B* is 22 years old and has been married to her husband for 8 years. Her husband is 48 years old and was married previously. He is an auto driver, and they are both uneducated. Together they have two daughters; B* who is 7 years old in the 1ststandard at government school, and K* who is 4 years old attending LKG (pre-primary school). She was pressured to have a boy child by her husband, and he is still very upset that she was not able to produce one. He constantly doubts her and always questions whenever she goes outside of their home, or if she has interactions with other men. He usually beats and tortures her. Because she was unable to give him a son, he now splits his time with B* and with his first wife. He refuses to give her and the children money, and often times they find themselves struggling to survive. She would receive government rations of rice, dal, and oil in order to feed her children, and would work as a servant in homes to make ends meet. She became the sole provider of their household. B* contemplated suicide many times, as she felt hopeless in her marriage. But every time she thought about killing herself, images and memories of her daughters kept her from doing so. She knows that her husband would not care for them, and she has lots of love for her daughters. B* does not want to be without her daughters, nor would she want to leave them alone. Around the last time of her suicide attempt, her daughters began attending Rescue Pink’s after school program, and she heard of the entrepreneurship program they offer. She knew that this would be a great opportunity to provide for her family, to cut her dependence on the government, and for her to find purpose again. B* went through training and received a loan for seasonal drink mixes. During the summer and rainy season she sells rasan, which is a powdered drink mix. She mixes it with water and is able to sell it in the local shops. During the winter season she will sell chai in the shops as well. She likes having work and being able to take care of her daughters. She wishes her husband would support her business. Rescue Pink has taught her how to develop a business and how to save money in her daughters’ names. The Rescue Pink coordinator says that she was the happiest one at training- always singing, dancing, and laughing. It was the only time that she could be free outside of her home.
B* knows how great Rescue Pink is from the way that it has changed her life. She enjoys sending both B* and K*, and has noticed that they have gained weight from taking nutrition every day, and that their studies have improved. K* likes to eat eggs, drink milk, and play with her friends. She enjoys learning her alphabet and numbers. B* hopes to give her daughters a good education, and that they will become teachers one day. She hopes to expand her business to be able to open her own shop. B* is grateful for the opportunity given to her through Rescue Pink, as it has literally saved her life.
This month my team was partnered with Rescue Pink for our month in India. Check out my previous/last blog to hear more about Rescue Pink: http://shannonroediger.theworldrace.org/post/beauty-in-the-midst-of-adversity. This month, my team has been collecting stories from members who attend Rescue Pinks entrepreneurship program, nutrition program, and their after school program. We got to work with Kelley Finkel, an American intern for Rescue Pink during her college summer break (She’s amazing!). One afternoon I was typing up profiles that we send to donors, and needed an example of how to format the profiles so I looked at Kelley’s example. My heart broke reading B*’s story. I met B*’s two daughters K* and B* in Rescue Pinks after school program. I never would have imagined that this was their story. It’s hard to hear that these beautiful little girls might not have enough to eat each night. It’s hard to hear that their father wanted nothing to do with them, and it’s hard to hear that their mother thought about ending her life through suicide.
Story after story, I heard about fathers not wanting their children, fathers refusing to provide money for their children’s basic needs, fathers abusing their children, and stories of fathers leaving their wives and children. It’s devastating, and really hard to fathom. My heart breaks for these wives, and these children. My heart holds resentment towards these men, but I’ve realized their brokenness and how much they also need God in their lives. We must pray that they experience the love of God as well.
One day K* and another little girl, D*, ran up to me and started tickling me. I tickled them back and smiled at their beautiful laughter. A moment later these two little girls embraced me in hug and then quickly kissed me on the cheek and ran away smiling and laughing. It was during these moments I felt God’s overwhelming love pour over me. These two children don’t know the love of God, but in these moments they were showing me the love of Christ. Looking at them while they smiled and ran away I couldn’t stop thinking about how much the father loves sweet little K* and spunky little D*.
I see the children’s smiles every day at the after-school program. Despite the hardships they face, they still offer me their beautiful smiles. I want to take each and every child and hold them in my arms. I want to tell them how beautiful they are. I want to encourage them towards their dreams. I want them to know their worth in Christ, and I want to show them our Heavenly Father’s love. While we were unable to share the Gospel directly this month, I aimed to show the love of God to these children through my actions. 1 John 3:18 states: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth”. I love these children because Christ first loved me, and I want to lavish these children with the Father’s love.
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
