I grew up in Bangalore, India*, in a very poor family as the youngest of four children. My father was a vegetable vendor, while my mother cared for the home and children.
I became a part of Compassion when I was 4 years old. Hope was ignited in my life, and I began working hard in the school, encouraged by the care of my teachers.
But tragically, when I was still a little boy, I witnessed my father commit suicide by setting himself and our home on fire. My mother was left a widow, and she had to take care of four children below the age of 14 without a job or even a place to live.
Compassion staff stepped in, providing education, shelter and assistance to me and my family. And at the same time, my sponsors spoke words of hope and encouragement to me in the letters they sent.
You must understand that growing up in a poor family in India, I always experienced people neglecting me and never including me in any gatherings as I never wore good clothes and didn’t smell nice. But my sponsor in the letter always said, “I love you.”