In India, even the poorest of poor wear colorful jewelry. Expensive gems are not needed to adorn bodies with flashes of sparkle. What’s needed instead is an eye for beauty, steady hands, and a caring heart. Mrs. Meena works at a private school, but she also designs jewelry on the side. She...
Tailoring and Science may seem like very different subjects to learn about in school, but we assure you that both can be taught to eager young students harmoniously en tandem. During our summer workshops, Mrs. Lakshmi and Mrs. Stella trained the children in Tailoring, a skill which will allow many...
Learning how to make something beautiful or useful = learning a skill that can provide essential life income. And basketry is such a skill. Ms. Karpagam Meenakshi conducted vocational classes on basket making for Hope Learning Center children. She also taught creative crafts, including bowls...
Q: What could be sweeter than a cake baking class? A: A cake baking class teaching children a skill to support themselves and their families held at a HoPE Learning Center in Coimbatore, India. Mrs. Elizabeth came from the Middle East and brought along recipes for many types of cakes. Her...
Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. At a recent summer vocational training class held at a HoPE Learning Center in Coimbatore, children were taught how to recognize inner beauty and how to make everyone more beautiful on the outside as well. Long-time beautician Mrs. Nithya, taught eager...
At HoPE Learning Centers, children are taught many things – traditional academics, innovative life lessons, physical fitness, cultural awareness and skills that will possibly improve their abilities to support themselves in life. During May, at RG Pudur Center, sixty children (40 HoPE Center...
About 20 years ago, I began my work in India. I stayed in a room that had large ceiling-to-floor windows. Across the street at an apartment complex, there was a young girl who was 8 years old who sat on a pile of dirt all day and opened the gate for all the cars of the residents. She and her...
Looking back with tears in her eyes, Chinnaka described the day when she first heard the news that her son and daughter-in-law died in a motor vehicle accident in which they were traveling. It was the day that she gave up singing due to sorrow and stress. Chinnaka was suddenly the full-time...
Traumatic events can happen at any time. The more frightened and helpless someone feels, the more likely s/he is to be traumatized. Victims may experience upsetting emotions, frightening memories, or senses of constant danger. Or, they might feel numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other...
At Tripura Foundation, one of our greatest satisfactions is witnessing the positive transformation of children; even one small child. At first sight, Marcos Gabriel García Crespo seems quite serious and shy. This is because he didn’t grow up knowing how to smile. He lives in a small shack in...