Update from BHW India Partnership Facilitators

We did not visit India in 2025 but are in regular contact with Molay via WhatsApp.

Recent Events

Activities

The Barasat Child Tutoring programme runs Monday to Friday from 7.30am - 9.30am and 56 children attend. They all have a Hindu faith background. They come each morning and are taught basic English, sing songs, and have a short story with a biblical theme.

There are two teachers, an older retired schoolteacher and a young lady who wants to be a teacher but cannot afford the training. She is getting married very shortly.

At the end of each session the children leave with a small snack. Molay has improved the quality of the food this past year, so they are receiving a wholesome snack.

Each Sunday, Molay also runs Sunday School where 60-70 children attend, which BHW funds.

For Christmas, they run a Christmas programme and last year about 85-90 children attended. Christmas is a great opportunity to do a special programme and invite the community in. The community expects the Christians to celebrate Christmas and so there are no barriers to this. The Christmas programme includes the children performing songs, dance, skits, games and Christmas carols. This Christmas (December 2025) was another great success.

A Vacation Bible School (VBS) is run in the summer holidays and this year 137 non-Christian children attended. It runs for three days, four hours each morning. The VBS programme includes action songs, memory verse, a bible lesson, workbook activities, various crafts, games and a puppet show. The 2026 VBS is planned for 14-16 May, 19-21 May and 27-29 May. This year the VBS programmes will be run in four different places.

This past year Molay also started a Saturday drawing class. The class has a lady teacher, and it is running well. The children have a lot of spare time on their hands over the weekend and so the Saturday morning class is very popular.

Partnership's Influence within the Community

This continues to be a great project and is having a significant impact on the children and families in the Barasat community. The children love this programme and love having somewhere to come, learn and have fun in a caring environment. The families are happy to send their children to this programme, as they see they are receiving education.

Ideas for the Future

In 2025, Molay discussed the idea of setting up a computer lab. He has not progressed this any further at this stage, and so when we visit at the end of 2026, we will discuss with him if he is still intending to do this.

Current Issues and Challenges

There is so much poverty in this community - uneducated parents that don’t value education, unemployment, relational breakdowns and addiction issues. It is a tough environment for a child to grow up in.

The community struggles with corruption and dishonesty.

The building gets extremely hot in the summer months. This past year BHW provided some funding that could help towards a false ceiling to be installed. In November 2025 this work was still to be completed. We will follow this up when we visit at the end of 2026.

Prayer and Praise Points

After many years in the community, the Barasat Child Tutoring programme is a valued programme in the community. The local families are welcoming of all that Molay does for their children and he is highly regarded in the community.

Pray that many children would come to faith along with their families.
Pray that the children would be protected from harm – especially the young girls who are at risk of trafficking.
Pray for the VBS that is planned for 14-16 May, 19-21 May and 27-29 May and that they will be successful in the four different locations.

Comments

Molay has asked that we continue to uphold them in prayer. He is serving God and reaching those in the Barasat community every day.