2015

Yearly Archives

  • Manila Children’s Hope Center breaks ground on new facility, expands reach to child labor victims

    Photo: Our program director Malaya stands beside building materials for the new Hope Center. The new facility will enable us to rescue many more children from hazardous child labor. We are happy to report that construction is underway to build a permanent building for our Children’s Hope Center deep in the heart of one of […]

  • India Girls Home enjoys improvements; Hope Center slated to double space

    Photo: Older girls from our India Girls Home are thrilled to soon have new bathroom facilities, which are due to be completed next month. We are happy to report that we’re installing new bathroom facilities on the third level of our Girls Home. When construction is completed in December, there will be 10 separate toilets […]

  • Abundant garden harvest aids Nepal team in effort to overcome crippling India blockade

    Photo: Part of the ‘She Has Hope’ coursework for girls recovering from human trafficking is learning advanced gardening techniques. Today we bring you news from our native team in Kathmandu, who have recently been affected by an economic blockade unofficially imposed on the people of Nepal by their neighboring country of India. They are now […]

  • Philippines: Piggery project further diversifies farmland enterprise to support education in Cebu and Manila

    Photo: Our Philippines Director’s son is excited to show the photographer the new piggery. The venture will advance sustainability goals for our local programs. We are happy to report that we have expanded our farmland enterprise in the Philippines to include a piggery, which currently houses 6 pigs. Our native team cares for the pigs […]

  • Uganda: High school scholarship program for orphans striving toward sustainability thanks to tuition-paying students; recent harvest success

    Photo: Part of the boarding, nutrition, and education expenses for our orphan girls are paid for by students who are able to afford tuition payments at our high school. We are happy to report that we currently have 45 paying students enrolled in our high school, and their tuition fees cover 25% of the school […]

  • Traffickers swarm Nepal in aftermath of earthquake; our grassroots prevention campaign broadens

    Photo: Nepali schoolgirls gathered for a training session led by our staff. They are taught how to spot and avoid the deceptions of traffickers. In the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake, sex traffickers are exploiting the devastation to snatch thousands of women for brothels across Asia. The death toll from April’s disaster has reached 7,566, […]

  • Bolstered by successful farm profits, 415 children equipped for back to school season

    Photo: Children in an impoverished community with no means to purchase school supplies are happy to receive all the supplies they’ll need to enroll in school. Thanks to your generous donations and profits from our farmland enterprise, we recently distributed school supplies to 415 impoverished children — last Friday they received notebooks, pens, pencils, pencil […]

  • One month later: Nepal team serving 18 villages devastated by 2 earthquakes

    Photo: Our team was the first to respond to 13 villages in critical need of relief supplies. A brave survivor of Dhumkus village seen here receives rice and lentils.

    The people of Kathmandu, Nepal, continue to rebuild their lives after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on April 25, 2015, which killed more than 8,800 people and injured more than 23,000. Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless when entire rural villages were flattened across many districts of the country. A second major earthquake with a 7.3 magnitude occurred on May 12th causing significant loss of life and more destruction to homes, historic buildings, and major roads in Nepal.

  • Myanmar team ready for rainy season; back-to-school preparations underway for 125 students

    Photo: Our children are happy to have new umbrellas which will keep them dry on their way to school.

    We’re happy to report that our flood-proofing project for our main orphan home campus in Myanmar is now complete. This project included bringing in several tons of dirt to raise the entire level of the property along with a new brick perimeter wall to keep area rain-flow from pooling into our space. In addition to the flood-proofing project, we were able to make several repairs and improvements on the main buildings to help guard against the upcoming heavy rains of the monsoon season. This year, we are ready for the rain!

  • Uganda: Children enjoying new orphan home; further improvements, security planned

    Photo: Girls at our Uganda campus are happy about the addition of the newly constructed orphan home.

    We are happy to report that our children in Uganda moved into their new orphan home in March 2015. They are very thankful — it is a completely new home built from the ground up. The previous rented facility was nothing more than a skeleton of a shelter with an outdoor kitchen and outhouse — it was very small, with no power or plumbing. The new home has 10 rooms: 4 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 dining room, an indoor kitchen, a study room, and 2 bathrooms. Currently, five orphans are living in the new home with our director and his wife — they have adopted the children as their own in addition to their three biological children.

  • India team wraps up exciting school year in education programs; many improvements enjoyed

    Photo: Our girls are very happy to have the chance at an education, a luxury they did not have access to before arriving at their new home.

    We are happy to report that all of our students from our orphan homes and slum outreach education center passed their exams, which means they will move up to the next grade level when school resumes in late June. We hope to expand our education programs to be a full K-12 equivalent school on our main campus — our goal this year is to add 10th grade course work to our students’ curriculum. In order to do this, we need to construct 9 new rooms, add some extra playground space, and acquire a school bus per government requirements.

