I am Nobody...

"Jesus loves the little children...
All the children of the world..."


"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather, the feeling of being unwanted."  Mother Teresa, from the book she authored: "Where There is Love, There is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love" p. 82

Chapter 2 of the book, "No Longer a Slumdog" opens with this quote from Mother Teresa.  The author explains the history and origins of the caste system in India, dating back to over 1,500 years before Christ.  A cruel and dehumanizing system devised to protect the imagined superiority of the newly arrived Aryans in India over the indigenous peoples, this system allowed the Aryan minority to enrich themselves at the expense of the native peoples of India.  Thousands of years later, even though this system is officially outlawed by the government, the caste system still rules the minds and actual practices of the people of India.

To us as Americans, although we do experience some "class warfare" in our own nation, it is difficult to wrap our minds around a system as dehumanizing and brutal as the caste system in India.  K.P. Yohannan's book introduces the reader to a world of unimaginable deprivation and cruelty that leads to the rampant abuse and murder of men, women and children, based simply on the caste into which they were born.

In this system, caste is determined at birth and, as such, for those millions who live under the teachings of the caste system, there will never be any opportunity to rise above the caste an innocent child is assigned at birth.  The child born into the caste system, especially the lowest caste of all, the Dalits, or "Untouchables" is "cast off" at birth as sub-human, unworthy of the most basic human necessities - a simple home, food, clean drinking water, an opportunity to grow up and make a living, or live with any sense of human dignity.

As a Dalit, you are worthy of nothing but contempt.  You live in filth and are considered deserving of nothing more.  Literally, no one in the castes above you is allowed to even touch you, hence the name "Untouchables".  You will live and die in the slum you were born in.  Those who are above you consider you to be on the same level as a wild animal that ekes out a living eating from garbage cans and rolling in the mud.  You are nothing more than a "slumdog".

As a child of the Untouchables, you have no value beyond what others decide to do to you.  You will likely starve to death before you reach maturity, or you will be sold into child labor camps or child prostitution, where you may be tortured and murdered at the pleasure of your owner, often by the age of five.  Your parents may sell you because they have no hope of even feeding you when they cannot feed themselves.  If you are stolen or murdered, no one will report it, because no one cares.  You are nothing. 

This book is a shocking and eye-opening expose of the caste system in India, and the devastating effects it brings upon the familys of the Dalits, particularly the children.  It is tempting to put this book down and refuse to look at the horrors it describes.  But, these are children who are precious beyond measure to the Lord of the Universe, who suffered and died that they might be redeemed.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a vested interest in these children, simply because He cares for them.

All throughout this startling and compelling book. the author challenges us to remember the words of Christ, the passion and compassion He always showed us for the little children that flocked to Him on the hillsides and roads of Israel.  He never turned them away, but always challenged His disciples to make room for the children - to care for them, for they are precious to our God.  On p. 72, Yohannan draws the reader to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:10 (NASB) "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven".  We cannont turn away from the cries and anguish of these little ones without turning away from Christ, Himself...

I would like to close this post with a poem included in this book
(p. 45) written by the author from the perspective of one of the Dalit children.  It is heartbreaking...

I am nobody

Worthless my life is

To Untouchables I was born.

A Dalit child my fate sealed.

 

I was born in slums

Rights?  We have none

To upper-caste our lives we owe

Slaves to serve all their wish.

 

Poverty and hunger

Is all I ever knew

If there is hope

Tell me how?

 

What is my future?

Do I have any?

It all looks so dark

And I wish I was not born.

 

*Poem "I am Nobody" published by permission of gfa books, a division of Gospel for Asia. If you would like to receive a free copy of the book, "No Longer a Slumdog" by K.P. Yohannan, please send your request to: www.gfa.org/sharehope You may also like to consider sponsoring one of these children monthly through the Bridge of Hope. Contact www.gfa.org/slumdog to be a blessing to a child in desperate need.




Agni Raksha

o 

"I, the Lord, will help them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them."
Isaiah 41:17  NKJV


There are few things that touch our hearts more than a bride on her wedding day. The contagious love and joy of the bride and groom splash all over us and lift our hearts to heaven to whisper a prayer that they might have a long and blessed marriage, all the days of their lives. We want the best for them. We pray they will love each other through the joys and difficulties that surely lie ahead. All of us get caught up in the dream of life-long faithfulness and devoted love that is surely within reach of every couple on their wedding day.

