The events in India have brought into focus how many nations are still battling with the outbreak of COVID-19. India gives us a window into the world, when we consider the vast number of people crowded within this country. The recent surge of the pandemic is having catastrophic impact on the lives of so many people. On Monday, 26 April, 2021, it was reported that India recorded 352,991 new infections and 2812 deaths in 24 hours. With the crisis in many states only just beginning, no one knows yet when the peak will come. Many of the Indian immigrants living overseas are gripped with anxiety for their friends and families back home and feel guilty for the fact that here, we at least are safe. For all of us who live in Australia, we’ve seen the media images pour in of an elderly woman sitting in the middle of the road hooked up to an oxygen cylinder, of people sleeping on sidewalks outside hospitals, of a stone-faced mother squatting next to her son’s dead body, of grown men sobbing as they beg strangers for help, and of mass funeral pyres in crematoriums.
Due to the rapidly spreading nature of this second COVID wave, the Indian Government is forcing the closure of all government and non-government child welfare hostels/homes. The city of Srikakulam, where the Victory Home is located, is in a complete lockdown for an indefinite period of time, as 30% of the population has tested positive and numbers are rising. All of the hospitals in Srikakulam are full to overflowing and there is no oxygen available.
A friend of Timoti who works in the hospital pharmacy told him they have completely run out of medicine and many basic supplies.
Here is a photo of the home where they have been living and of the boys room.
On Thursday, 29 April, Pastor Timoti went to pray with and encourage the Victory Home children, share lunch with them, help them pack their belongings, and to prepare for the relocation that takes place today, 30 April. Each of the children are being placed in the home of either a trusted relative or a Christian family that is known to Timoti until they are able to return to the Victory Home. Our regular monthly support for the children will continue, as we will provide food, toiletries, clothing and shoes when needed, as well as educational supplies. During their time away, Manikanta and his new wife Swarna, will be visiting each of the children on a weekly basis, as they are the official Caretakers for the Victory Home. Manikanta, as you might remember, was one of the young boys in the home when it began a few years ago. These weekly visits will ensure that the proper agreed upon care is being provided for each of the children.
Below are some photos taken during their meal together.
Please continue to uphold all of the Victory Home children, their caregivers, and Pastor Timoti as he oversees all the various ministries during this challenging time. We hope to give you an update on our Little Sisters in the Mercy Home soon, but as you can appreciate, they have many more pressing concerns to address at present. I can assure you that when speaking with Timoti recently, he informed me that all of the children are well and safe by God’s grace.
Thank you again for investing in these young lives!