  • Nepal earthquake: Critical relief supplies reach our children and staff, more aid needed

    Photo: Children at our orphan home were ecstatic to receive food such as protein bars, along with coloring books and notes of encouragement sent from students in the U.S.

    We are thankful to report that our Executive Director, Kirby Trapolino, and our friend Cody Moore arrived safely in Kathmandu on Thursday afternoon local Nepal time after a 36 hour journey. All of their bags and gear arrived as well, containing much-needed earthquake relief supplies such as water purification gear, protein bars and other dry foods, and first aid for our orphans, our human trafficking survivors, and our native team.

  • Massive earthquake devastates Nepal, urgent aid critically needed

    Photo: Children from our Nepal orphan homes can be seen sleeping outdoors to avoid the dangers of the dozens of aftershocks that followed Saturday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

    We are very happy to report that all of the children, our staff, and the girls of the She Has Hope rehabilitation home are safe after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal over the weekend. However, critically scarce supplies are needed for our team, the children, and also for relief outreach to neighbors who were not so fortunate. Tomorrow our Executive Director, Kirby Trapolino, is scheduled to board a plane to Kathmandu with a friend who will help carry desperately needed supplies to our team there.

  • World Malaria Day Spotlight: Flood-proofing our Myanmar orphan home

    Photo: Children from our main campus orphan home are happy about the prospect of flood-free living and fewer mosquitoes.

    Tomorrow is World Malaria Day, so we are thankful to bring you good news of how we are fighting this disease to protect the health of our children in Myanmar. In the past we’ve held campaigns to provide mosquito netting for our orphan homes in India and Uganda. This year our fight against malaria turns toward Myanmar. In 2014 there were over 300,000 confirmed cases of malaria in Myanmar, so our effort is urgent. In January plans were laid for a flood-proofing project to be completed in time for the coming rainy season which begins in late May.

  • Update: Hope Center wraps up 5th school year; new rice farm acquired

    Photo: Girls rescued from child labor are so grateful and happy to get to go to school and receive after-school care.

    We are happy to report that our Children’s Hope Center in Hyderabad, India, is nearing the end of its 5th school year since we began operation in 2010. 48 children rescued from child labor were enrolled in school this year — they studied their native Telugu and Hindi languages, English, math, science, social studies, and computer education. We received new desks and computers at our Hope Center, offering the children more resources as they pursue their education. They are taking their final exams right now, and all are on track to be promoted to the next class level next year. The children really enjoyed the school year, and are looking forward to spending time with their families this summer.

  • Recent Uganda farmland expansion allows 25,000 meals served monthly

    Photo: One of our farmland staff tends to turkeys which are providing nutritious protein in our children’s diets and generating funds for our programs. Our Uganda farmland enterprise has recently expanded to include a turkey house project which currently consists of 8 turkeys in 2 turkey houses. We are breeding the turkeys and expect them […]

  • Nepal Update: Farmland diversifies; 3 women rescued from traffickers

    Photo: Our faithful farmland staff cares for our goats and a variety of crops.

    We are happy to report that we’ve planted 3 new crops at our farmland enterprise: onions, tomatoes, and green beans. We eagerly await a plentiful harvest of onions, tomatoes, and garlic next month, and we look forward to a harvest of green beans in July. Other forthcoming harvests will be eggplant in August, and potatoes and spinach in December. All of this is great provision from God as the produce from our farmland stocks our orphanage pantry with nutritious, organic ingredients for the children. It also supplies our human trafficking rehabilitation home with fresh ingredients for their meals.

  • India campus installs second phase of solar project; electric bill reduced by 40%

    Photo: Girls from our India Girls Home send donors their love and gratitude for the new solar water heating system!

    We are happy to report that a solar water heating system has been installed at our main India campus, and with the main solar panel system back online after recent construction, the campus can now function completely from solar power during the frequent outages. Winter is almost over in India, but there are still some chilly mornings ahead relative to their tolerance, so it is a blessing for the children to have warm water this month as opposed to the cold water they were bathing with during chilly mornings.

  • Despite recent burglary, Myanmar program enjoys new diversification of farmland enterprise

    Photo: The garden is flourishing with fresh vegetables such as carrots, celery, and mustard greens.

    Unfortunately, our main campus orphan home in Myanmar was robbed this week in the middle of the night. The thief took our camera, a cell phone, a purse with cash, and our laptop computer. In total we lost about $3,000 worth of goods and cash. Asking our local director for comment on the news, he replied, “Although we are saddened to lose important items that we use in our work, we forgive the thief.God knows all and will set things right. We are praying and trusting that God will restore what was lost.”

  • Kampala children’s slum outreach, now with a K-7 primary school, sees several improvements

    Photo: Children in one of the newly renovated classrooms are happy to not have to worry about dirt floors turning muddy during the rainy season.

    Thanks to a recently successful fundraiser, our Kampala Children’s Hope Center has been undergoing renovations and improvements to prevent flooding and provide adequate shelter for the students during the rainy season. The improvements include upgrading from dirt to concrete floors, a new roof, permanent chalkboards, and other repairs and upgrades to the perimeter of the facility that will prevent flooding and keep the children safe. Renovations will be complete in just 2 weeks time.

