In areas of Southern India, like Tiruttani, it is all too common for senior citizens who can no longer work as laborers to be left to fend for themselves without family support. Some live alone or with an aged spouse, while others must also care for dependent children left by others in their...
As the New Year begins, people all over the world pause to reflect on the meaning of their lives and the hopes and dreams that will propel them into another trip around the sun. At Hope Learning Centers, our children take time to express their gratitude for the blessings of the past year and their...
In 2017, we empowered thousands of children in India (including Kalpana and Nivetha). We provided food and necessary grooming aids to hundreds of destitute elders, like Vellimalai. We provided feasts and new clothing to children and families throughout southern India during events and holidays,...
Kalpana is a student in 8thStandard class who attends the Guruvarajpet Hope Learning Center in Tamil Nadu, India. She writes, “I am the first child who is going to school in the history of my family. My father is a launderer and his income is low. I love dancing, and, with others’...
Amazing open-hearted young people attend classes with Ms. Thilla Chilliah at the Andanallur HoPE Learning Center near the Kaveri River in Tiruchirappalli, India. In December, the children’s most important activity was the “Caring and Sharing” project, wherein they learned ways of caring for...
Near the end of each year, as people around the world celebrate abundance and the blessings of the year, many cultures practice traditions of caring and sharing. Numerous people are in need around us, and it is a joy to give back, not only within our own communities near where we love, but also to...
Giving Tuesday is an international holiday but also a movement that was initiated in the United States by the 92nd Street YMCA and the United Nations Foundation as a response to counter rampant commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season (Black Friday and Cyber Monday). Gifts...
Although Thanksgiving is predominately celebrated as holidays in North America (USA and Canada), its themes of joining together, sharing, and gratitude has meaning to people everywhere. Most of us celebrate some level of abundance, but for those who have the very least, a helping hand could mean...
Diwali is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. It is a time of feasting, families, and festive decorations much like Christmas in the West. Diwali is aptly called the Festival of Lights. All across India, people celebrate by hanging millions of lights on their windows and...
Pethandi is an enthusiastic student who really gets excited about her studies. She loves to watch National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel so she can learn more about science and English. After seeing those around her struggle to pay for hospital bills and medicines, she hopes to become a...
Varshini’s parents are illiterate and cannot not help him with his studies. His lessons on Yoga and Phonemic Intelligence have been very helpful to his development, in fact he is now helping his friends with their studies as well. He is also grateful for the mini-meals he gets at school so he can...
Malathi is an 8th grade student at the Kizhavanam HoPE Learning Center. She attends classes with her two siblings. Her parents work as day laborers and don’t make enough to provide for the family, so the resources of the HoPE Learning Center have been really important to her health and...