Walking onto the beach they saw a crowd of children. These children were from Shanti Niketan – a school run by El Shaddai. Veena asked one of the adults if they could help her and the rest, as they say, is history. Veena and her brothers were taken in by El Shaddai. They were loved and given a home, clothes, food and education.
That was all some years ago now. Today, Veena has recently completed an MBA and is working towards her ambition of running her own business to help others less fortunate that herself.
Another child rescued from the streets was Tilak [not his real name]. At the age of 6 years he was rescued from the gutters where he slept and ate. From there he was cleaned, clothed, educated and loved; he was given the childhood he had never experienced. Twenty years later at the age of 26, Tilak has recently qualified with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and now works with El Shaddai. He was given a second chance in life which he grabbed with both hands and now wants to devote his life to giving other children the same chance that was given to him.
Your donation will help to build a new residential home that will house about 60 children, giving them the second chance that both Veena and Tilak have experienced. Click here to make your donation now.