Raising Hands for India

How We Do It

Indians are eager for education at multiple levels since that is the surest way out of poverty and to position one-self to be of service to the community. Raising Hands evokes this yearning to learn. There are two main populations served by Raising Hands: Candidates for the priesthood and Semi-orphans/orphans.

Priestly Formation

Though India is primarily a Hindu country, the interest in priestly service is great. Seminary formation lasts for twelve years after secondary school. This encompasses secular studies as well as education in theology and philosophy. The period of preparation includes spiritual direction during which candidates discern their calling to be ordained. Because some of the candidates conclude that God is calling them to another vocation, the scholarships for priestly formation are reserved for only those candidates who are in the last four years of the twelve-year program of studies. Each of those last four years costs $900 per seminarian or $3,600 total.

Semi-Orphan and Orphan Education

These children have been removed from their family homes due to poverty, alcoholism, or abuse. Education is central to their access to jobs that will remove them from poverty. The support Raising Hands provides to institutions run by priests and sisters supplies children with food, education, and housing. Support for each child costs $45 per month or $540 per year. Several years ago St. Matthew Parish in Norwalk, CT, provided support to construct a hostel for 100 children. However the hostel can’t operate at full capacity due to a shortage of operating funds. There are 52 children in need of immediate assistance by the St. Matthew Hostel. Raising Hands supports twelve other housing facilities that provide assistance to 520 children.

In-depth look at Fr. Gaspar Pinto Memorial Hostel- Premdham- Gujarwala, UP

The pathetic conditions of the children of bonded laborers and daily wage earners compelled the Indian Missionary Society (IMS) to open a residential facility for boys at Premdham in Gujarwala, in the State of Uttar Pradesh. The Hostel building was donated by St. Matthew Church, Norwalk, CT, in 2008. Today there are 58 boys who are studying here. There is a nearby school which is also run by the Indian Missionary Society. The Unsuliness of Mary Immaculate Sisters also run another residential facility for girls which houses over 65 girls.

The children come from places where people are oppressed by caste, illiteracy and poverty. They are cared for free of charge, as the parents are not in a position to pay anything. Some of the children are semi-orphans or orphans and drop-out children. Their food, accommodation, school fees, clothes and books are supplied by The Indian Missionary Society and  benefactors.

The only way for these children to become competitive is to send them to the English Medium School. Unless these children learn English, their ability to get good jobs or to further education is limited. With this aim to end the cycle of poverty, IMS intends to send over 120 Children to the English Medium School while providing them with hostel facilities.

Since most of them are first-generation school students, they need to be given extra coaching so that they are able to be on par with their peers in school.

The cost for a student for food, clothes, school fee and extra coaching per month is $50 per month or $600 per year. For 120 children, the annual operating cost is $ 72,000.

Helping Hands for India has been supporting this venture in a limited way. If they are able to expand the facilities, they will be able to support more children.  Helping Hands for India endeavors to join hands with the Indian Missionary Society to raise $800,000: $300,000 projected cost for expansion of both the hostels to accommodate 100 boys and 100 girls; and $500,000 will be put in a corpus fund to generate enough money to run these facilities year after year.

In-Depth Look at Holy Family Hostel for Tribal Girls- Karangabala- Chattisgargh

Karanagabala is one of the most remote villages in the state of Chattisgragrh in India. It has a patriarchal society characterized by a female/male ratio of 969 females to 1000 males. The tribal population accounts for 30 percent of the total population of 28 million. The literacy rate of the rural girls overall is 56 percent while rural boys have a literacy rate of 77 percent. However, for tribal girls the literacy level it is much worse.

In 2009, to provide education and formation to these impoverished girls, the Holy Family Sisters established a hostel for girls between the ages of 4 to 13. Currently they care for 93 girls. If these girls remain at home they will not attend schools as their parents themselves are illiterate and do not have the means to fund their education. Many of the parents are working for landlords. There are five sisters who take care of these girls. These sisters also work for the betterment of women in these villages to include tending to healthcare needs.

As the hostel does not have enough facilities for these children, the sisters are planning an expansion. They require a dining hall, rooms for children to sleep, rest rooms, etc. The expansion plan will cost $150,000. Once these girls complete 8th grade, the sisters send them to other hostels where high school is available.

Although there are 93 girls in the hostel, the sisters support another 28 for high school studies. The number of students that require support overall is 121. A student needs an average of $500 per year for school fees and living expenses. The hostel needs $60,000/year to support the 121 girls.

There are a few benefactors from India who support this ministry as well. Some of parents of the girls supply grain to the sisters. Helping Hands for India intends to raise $300,00 for this hostel.