The slums - part 1

This morning we made our way down a narrow alley to the entrance of one of the poorest slums in Chennai. This slum is home to about 4,000 people. Desperation, hopelessness, and despair can be seen at every corner. Kids run wild, sometimes naked through paths filled with garbage. Many kids scrounge for basic food to survive. Children are abused and neglected. It is one rough place to grow up.

Each day Mary & Sidharth* were left alone in their hut while their mother worked, with only mud and leaves to eat. Because of some abuse she had faced in her past, she wanted to kill them, so she just left them alone & didn't feed them. They were eventually rescued and are thriving in Rescue & Restore Shelter. This is the slum they came from.

In the heart of the slum, right smack dab in the middle of the chaos, sits a beautiful preschool, started by a couple with a heart for giving love & hope to families. The kids come each morning to learn, to be safe, and to receive a hot meal. Most children from the slum don't go to school because their parents can't afford the school uniforms & supplies needed to attend.

This morning we sang songs together with the kids, we loved on them, and we celebrated the priceless treasures they are receiving there.

The school day ended when they ate lunch in a circle. This is the only hot meal that many of these kids will eat today.

Check back later for The slums - Part 2!

*names changed