  • Philippines: Increased yield at farmland results in 60 scholarships for destitute children

    Photo: Thanks to profitability at our farmland, our program provides this young scholar with everything she needs to attend a local school.

    We are happy to report that due to recent improvements at our farmland enterprise — a new fishery, a second fishery pond for fingerlings, and a new storm-proof hen house — we have yielded better results in our production levels. Among the things that the farmland’s profits support is our children’s outreach program, which is now helping to put 60 children in school. They receive scholarships in the form of school supplies, uniforms, backpacks, and whatever else they need to meet the local school enrollment requirements.

  • Nepal: 170 girls trained in trafficking avoidance; 3 girls rescued from trafficking

    Photo: These brave survivors of human trafficking are happy to be learning a new skill in their seamstress class as part of our rehabilitation program.

    We are happy to report that we recently received three girls at our rehabilitation home who were rescued from the perils of human trafficking in Delhi. The Indian police, in conjunction with our partner child advocacy group, rescued them after they had been missing for three months. Now they are safe, receiving counseling, room & board, medical care, literacy classes, cooking classes, and acquiring craft-making, seamstress, and gardening skills through daily coursework offered by our full-time teachers.

  • Case Study, Myanmar: Orphan rescued from a life of poverty, now living with hope and empowerment

    Photo: Bo (pictured at front) is thankful for her new sisters at one of our orphan homes, and the opportunity to attend school.

    We are very happy to share the powerful story of 9-year-old Bo who lost her father and became an orphan, but now lives a happy life full of redemption and hope at one of our Myanmar orphan homes. Her father died of a serious illness, and her mother was too poor to buy her clothes or send her to school. Bo was starving and often cried because she could not attend school with her friends. One day her mother met a woman who told her of our orphan home. Knowing that she could not properly care for her, she gladly sent her to live with our family.

  • New uniforms make 8,500 mile journey to our Uganda students; orphan home improvements begin

    Photo: Children in our primary education program are thankful and happy for new uniforms!

    We are excited to report that our students in Uganda, ages 4-13, recently received new school uniforms. This generous donation was made possible by Paratus Classical Academy in Houston, TX. The children and parents of Paratus wanted the delivery of the uniforms to coincide with Christmas cards made by the students as well as money they raised for a small Christmas party for the children in Uganda.

  • Philippines: Farmland dodges local mudslides, recovers from storm; second fishery pond complete

    Photo: Thanks to profits from our newly expanded fishery enterprise, our students will be better equipped at the start of the next school year.

    Our facilities in the Philippines were rocked by tropical storm Seniang which hit the islands at the turn of the new year, leaving the region with 54 dead and 260,000 affected. It was a powerful storm spawning calamitous and deadly mudslides in the vicinity of our main campus. However, our elevated location just outside of the local town spared us from fatalities and severe damage to our girls home, 2 fishery ponds, hen house project, vegetable gardens, and banana grove. By God’s grace we are recovering well from the minor damage our facilities received.

  • India Update: Abundant gardens flourishing; upgrades to solar power coming soon

    Photo: Our girls are thankful for a harvest of radishes, a healthy ingredient for their meals.

    We are pleased to report that the last phases of the harvests for our 14-acre farmland, and the on-campus ground level gardens and rooftop box gardens are going very well. The latter two projects are an effort to introduce more fresh organic vegetables and herbs into our children’s diets at the Girls Home and Boys Home, beyond the lentils that our farmland is already producing. There have been heavy rains lately which may affect the yield of these harvests, so our native team in India asks for your prayers.

  • Nepal: Border awareness team rescues 3 teenage girls from trafficker

    Photo: Girls in our Nepal rehabilitation home learn to make friendship bracelets as part of a skill development program to help them gain economic independence.

    We are happy to report that our native “border awareness team” rescued three girls from the Nepal-India border last week thanks to their vigilant watch, working in tandem with border police. The girls were going to India with a man who said he was their friend, though they had only known him for 2 weeks. Our team kept the girls at our border safe house for 2 days, called their parents, and sent them back home where they are now safe and sound. Their parents are very grateful to us for saving their daughters from the dangers of human trafficking.

  • Case Study, India: An orphan’s story, in his own words

    Photo: Saroj* (pictured at center) is grateful for his family at our India Boys Home.

    We are very happy to share a powerful story of 11-year-old Saroj who lost his mother and his father and became an orphan, but now he lives a happy life full of redemption and hope at our Boys Home in India. Today he shares his story in his own words:

    “My father is a lorry driver, he got married, and his first wife was died because of jaundice and liver problem. Before she died she gave birth to 2 girls. After his first wife died, he married my mother, she gave birth to 2 boys. I am the eldest son to this mother, and she gave birth to my younger brother. After him she was died because of cancer.