From the outside, Hope Academy may appear to be just a normal school, in the middle of the busy city of Kolkata. But it is so much more than a normal school. Inside of this school, 500 smiling faces greet you each morning as the children walk into school.
It is hard to believe that this kids come from the poorest families in the area. There are only two criteria for admission to Hope Academy: Poverty and Proximity. The families must be poor and the children must be able to walk to school. Hope Academy provides a free, Christ-centered education to these children. After they graduate, they will have a newfound knowledge, and the hope of Christ instilled inside of them. These are the most important tools that they need in order to break the cycle of poverty in their own families.
Hope Academy is one of the brightest lights in the often hopeless and dark city of Kolkata, India. Outside of the school walls, the city can be a loud and scary place, filled with millions of people just trying to survive.
When you step inside the school gates, there is a peace. The children learn about Jesus everyday, and they see his love for them everywhere.
His love is in the faces of the teachers who dedicate their lives to loving and teaching the students.
His love is in the songs of praise that they sing every morning, and the prayers they pray throughout the day.
His love is in their laughter and their beautiful, hopeful smiles.
His love is in those who prepare and serve the meal that they receive; often it's the only meal that they will eat that day.
And His love is in the sponsors all around the world who pray for them and make it possible for them to attend this amazing school.
It is a beautiful place--filled with beautiful children, the joy of Christ, and the promise of a better future.
Last week we walked through some of the poorest parts of Calcutta and saw the people in so much poverty and hunger. We saw them with no shelter, no food and no hope. The despair was just overwhelmingly. I walked past one young woman who sat by the railroad tracks holding a new born baby. She placed the baby in my arms and begged to give her money to feed the child. I looked down the tracks and as far as I could see in both directions families lined the tracks on either side. I thought of all of the thousands of other people I had seen this day who were also in desperate need and I became overwhelmed. There were so many. There was no way I could help them all and I live so far away. What could I do. I prayed that night and asked God how can I make a difference, what I have is so small. Jesus reminded me that he thought in parables, and they were often stories about sewing seeds and reaping a crop. He reminded me that one seed planted will return a stalk with many. Then I thought of the children here at hope academy and realized that they are the seeds. The love and knowledge and hope in Jesus Christ is being planted right here in the city of Calcutta and each child will go out into the City and reap a crop of many and plant the seed of hope in many others who will in turn do the same
ReplyDeleteLisa, were you part of the group from Phoenix, Arizona? We went along the railway with that group, and to Hope Academy the following day (Our school group from New Zealand). If you are, I'd love you to know that I pray for you and that team a lot. I bonded with Frank during those days, and they will forever be precious memories! God Bless!
DeleteAs long as the root of Poverty isn't vanquished , no amount of help , be it monetary or compassion can help the needy. The millions of Poverty stricken families with their children are a culmination of the partition of India & the 1971 genocide of Hindus and Christians by the Islamic State of Pakistan, which forced several millions to seek refuge in India , leaving their homes in present day Bangladesh-their land and origin of sustenance. Stretched beyond her capability to support such inflow of refugees & propagated by the last 70 years of corrupt Government in Bengal , resulting in a cascade of deterioration . In the end I have another question to ask - If you are only interested in alleviating poverty why does it need "LIGHT OF CHRIST" ? Why the "LIGHT OF ORIGINAL RELIGION" of these children aided by "LIGHT OF YOUR HUMANITY" isn't possible ?
ReplyDeleteLove my school # VERY MUCH PROUD AND THANKFUL TO GOD THE GREAT
ReplyDeleteMy mom had also passed out from this schl 🙂🙂
ReplyDeleteMy loving school where I was groomed up. Subhankar Chatterjee
ReplyDeleteMy school is my best in arule & regulations
ReplyDeleteThank u Hpoe Academy for giving such a precious gift of knowledge and qulifucation this is the greatest weapon to over come from provert and all the difference from the socity
ReplyDeleteI love this school coz Students are well behaved. I served as chalplen for 5 years .I love to work again
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