Enough was enough, the laborers decided. Kandhara’s fellow tea laborers began protesting their working conditions and low pay. As the days turned into weeks and months, the protests continued—which meant no pay for any of the workers, including Kandhara.
Limited Resources
Kandhara and her husband worked hard, but their combined income was
only enough to feed them and their two children. When the strike occurred, however, Kandhara’s pay did not come. Their only source of money was from Kandhara’s husband, who worked some distance away and only returned once a month to bring money. But his earnings alone couldn’t make ends meet.
One day during the strike, Kandhara fell ill. Her husband wasn’t due to return yet, leaving Kandhara alone to bear her sickness. The nearest hospital was located more than 7 miles away—too far for the sick woman to travel. But despite her high fever and near-constant headaches, Kandhara somehow fed her children and sent them to school on her little savings.
The Gift of Healing
One day, Kandhara’s 13-year-old son, Abhin, came home from school with some news. Abhin attends the local GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center, and he had learned that the center was organizing a free medical camp. When Kandhara heard this, her heart soared with hope. This was a chance to get some reprieve from this illness that haunted her.
When the day of the medical camp arrived, Kandhara and her children made the very short journey. Once there, doctors examined Kandhara and gave her some medication that would alleviate her constant headaches and fever. Along with the medication, Kandhara also received free vitamin supplements for herself and her children. Because the food Kandhara could afford provided little in the way of vitamins, she and her children were suffering from deficiencies.
After diligently taking the medication for an entire month, Kandhara was completely healed. The sickness left, and her strength returned.
“I was not able to get any medicines when I was severely sick because I did not have money on hand and was very weak to travel,” Kandhara says. “But I was able to attend [the] free medical camp … where I could get free medicines for my sickness.”
Kandhara thanked the Bridge of Hope staff and doctors, saying, “This was a great blessing for me and my family.”
Learn more about how medical camps bring healing and hope to families in need.
