The charity, founded 40 years ago in the north Indian state of Rajasthan as Emmanuel Mission, has launched “Operation: 10,000 Hopegivers” as part of an effort to rescue one million children in primarily India and Africa from poverty, homelessness, hunger and disease.
“The fact that there are any homeless children anywhere is the shame of the civilised world,” said Dr Samuel Thomas, co-founder of Hopegivers International. “But I believe this tragedy can and must be changed.
“God wills it!” he added.
Hopegivers International warned that most people are numb to the “overwhelming” number of children who have no place to call home. In India alone there are an estimated 78 million children without homes.
Dr Thomas said that strangers simply step over them and continue with their day. He hopes to change that.
“That’s why we have formed Hopegivers International; to save the oppressed, like these children,” he said.The charity warned that street children the world over are dying by the thousands each day but most especially in Africa.
“Operation:10,000 Hopegivers” is an urgent appeal to rally 10,000 more Hopegivers to join the organisation as child sponsors.
The charity said its homes and hope centres are “filled to overflowing” with many of the rescued children “on the brink of death”. It added that “more centres are desperately needed”.
“Hopegivers International affiliates cannot take in more children without the help of compassionate sponsors around the globe,” said Dr Thomas.
The charity is hoping to find 1,000 sponsors to save the life of an Indian or African child this summer and is already praying that God will allow them to find 10,000 new sponsors in the coming year.
Sponsoring a child costs just $1 per day, the price of a few chocolate bars.
