Sindhu Should go to School

Sindhu is ten years old and goes to class four at a primary school, three kilometers away form her colony. She was there that evening when the Mithram worker and I visited the village.
“Skoolil poyilleh?” (Didn’t you go to school today?), asked the minister.
“Illa” (No), came the reply from Sindu.
“Entha pokanjeh” (Why didn’t you go?)
“Uduppu illayirunnu” (Did not have dress)

Sindhu had only a pair of uniform provided by the government school. Today it was not dry to wear it for school and that was a valid excuse too to hang around the home. She has a sister and brother, both younger to her. Sindhu’s father is a T.B. patient and stopped going for any work for the last two years. Her mother is the sole breadwinner to the family of five.

Once she finishes her primary schooling, Sindhu has to walk six kilometers to go the nearest high school. Hope, this will not make her drop out of school.

The government has assured 100 days of labour for every tribal family. Any one member of the family can avail the occasional work which will fetch Rs.125 per day. Sindhu should not turn to labour like her mother too soon.

A second pair of uniform can help Sindhu not to miss her school again. She can be sent to a hostel to continue her high school. Medical aid to her father can help regain his life. Ministering to this family can lead them to experience healing, deliverance and salvation. Educational assistance can bring literacy and thus transformation to the lives and development to these villages.

Lot of Fun on Top of Trees

They enjoy the spread-out branch of this cashew tree. The village is ten kilometers away from the nearest town, Mananthawady, which is 100 kilometers away from Kozhikode, the nearest railway station and airport. It is not a holiday, but children love to stay in the village for different reasons. Some are carefree and not serious about school. Some parents do not insist them while a few others like to keep the older children at home to baby-sit for the younger ones. Every older family will have up to five or eight children. This village has 20 families and out of the 26 school aged children, only 14 of them go to school.

Others are drop-outs or have never been to a school. Our minister has become a friend and a good teacher to these children. He visits them frequently, giving them tuition to read and write and do basic calculations. Moral and health education changed these children. There are much more to be done here and many more villages to be visited.

Becoming a Friend in Need

Mithram in Malayalam, the regional language means ‘friend’. The humble desire to be a friend in need to these people marked the beginning of a ministry to the neediest and these least reached, by screening moral and education films in April 2007.
The films were chosen as majority of the people were illiterate. With in a couple of years, different titles including Jesus Film were screened in 80 different colonies with households ranging from five to a hundred. An average of 100 people attended each of these shows. Several people who watched the film asked for further help and opened their homes. Families were touched with the gospel; children were encouraged to go to school. Tuition and moral education to children have brought changes in attitudes, behaviors, health and hygiene. At one of the colonies a prayer and worship service is started; at press time, eight adults and 10 children attend this.
All these were led by a single worker and a few local friends who assisted him voluntarily. A medical camp arranged lately opened opportunities for further medical needs in these colonies.

Two more workers joined the field. They visit these distant villages and conducts free tuition for children at their colonies. They trek and bike those hills as friends to encourage them in schooling and counseling their parents for a new thinking and a new lifestyle. Each of them needs to be touched with the love of Christ. But there are more children to be taught and more villages to be reached!
Will you stand with us in prayer?

Welcome to Wayanad

Wayanad is one of the most beautiful districts in Kerala, situated on top of the Western Ghat Mountains. This Northern hill district is completely on the hill ranges and has a good area of forest. The climate is pleasant and the land is serene. The hillocks, the wood, the misty meadows, and the wild-life sanctuary in Mananthavady attract tourists from all over around the year. River Kabani, which flows calmly eastward through Karnataka, heading towards the Bay of Bengal, originates in Wayanad. On the banks of these rivers live native people groups like Paniya and Adiya tribes. Some of the other major tribes are Kurichiar, Kurmar, and Kattunaikkar. Wayanad has the largest tribal population in Kerala. The tribals treasure their age old culture, traditions and rituals but live in marginal situations. Wild animals are better cared and protected on these hills!

Thirty percentage of the population in Wayanad are tribals. In spite of the developmental measures by the government and efforts by a few ministries, the plight of the poor people continues in darkness. The tribals who ruled this land once do not have the right today even to cut a bamboo to make a hut for them. Ignorance, illiteracy and lack of hope for a better life keep them enslaved to superstitious beliefs and bad habits of chewing pan and drinking alcohol. Dreadful sickness like cancer and tuberculosis aggravate the problem.

Mithram Ministries is an initiative to venture into the lives of these vulnerable.

Beginnings

Mithram Ministries began its ministry in Wayanad by screening moral and education films in April 2006. Films were chosen as majority of the people were illiterate. With in a couple of years, different titles including Jesus Film were screened in 80 different colonies with households ranging from five to a hundred. An average of 100 people attended each of these shows. Several people who watched the film asked for further help and opened their homes. Families were touched with the gospel; children were encouraged to go to school. Tuitions and moral education to children have brought changes in attitudes, behaviors, health and hygiene and much more....

Meet the founders
“I hail from Tiruvalla, Kerala. It has been my sincere desire to be involved in Chirstian ministry, even before I met the Lord personally and put my trust in Him. Idea of an orphanage was close to my heart since 2005 and I shared it with Pastor V. M. Sunny. Seeking the opportunities for starting a work, we both prayerfully set out for a trip through several places in Kerala and in the bordering areas. We did not have any guidance from the Lord in identifying a place before we returned. Later we came in contact with Brother Bijumon who has been a Bible Translator for a tribal language group in Wayanad, a district in the North- Eastern part of Kerala. We first time heard from about areas where the gospel has not effectively been proclaimed.
This time we went to the tribal areas of Wayanad along with Brother Bijumon and were clearly guided by the Lord to put our hands together in serving the least and the neediest people groups in the area. Thus began Mithram Ministries on 1 April 2007 by sending Brother George and family to begin the work among them. We got the ministry registered as Mithram Charitable Trust in May 2008 (Act 11 of 19/882).

The desire of uplifting these neglected people to the mainstream stream society through the Love of Christ can be yours too. We invite your cooperation and prayers to bring meaning and transformation to some of the least reached people groups of the land".

Yours in the Lord’s mission,
Benoy Jacob Thomas