Christuraj lives in Chennai India. The mud and brick shacks of his community are so close to the river that when it floods, sewage washes into people’s homes. Unemployment, alcoholism and violence are rife but life poses even more problems for Christuraj. “My father had small pox and is blind in both his eyes,” explains the 15-year-old. “I have to do everything for him.” Christuraj’s mother left when he was just five years old and Christuraj has to take sole responsibility for his father.
But, in spite of his hardship, Christuraj has big dreams. “I want to be a doctor,” he says with resolution. Every day after school and every Saturday Christuraj attends the Andrew’s Kirk Child Development Centre, run in conjunction with the child development ministry Compassion. “I want to be a big man and bring honour to my father and Compassion because they are helping me a lot.”
In the cramped and crowded community where the majority of parents work as casual day labourers, uncertain where the next meal is coming from, the child development centre is a breath of fresh air. It is here that Christuraj gets a healthy evening meal every day and regular medical checkups; something his father could never afford to provide for him. He can play cricket and football with his friends and get extra support with his studies. He even gets a chance to learn valuable computer skills. But the Bible study classes are his favourite. “What I love the most is the word of God,” he says with a warm smile.
His father’s disability means that Christuraj’s family have no regular income. Without the support of the project and his sponsor, Christuraj’s knows his life would be very different.
“If Compassion had not been there, we would have been begging on the street.”
For more than 50 years Compassion has been working to transform the lives of children across the world. In addition to their financial support sponsors can also exchange letters with the children they sponsor and pray for them. More than a million children are currently attending Compassion’s church based projects in 25 of the world’s poorest countries, but there are many more children waiting for a sponsor to give them the opportunities that Christuraj has been given.
It costs just 60p a day, less than the price of a cup of tea, to transform the life of a child like Christuraj through sponsorship.
To find out about Compassion visit www.compassionuk.org or call 01932 836490. Alternatively, speak to Diane Sainsbury.
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