It’s Official: 7 Hope Centers Launching

I had a most heart-warming and eye-opening experience during my visit to the sites of our Chennai Hope Learning Centers.  I learned a great lesson from the poor about the value of education – how education is the key to creating a new destiny for the poorest children.

I met the local champion of each center – a school headmaster, or politician, or social service worker or simply a dedicated person seeking to give back to the children who will be our future leaders.  I was so impressed by our champions’ hard work in the careful selection of the neediest children with fully supportive mothers, of neat buildings that were being painted beautiful, bright hues of purple and green, of passionate and caring teachers who are excited about this opportunity to help children to blossom into their highest potential.

And of course, I was most impressed by meeting the children and some of their parents.  Even though living in huts and hovels that are below human living conditions, most children being deserted by a father due to alcoholism and the family living on only 1 dollar a day through the hard labor of a dedicated mother- these children have bright faces, light in their eyes, eager interest and an expectation they are embarking upon something wonderful.  I see these children as the great heroes of India- living each day with Hope for a brighter future despite their current life.

Truth was revealed to me in one final meeting.  I visited the homes of several children who will be attending our Hope Center.  The mothers stood in front of their tiny, meager huts with no water, power or toilets- deserted by their husbands and working as servants.  One mother spoke for them all, “We are illiterates, so we suffer.  Please give our children a chance, so they don’t have to suffer like us.”  She held her hands in a pleading posture.

In privileged countries, we often take education for granted.  For these mothers, they viewed the alternative education we would be providing their children as their child’s only chance to live a new life, a new destiny.  Education is the difference between a destiny of a maidservant or laborer, and a destiny as a future engineer, teacher or computer operator

We have already been requested to open 3 more centers, beyond our 7 centers already opening.   Champions of other poor communities are so eager for our help for their poorest children.

Please help us accomplish our goal to open more centers as quickly as possible by sharing your financial support.

Peace, Mohini

• Classes are conducted 6 days per week and include these daily practices:
• Enhanced Education Techniques including Mind Sound Technology (MST) and Personal Transformation Program (PTP) created by Dr. Baskaran Pillai
• Physical Exercise and Yoga
• Tutoring and Guidance with academic subjects
• A healthy and nutritious snack
• Each center serves 30-35 children who are enrolled in grades 5-8
• Facilities are painted in beautiful bright colors to provide an environment for creativity, joy and imagination.

Meet 11 year-old V. Rajesh. He is currently in the sixth grade.  We went to visit Rajesh’s home with the coordinator of the Hope earning Center and we were shocked to see that his “house” was merely an 8 x 6 foot covered enclosure with only one small light bulb. Rajesh’s mother, Bhanumathi, worries constantly about her children’s safety because snakes frequently enter their small dwelling.

Rajesh’s father is an alcoholic who used to beat Rajesh, his sister and his mother every single day.  His father has left the family and married another woman. Bhanumathi said she is happy that they no longer suffer at the hands of an alcoholic.  She works as a house maid for a meager living.  Bhanumathi’s daily prayer is that God will keep her alive until her children are grown up.  She expressed her confidence in the Learning Center and hopes this education will provide Rajesh with the courage and strength to stand up on his own two feet and find success.

Meet 13 year-old Santhiya. She is in the 8^th grade and she has a congenital disorder prohibitting her from walking properly.  We met Santhiya’s mother, Bakkiyalakshmi, who described the torture that she suffered at the hands of money lenders.  Her husband is an alcoholic who borrowed money from these money lenders and gambled it all away.  When he was not able to repay his debt, her husband simply ran away, leaving his family vulnerable to the violent retribution of the money lenders.  She was then forced to give these lenders everything she had to repay what her husband could not.

Bakkiyalakshmi was fortunate to meet a kind-hearted woman who helped her move out of her old village and settle down near Selaiyur.  She is presently working as a house cook and earns Rs. 2500 per month.  After paying her monthly rent of Rs. 900, Bakkiyalakshmi has to take care of her family on the meager amount of Rs 1600  (about $40 USD).