BRAMPTON, Ontario — (CANADIAN CHRISTIAN NEWS SERVICE) — As Indian churches lose financial support for their work serving children living in poverty, Partners International is stepping in to help. Recent reports in Christianity Today magazine and elsewhere note that while 145,000 children in India have lost the support of Compassion International, they haven’t lost the support of their local churches. Partners International is working with some of those local churches to ensure they can access funds and continue to serve children. “It is a big loss when we think about the children and the talented staff. The children were growing up with good values, health care, education and guidance as they charted a life path and it is up to us as the local church to continue the work already started,” says Nicholas, a local leader with Partners International in India.
Partners International has been serving children at risk in India since 1977. “Our ministry partners in India have asked us to find the support needed to provide for these children immediately,” says Partners International President, Kevin McKay. “This is why our model of partnership is so important. We are investing and building up the local community to be able to respond to those in need on a long-term basis.”
Our local partners look to serve over 950 children currently without support through their children’s programs which include school and after-school programs. Their work is making a difference in the lives of children like Hanna. A national worker from India shares, “She was a very insecure girl and caused trouble. She was weak in her studies. But when she came to our children’s program and the Lord’s love melted her personality, she began taking care of herself and her grades improved. In time, her mother also believed, and her father is softening in his attitude toward her and his other children. This project is not only providing education and a sense of self-worth and purpose to the children, but it is changing many families. It is a lot of work, but it is worth it to see what God is doing.”
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Downloadable, high-resolution image of Hanna, a young girl being supported by the local church
To interview Kevin McKay contact:
Luke McKee
luke.mckee@partnersinternational.ca
905.458.1202 ext. 239
Partners International Canada:
Partners International works to bring Canadians into partnership with locally-led Christian ministries who specialize in holistic development and are working in the least reached, least resourced areas of the world. Their leaders have the advantage of grassroots knowledge that enables them to overcome the cultural barriers often difficult to conquer by outsiders.