As the school year is about to begin here, I’ve been thinking about the children we serve in Southeast Asia. Today, we serve 220 children across four locations, from preschool through high school.
My thoughts went back to the beginning of our prevention program. It started because of a heartbreaking need we witnessed in a community of trafficked women. Most children dropped out of school by second grade and spent their days roaming the slum. Children were disappearing, and we met many teenage girls who had attempted suicide. We knew something had to change.
We realized that education could be a powerful tool for prevention. So, in 2010, we began tutoring children—not only to help them enter school, but to help them stay there.
Those early days were difficult. Many parents did not see the value of education, especially for their daughters. But we refused to give up. God has blessed this work beyond anything we could have imagined.
Today, at our first location alone, we have two centers where children come for tutoring and encouragement. Five days a week, we provide academic support for 80 children. We also offer life skills classes for teenage girls and boys, with about 40 students participating in each class. In addition, we currently provide financial assistance for school fees for 26 children whose families could not otherwise afford an education.
The impact of these programs cannot be overstated. We currently have 35 students who have continued on to higher education—an incredible achievement in a community where completing elementary school was once uncommon. Many of our graduates have finished their education and are now employed in stable, meaningful jobs. As families see their financial situations improve, they are recognizing the life-changing value of education.
Most importantly, they know this transformation is happening because a small group of Christians chose to love, serve, and invest in their children and their community.
And there is even more reason to celebrate—our church is growing! Hearts are being transformed as people come to believe in the one true God. Praise the Lord!
Thank you for your faithful support. I truly wish each of you could visit and see firsthand the difference you are making. Because you have chosen to partner with us, lives are being changed, children are finding hope, families are being strengthened, and God's Kingdom is advancing.