Sanchali held high standards for herself. Though difficulties abounded from a life full of poverty, the young girl was determined to rise above them.
Sanchali’s father worked hard selling firewood to provide for his family every day. Karan and his wife raised five children, four of whom were grown and married and lived with their own families. Only Karan, his wife and their teenage daughter, Sanchali, lived together under the same roof after the older children married. With each child that left home, however, Karan’s savings grew smaller.
As the father, Karan bore the responsibility of covering the costs of his children’s marriages. He took out loans to lighten the load on his shoulders when the costs started piling up, but this failed to solve his problems. Karan still could barely manage to pay off his debts and provide for his family’s well-being at the same time.
Thirteen-year-old Sanchali watched her father day after day as he worked to pay the bills and put food on the table. Though she needed school supplies, like stationery, for her studies, the girl knew her family struggled to make ends meet. She didn’t want to trouble her father about her need for school supplies.
Sanchali continued to study well with the few resources she had and without the aid of tutoring those other students could afford. Though it was difficult, her hard work and perseverance earned her high scores in English, science and mathematics on a regular basis. But Sanchali’s need for more stationery increased with each high mark she received.
When she finally worked up the courage to ask her father for stationery, his answer worried Sanchali. Karan simply could not afford to purchase the supplies his daughter needed. Sanchali wondered if she could ever obtain the stationery she needed for her studies.
Then, one day, Sanchali found the answer to her need. She enrolled in a local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center and continued to study with the guidance of the staff members. In addition to educational classes, the center provided Sanchali and the other students with a nutritious meal every day. They even gave her the school supplies she lacked. At the end of her first year at Bridge of Hope, Sanchali received a gift package from the staff. Inside, she found a school bag, shoes, a water bottle, a school uniform and stationery.
Sanchali loves to attend classes at the center. Since her enrollment in the Bridge of Hope program, the girl’s bright smile has rarely faded, and her life has changed completely.
“I wish that Bridge of Hope will reach many areas and many children like me could benefit from this program,” Sanchali says.
See how Ahanti’s enrollment in a Bridge of Hope center transformed her life.
