Report from BHW Partnership Facilitator Following Visit

Recent Events

Activities

There are 17 children in the hostel. Most of them stay in the hostel and the younger ones in a separate room near to the house. There is one girl who stays with the lady who is the cook in another room. The dormitory building has not been added to and is not really up to minimum standards. They need to finish that part of the building and add to the second storey however they do not have the resources. 

They have been able to drill a borehole and find good water which has taken the pressure off them. Previously they were getting water from the nearby river however there is now a permanent fence separating India and Bhutan and the river is on the other side of the fence. 

The children are doing well at their respective schools. Some of the children only live there during the school term and go home for the school holidays. Others live there all year round as they have nowhere to go. 

We visited for two days, 21st–23rd September 2019. We spent a lot of time with the children and also the adults involved in the wider work. The children are great and seem to be well adjusted considering that some are from very difficult backgrounds. This does feel like home and there is a real sense of contentment among the boys. There is a lot of care between them, the older boys are great and look out for the younger ones. 

Personal Stories

We didn’t really have time to hear many stories as we were there over a weekend and everyone was very busy but we heard about many of the children and their stories are harrowing. There are two types of children, firstly the boarders who come during the school term as there are no schools in their area. Many of these are the children of evangelists or Christians in rural villages and from Bhutan. They go back home if it’s possible during vacation times. The second group are children from families that are either too poor to look after them or who have no parents or relatives who are willing or able to care for them. They are permanently in the hostel.

Hostels are a common thing in India. Most children have to leave home at the end of primary school if they are ever to get to secondary school. There are often no local secondary schools or their exam results mean they are allocated to schools far from their home. Many primary and almost all secondary schools have hostels connected to them. This type of ministry is quite legitimate in this context, the children would be going away anyway, best for Christian young people to be in Christian hostels.  

Partnership's Influence within the Community

The hostel is a strategic aspect of the overall strategy here. If these children were not being cared for the small local churches would be overburdened with the care of these kids. Or they would not be cared for as the children have to go to a registered organization. 

The parents of those in the hostel for education are very happy to have this option for their children. Many would not be able or willing to stay in remote, rural places if their children could not go to school. They see them regularly, pretty much every weekend as they come in for training most Saturday afternoons.  

Ideas for the Future

One way for them to reduce costs is to cut their power bill. Currently it costs around US$50/month for electricity and they think they could cut it by 50% with solar. I have asked them to put a project together and send it to me for consideration. 

Current Issues and Challenges

The government is strongly cracking down on non-Hindu people inside the borders of India and evicting them. This is happening to people who have been in the country for generations but who are minority groups. They are especially targeting Muslims but in areas like this along the borders many people do not have the correct papers and are liable to be deported if found out. This could have implications for those who have drifted across from Bhutan. 

Some of the older boys will be finishing secondary school within 18 months and decisions will need to be made about what they do next. 

There is a need to upgrade and complete the hostel building. This will have great benefits for the children and for the wider ministry.  

Prayer and Praise Points

1) The stability in the hostel with a great atmosphere for the children.
2) The successful drilling of the borehole and the good water they found. This has given great relief during the long dry period.
3) The general good health of the hostel children.  

Comments

This is still a nice little partnership with some good things happening. Hostels, while BHW doesn't necessarily like or encourage them, are an essential part of the education system here in India and this project underpins what is going on in this partnership. I think it is strategic and deserves ongoing support. 

I also think there is an opportunity for us to become more involved with the support of the key agents of change. They are a good group, they are being taught and mentored and there is something good beginning to happen in this very tough part of the world.