AN ORPHANAGE IN SOUTHERN INDIA

The statistics on children in India are grim. Less than half of India’s children between ages 6 and 14 go to school. 10% of all children are disabled, 10% die before age 5, in fact 7% die before their first birthday. 74% of India’s children below 3 years old are anemic and more than 50% of Indian children are malnourished. In southern India, thousands of children under 5 die every day from starvation. To put this into context India today has a child population of 400 million.

Rev. Durairaj grew up in a children’s home after having experienced great personal hunger, deprivation and abuse on the streets of India. In 1988 Rev. and Kirubai Durairaj, with 5 young children of their own, took in 5 destitute children even though they were struggling to feed their own children on only 500 Rupees (11 US dollars) a month. Over the next two decades, following the founding of the ‘Hope Mission Home’, the needs of the Durairaj family and their rapidly growing orphanage were miraculously met – with food, clothing and finances arriving ‘just in time’ from generous donors around the world.

Since APCF started supporting Hope Mission Home in 2002 over 700 children have benefited from the home. The permanent number of children residing at Hope Mission Home has increased from 45 to over 160. Today Hope Mission Home ensures that 166 children, 36 girls and 130 boys, ranging in age from 3-18, are taught strong foundational life principles, are nurtured, and are given compassion and hope for the future. All the children (including the 3-year-old) attend private schools and receive regular medical care.

After the children turn 18 and are transitioned out of Hope Mission Home they now are able to go on to higher education or enter directly into their career. Many choose Bible school as their next step.

In 2010 Hope Mission Home plans to build a new dormitory for girls to enable another 50 girls to be adopted into the home. By 2012 Hope Mission Home plans to have a fully operating Christian school.

Rev. and Kirubai Durairaj have a dream to offer love, hope and a future to 1000 children, many of whom would otherwise be starving or dead on the poverty-stricken streets of rural southern India.