With donations totaling $200 today, we're just $280 away from our 16th scholarship being met through readers of this blog! Would you consider chipping in whatever you can afford, even if it's just $5? It all adds up. Please follow this link to learn more and give today, to be a part of the solution. Thanks to our farmland enterprises multiplying our funds and providing nutritious ingredients for our program meals, it's a sustainable solution. A solution to rescue children from child labor and keep them away from the traffickers.
I'm dedicating day 22 to these girls in the Secunderabad landfill "scavenger's colony" as I call it, in metro Hyderabad, India. A lesser-known city globally, but at 8 million residents, it's among the 40 most populated cities in the world—and among those, one of the fastest growing. The overload in urbanization has spawned 1,400 make-shift slum settlements, mostly around the edges of the city. In these colonies, thousands survive from what averages out to be about $1 a day scavenging for redeemable materials such as metals, plastic and anything that the recyclers can imagine refurbishing or melting down to resell.
Desperate to make ends meet, often times parents take their children along to help, in very hazardous conditions. Several scavengers have died in this landfill, from landslides on the side of the mountain of trash. Education is not an option because there's simply no way to imagine buying the supplies, shoes, or uniform necessary to enroll.
I always enjoy the hospitality of these humble people, as they invite me into their pieced-together homes for a simple cup of tea or whatever snack they might offer me. I spoke with this lady in what little broken Telugu I know, and with the help of my interpreter, we discussed her challenges living in the colony. I felt a desperation in her tone as she wonders what will become of her children.
But there's hope! As evidenced from my photos of children who have benefited from our programs, there's a way out, and it's bringing hope to those who were previously hopeless. It only requires everyone stepping up to play whatever small part they can. And there's hope for this woman, who knows that her children have a chance to enroll at our education center just a few minutes walk from her settlement. I know it sounds overly idealistic of me, but I really, really believe it's true that together, if we overcome indifference, we can make a difference, one child at a time!
Here's my effort to empathize with those trying to make a lot out of a little. My 3 meals today, prepared with just $1 worth of food...
Breakfast. Nothing too spectacular here, but quite a tasty breakfast taco! Simple re-fried beans and brown rice mixture with a fried egg and seasonings on a corn tortilla. ▼
Lunch. In a hurry, sometimes stir-fry is the best solution. A simple egg fried rice preparation with cabbage, carrots and seasonings. ▼
Dinner. I know I'm definitely lacking in the variety department the past two days, but this potato/bean/tortilla pasta noodle "chili" combo (which includes shredded carrots) really wins for heartiness, so you can't complain! ▼
Take Action!
1) Please consider giving toward scholarships for children of the slums. Our goal is to cover a scholarship for 20 kids to get an education this next year. Every little bit helps!
2) Please visit my unofficial sponsor, Amazon.com through this link. 7% of your purchases made through the link are given to Peace Gospel. If you're in the UK, use this link.
3) If you're compelled by my effort here, please share it with friends. One of the main goals is awareness. So if you can help with that, huge.
4) Leave me feedback. Please comment on this post, especially if you have any ideas about what I should try to cook with these ingredients I have available. I love hearing from you! It really helps!
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