Not always, of course. Sometimes, too often, for sure,
the marriage ends in divorce and the couple's dreams are shattered. It is always a heartache when this happens. But, can it really be that evil has its way so boldly in this world that a groom, often with the help of his family, will burn his bride alive if she fails to please him? That is exactly what is happening in India to young women who displease their husbands, often by failing to pay a high enough dowry.

I could not believe my ears when I first heard this described by Ravi Zacharias, a world renowned Christian Apologist and speaker, whose home of origin is India. He knows well where of he speaks. When I listened to him describe the practice of "Bride Burning" in India, I was brought back once again to the book series we reviewed this past year on "Half the Sky". It seems that God has stolen my heart for women who are suffering in so many ways that are unimaginable to us in America. He is calling me - you - us - again and again, to care as He cares, love as He loves, give as He gives. This is the Compassionate Christ moving in the world through His people...

As I resume writing this blog, I am convinced that God wants to use it for His purposes, and one of those is to draw attention to those who are suffering unimaginable wounds, even to the point of savagely horrific deaths, for little or no reason at all. I have come to believe it is the cry of His heart that is moving my own. Because He cares, so must we.

For those reasons, I have decided to highlight various ministries that are on the front lines in the battle to rescue these innocent victims of cruelty and bring them to the One who loves them best - Our Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope you will pray about what you can do to support these ministries in prayer and action. Even if we can't go to them, we can pray for them and we can send some of our surplus to support their need. I have copied below an excerpt from Wellspring International, a division of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. If you have an interest in contacting them about their many, many programs, here is the link. http://wellspringinternational.org/projects/agni-raksha/

______________________________________________________________________________________________
AGNI RAKSHA

Bangalore, India

The Need

Current reports document that 25,000 women are victims of bride burning in India each year. Since many cases are left unreported, this is considered to be a significant underestimate of the total number of victims to this horrific crime.  

Bride burning is related to the dowry system. While the tradition of demanding a dowry has been illegal since 1961, it is still practiced, particularly in village areas. In cases where the agreed upon dowry has not been paid after the marriage, or if the groom’s family demands more, a threat may be made to burn the bride if demands are not met. If the bride’s family does not comply, the groom’s family may choose to follow through and set the new bride on fire.

In the city of Bangalore, there is only one government hospital and five beds available to burn victims.

The Opportunity

Agni Raksha was founded in 1999 by Dr. Prema Dhanraj. Dr. Dhanraj was herself a burn victim when, as a child, she was severely burned by a kitchen fire in her home. Prema eventually completed her medical studies and accepted a position to work at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, eventually becoming the Head of the Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery department. She has been the recipient of many international awards and provided training to open the first burn treatment facility in Ethiopia, the country with the highest number of burn victims in the world. In 1999, Dr. Dhanraj launched the foundation Agni Raksha, which literally means “protection from fire,” to provide treatment to local burn victims as well as an opportunity for skills training and income generating activities.

The key focus of Agni Raksha is the overall development of the individual patient. The primary objective is to provide trauma treatment, ongoing medical care through reconstructive surgeries and physical therapy, psychosocial rehabilitation, and job training for a holistic approach to healing and recovery. Agni Raksha strives to give each individual hope in their future through rehabilitation programs that address the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs, as well as education, vocational training, and funding for small businesses. These vital components of rehabilitation address the practical life needs and equip a woman to be financially independent to support herself and her children for a promising future.

The Challenge

Since 2008, Wellspring International has provided funds to purchase critical needs such as a Suzuki ambulance, an air conditioning unit, and two generators for their small medical facility that they have named Safe Haven Clinic. Fifteen hospital beds were added to the clinic and a nurse’s quarters added to allow for 24 hour care. Ten patients received two reconstructive surgeries each for a total of twenty surgeries, and the micro finance loan center was launched. Twenty women began skills training classes in tailoring and eight women were approved for a loan and started an independent business. All micro credit beneficiaries are on a payment program that serves to finance the revolving credit fund. Each woman is mentored by an Agni Raksha’s Self Help Group to provide accountability and support.

In the upcoming year, Wellspring International aims to provide a minimum of $30,000 USD to Agni Raksha to invest in the skills training program, medical supplies and reconstructive surgeries, vehicle maintenance, and physical therapy personnel.

There is a significant need for funding toward a fully equipped onsite surgical center to adequately treat patients. Presently, they must use the surgical facilities of two area hospitals, but the relationship has many limitations. Gaining permission, scheduling and staffing are a constant challenge. An operational surgical facility will support a greater number of surgeries to include victims currently on a wait list.