India

Sponsor a Child in India

Dalit Children:Partners International has been partnering with Bible Faith Mission (BFM) since 1984 to bring economic, social, and spiritual transformation to the Dalits (“untouchables”) of South India. For centuries, the Dalits have suffered extreme poverty, social persecution, and discrimination under the now illegal, yet still prominent, Hindu caste system. Together, Partners International and Bible Faith Mission assist more than 300 children through the Sponsor A Child program. Along with the opportunity to attend school, the children are encouraged to attend Sunday school at BFM churches. Extracurricular activities such as games and sports competitions, essay writing, singing, preaching, and Bible quizzes are used to help the children grow not only spiritually, but in all aspects of their lives. The children attend local government schools or BFM’s Christian school.

Banjara Children:Spread throughout 16 states of India, the Banjaras are the largest gypsy group in India. Though the word “gypsy” can have a negative connotation, sometimes meaning “nomadic” or “wandering,” the Banjaras have a rich culture and are known for their vibrant clothing and dance. Our partner Badavo Banjara Phozear Trust (BBPT) was established in 1996 to reach out to the Banjara people of India through evangelism, church planting, education, and women’s empowerment. To encourage the development of Banjara children, BBPT has started two Christian schools in Andhra Pradesh State. When these schools began, many parents were not open to the Gospel and placed little value in their children’s education. Today, the schools have more than 575 children and the communities they serve are strong advocates for education. These students are the first generation of Banjara children to attend school in this area.

Indonesia

Sponsor a Child in Indonesia

Over the last 20 years, our partners Cahaya Suku (“Light to the Peoples”) and Sundanese Christian Fellowship (SCF) have brought hundreds of people to faith in Christ. However, the majority of these new believers live in rural settings with little access to quality, affordable education. Without an education, young people will have difficulty finding work, providing for their families, or impacting their communities for Christ.

Our sponsorship program in Indonesia supports the educational needs of the children of church planters working with Cahaya Suku and SCF, as well as children of Muslim-background believers. Our partners want to create an environment where these faithful servants can bring up their children in the faith and yet not be disadvantaged because of their call to ministry. They are willing to serve and sacrifice, but don’t want to see their children miss out on a proper education. Sponsorship eases this financial and emotional burden on these Christian families. The higher the education these children receive, the more influence they will have on their societies as adults.

Mali

Sponsor a Child in Mali

Together with our ministry partner in Timbuktu, we helped construct elementary schools in two villages and for the first time ever, desert nomads in the area are sending their children to school! Besides attending school, the children enjoy improved health through better food and medical care, and receive clothing and school supplies.

Children are also sponsored at Timbuktu's Elijah House - an outreach center for orphans and children living in extreme poverty. At the center, children receive two meals each day, an outfit for those who have only tattered clothing, and help to register for public school. Bible classes are held weekly. The children also enjoy games, videos, books, and special programs. Several children have come to know the Lord through this outreach.

Myanmar

Sponsor a Child in Myanmar

Myanmar, formerly called Burma, was once the richest nation in Southeast Asia. Now, it is one of the poorest in the region. Little economic progress has been made in the last 40 years, and the military dictatorship that came to power in 1988 has been the source of frequent political tension and civil war. As a result, children are often victims of poverty, disease, and broken families. Some children go to school early in the morning and then help in the fields until late afternoon. Frequently these children appear much younger than their actual age due to their poor diets. Sometimes children are 10 or 11 years old before they are able to start school.

Because foreign missionaries have been forbidden since 1966, the task of evangelism rests on the efforts of local Christians. Established in 1952, our partner Christian Nationals Evangelism Commission (CNEC) assists ministries in Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Their strategy is to win people to Christ through holistic ministries and train them as local missionaries among their own people. Through church planting, leadership training, and children’s ministries, doors are open for outreach to people who live in physical and spiritual need. Nearly 1,500 children are assisted by the Sponsor A Child ministry spread throughout 20 locations in northern Myanmar.

Grace Haven: CNEC also operates a network of orphanages in Myanmar.The great need for educating poor children was recognized by Pastor Cha Tan Yone who, with his wife, Susan, established the first Grace Haven Orphanage in eastern Myanmar. Grace Haven is a government-registered Christian orphanage that cares for orphans and children whose families are so poor they cannot provide for them. The numbers grew rapidly as abandoned children were brought to Grace Haven by relatives and neighbors. Today, more than 900 children in 13 Grace Haven homes receive assistance.

After accepting Christ through the Sponsor A Child program, a number of Burmese children go on to Bible school and then return to their country to work as church planters, evangelists, and teachers.

Thailand

Sponsor a Child in Thailand

Thailand is a land dominated by Buddhism with more than 300,000 monks. Only about one percent of Thailand’s 68 million people are Christians. A mix of cultures, Thailand has many minority groups scattered throughout the rugged mountains in the North—many of which are only accessible by poor roads and walking trails. Established in 1952, our partner Christian Nationals Evangelism Commission (CNEC) assists ministries in Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Their strategy is to win people to Christ through holistic ministries and train them as local missionaries among their own people. Through church planting, leadership training, and children’s ministries, doors are open for outreach to people who live in physical and spiritual need.

Our Sponsor A Child program in Thailand ministers to hundreds of children from poor tribal groups. Eking a living out of the land, the people, mostly farmers, struggle to provide food for their families. The children often must work hard in the fields or help with daily chores while still quite young. Unbalanced, meager diets cause them to appear much younger than their actual age. Sometimes kids are ten years old or older before they are given the chance to start school. The Sponsor A Child program often opens the door to unreached villages and results in churches being planted. Currently there is a church in each of the 38 villages that participate in our Thailand sponsorship program. When their village education is complete, many children are helped to enroll in high school and Bible college. Ministering to both physical and spiritual needs eventually brings the students full circle as many become active in church activities, reaching their own tribal people with the Gospel.