This post was contributed by Lacy Lewis of The Village Church in Dallas, Texas. Lacy and her husband, Sean, visited Vision Nationals campus in Vizag earlier this year.
Working class families in India cannot afford education for their children, and most of the time do not understand the importance of it. So their children start working at a young age and never rise above poverty.
Girls are viewed and treated as burdens because the culture runs on a dowry system. Because working class parents cannot afford expensive dowries, they will marry their daughters at a very young age to men that will take them cheaply. Because of the poverty they have grown up in, some do not know their age or at what age they were given into marriage.
A girl can be widowed as young as 17 and is often left with children she cannot support. She then works hard until they are married off. Today, when these children have grown, many are neglecting their widowed mothers and elderly parents.
The following story is from one of these women.
Challayamma
Challayamma is over 70 years old and her husband died in 2006. They had three children, but two were stillborn. Her one surviving child, a daughter, helped support her until her death in 2008, leaving Challayamma alone. Before her death, this daughter had come to know Christ, and through her conversion Challayamma also became a Christian.
Challayamma used to have a fruit and vegetable stand, but could not continue to keep it because of her failing eyesight. Recently she adopted a teenage boy, saving him from the streets. They live together in a rented house and he works as a carpenter’s apprentice providing some money for the rent. His income is not sufficient, however, and the money from Vision Nationals helps to pay the rent and buy food.
Through members of the church in Vizag, Vision Nationals identifies widows in need and provides monthly support for medicine and food for them. If you would like to support a widow for $15 a month, you can give online.
