India: Adult Literacy Program
Your donation of $45 can have a Great Impact!
Your one-time donation of $45.00 gives 500 hours of Grade 5 level education to the extremely disadvantaged women and some men in India. See details below:
You become the heart and hands of Jesus Christ
Give a full 1 year literacy training to 1 student
90% of students graduate with a grade 5 level of reading, writing, and local understanding, which increases their income on average 58%
Great Humanitarian Impact
Individual Transformation
Typically 45% accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and become new committed followers of Jesus Christ
Great
Spiritual Impact
Transformation of Andhra Pradesh state in India
Individual transformation leads to family, community and ultimately transformation of the state for generations to come
God-Sized
Kingdom Impact
In partnership with the Bible League of Canada
2016: 5100 students
2017: 5060 students
2018: 3000 students
Total Students: 13,000
(FRIENDS in partnership with other agencies for this project)
Over 430 Adult Literacy classes with 30 students per class.
On average, just over 90% of the learners who enroll graduate.
Over 11,700 learners complete their commitment to attend class, 5 evenings a week for a full year.
Students learn how to read, write, and do math at a grade 5 level, and experience an average daily wage increase of 52%.
Over 20% of learners start generating their own income through the small business skills that they are taught. Additionally, students learn about basic health and hygiene, food and medicinal plant production, and the importance of education for their children.
This education not only sets the students free from the bonds of poverty but it also directly and dramatically impacts their children and future generations.
Lives Transformed
Bahetri was just 13 years old when she got married. Her husband was a drunkard and never cared for Bahetri and their three children. A few years ago, he left her to live with another woman.
For many years following this incident, Bahetri struggled to feed and clothe her children. Her husband moved out when their children needed their father the most—during their young formative years. Sending their children to school was simply out of the question.
Reflecting on her own childhood, Bahetri was not allowed to attend school; her parents were focused on their daughter’s purity and not getting distracted by boys in school. They were afraid of what people in their community would say if they sent their daughter to school, considering young girls in her village didn’t typically go to school. Adding to that, the schools were all located far from their home, and the teachers instructed the boys and girls together in one classroom – something Bahetri’s parents didn’t approve of.
From the time her husband left, Bahetri was solely responsible for providing for her children. She found work as a maidservant in different homes, which meant she had to leave her small children at home alone. Bahetri worked hard, but she was constantly distracted by thoughts of her children on their own. Sometimes she would rush home in the middle of the work day just to make sure her children were safe and then return to work.
These were hard times for Bahetri; she thought about committing suicide, but never went through with it for the sake of her children.
Just when Bahetri was at her lowest, she met Sailaja, an Adult Literacy teacher. At first, Bahetri was hesitant to talk to Sailaja. She was unwilling to receive Sailaja’s invitation to join the literacy classes.
Over time, Sailaja’s continuous efforts paid off when Bahetri agreed to attend. Bahetri soon became one of the best learners in the class.
Bahetri is now able to read and write. She even opened a small food stand near her home and is earning a sufficient income to provide for her family.
