India (MNN) — As a mother of three with practically no education, Nazila and her children went from malnourished and sick to healthy and thriving! It’s all thanks to a literacy class, a garden, and the seeds of the Gospel.
Mission India’s indigenous partners teach Adult Literacy Classes to men and women throughout India. These year-long classes primarily provide a fifth-grade education level in reading, writing, and math. Attendees also learn about important topics like finance, hygiene, nutrition, and small business development.
But that’s not all. Erik* with Mission India says, “The whole goal really is to introduce individuals to the love of Jesus and showcase who He is and what He’s done for them — but also help these adults go from really no education at all and get them over to a fifth-grade education level at the end of that year.
An Adult Literacy Class with Mission India. (Photo courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)
“In John 10:10, Jesus says, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ At Mission India, we focus on a holistic change of those we serve just like Jesus did so that people in India can look forward to eternity and live life to the full here on Earth. This integrated impact is seen in all of our programs, but especially in our Adult Literacy Classes.”
Nazila is a wife and mother in India who recently attended an Adult Literacy Class. Growing up, Nazila never received a formal education — something that is, unfortunately, not uncommon for girls and women in India.
“She didn’t really know the basics of how to keep her family healthy [with] food and hygiene,” Erik says. “Nutrition was an issue and her children were malnourished and always sick. She knew something was wrong, but she didn’t know what and how to adjust that.”
Once Nazila joined an Adult Literacy Class, her world opened up with her new literacy skills! She also learned about health and nutrition through the class.
“She started to plant a garden at her house and started eating vegetables and feeding her vegetables to her children. Over time, her kids became healthier, which was fantastic and she was so excited.”
A lack of rain in Nazila’s community presented a horticultural challenge, but she got creative and began using kitchen wastewater to continue growing her garden.
“She’s not only helping feed her family, but she’s helping supply vegetables to her community.”
(Photo courtesy of Mission India)
As Nazila learned how to plant and grow a garden, the Gospel seed was planted in her heart. But as the Apostle Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 3:7, only God can make it grow.
Erik says, “She still hasn’t received Jesus as her Savior yet, but she’s learning about it and is very inquisitive about who He is and what He’s done for her. So we are, as a team, praying for her to understand and come to know Jesus and accept Him as her Savior. But we’re just so excited to see Nazila’s life change on the physical side as relates to education and nutrition for her family.”
Please be “praying that the partner leading that class and living in this community can continue to invest in Nazila and continually share the love of Jesus each and every opportunity they get.”
You can support an Adult Literacy Class student like Nazila for a full year! The cost, amazingly, is just $40.
Give to Mission India’s Adult Literacy Classes here!
*Last name omitted for security.
