Jai was born in a remote village in India, in the middle of the jungle.
His village is lush and green, bursting with coconuts. An only child, Jai lived with his mother and father in a very modest home. His family was poor, but able to make ends meet.
sadly, life for Jai was full of fear and pain.
Jai’s father was an alcoholic. When he drank too much he would get extremely violent. Day after day, Jai lived in fear of the next beating. Day after day, his Dad would get angry and beat both him and his mother. Though the villagers showed concern, they didn’t intervene.
Then one day, life got much worse for Jai. When he was 4 years old, his mother died suddenly. Jai’s only source of love and protection was gone. Immediately, his father became more violent and the beatings got worse. The villagers feared that Jai would be beaten to death.
But instead of waiting for tragedy to strike again, the villagers did something amazing.
They formed a plan to save Jai! Banding together, they convinced his father to sign away parental rights. They demanded he stay far away from his son and threatened to make him leave the village if he ever hurt Jai again.
Jai’s amazing village of heroes brought him to a children’s home where he is now thriving and in our Career Pathways program. 6 years have passed and Jai is 10 years old.
No longer fearing a beating, Jai has relaxed into his new life. He goes to school, drinks clean water, eats nutritious meals, and enjoys playing cricket with his friends. As he grows, he will continue his education and have the chance to learn computer skills, English, and pursue a career of his choosing.
A life that was almost lost, is now bursting with hope and possibility.
It took a village in India to give Jai a second chance. Now a new “village” of generous donors are helping him achieve his bright future. We are so thankful for both villages. They are real life heroes.
It’s easy to lose hope in humanity these days, but Jai’s story reminds us that there are still heroes out there changing the world!
Read more about the Career Pathways Program!
