Our families are central, the foundation of our lives. Imagine not being able to feed your own children. Imagine living in a house made of plastic and cardboard. Imagine losing all hope in your children's future. This is the destitution and despair we hope to alleviate with your help.
The families in our program want to provide for themselves, but, for reasons of sickness, lack of work or poor profits from work, debt or many other circumstances, they are unable to do so.
Our families often live in one room, all sleeping, eating, cooking in one small hut that does not keep out the monsoon weather or the heat of the equatorial sun. Children do not have adequate clothing or food. If they are going to school, often the meal provided for them there is the only food they will have for the day. Sometimes they will even bring home some of that food to share with their family.
Our fisherfolk are in a very bad way since the tsunami. Fishing is down, so the shared profits from fishing are often barely enough to feed the family for the day. If there has been no catch, there is no food.
Families and extended families live together - all pulling to help the family get by. One young boy, Pradheep, will go to the beach after school to scavenge fish that were left by the fishermen. He will take those to town and sell them on the street to take a few coins home to his mother and little sister who suffers from cerebral palsy. Two other boys recycle bricks from their home destroyed in the monsoon. The young learn early to work hard - but often with little hope.
The people of Allapuazha are deeply spiritual. In every home, no matter how small and poor, there will be an altar shrine where the family gathers to pray morning and evening. 
It is typically a shelf high on the wall of the main room - or the only room - in the house. This is true of every faith, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish. This altar is the heart of the home where the family can find hope. A sponsored family will keep the photographs of their sponsors on the altar to pray for their needs in gratitude for the help and hope they bring for a brighter future.
Remember, these families are not looking for a handout - they are looking for a hand up. Your sponsorship will help them to become self sufficient so they can provide for themselves.
Please Consider sponsoring a family>>
