Something He Never Dreamed Of

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Jolen is a bright young man who is eager to learn as much as he can. But Jolen lives in a low-caste, poverty-stricken slum area in Uttar Pradesh, India. Without the help of GFA's Bridge of Hope program, receiving a decent education would only be a dream for Jolen.
As a rickshaw driver, Jolen's father earns only 100 rupees (US$2) on a good day. He suffers from lung and respiratory problems, making his strenuous job difficult. But being illiterate and unskilled, he knows he can only do manual labor jobs that pay very little.
The family lives in a small, one-room house with little protection from the sweltering heat of summer—or the bitter cold in the dead of winter.
It is a physically hard existence. But for Jolen, getting an education means the hope of finding a decent paying job when he grows up and rising from the cycle of poverty.
Children and parents in this area know full well the value of receiving an education, so when GFA Bridge of Hope came to their area, Jolen's parents jumped at the chance to enroll him.
There are two Bridge of Hope centers in this large slum area. And in a place mired in poverty, where families like Jolen's struggle to survive, these centers are indeed a beacon of hope.
The centers have a combined enrollment of around 300, and ages range from about four years old on up to mid-teens.
The owner who rents out the building for one of the Bridge of Hope centers is so excited about how it's helping the poor children in his area that he is willing to add on to his building to make space for even more children!
They just need someone to come alongside them and sponsor them so that they, like the children pictured here, can receive an education and hear how there's a Jesus in heaven who loves them.
date posted 11/12/08