Brick Factory School Fund

Our friends in India received a call from the schools currently hosting over 2100 students from brick factories. The teachers are so passionate about rescuing children from slave labor that they have made room for an additional 300 students to join next month!

Graduates of our sewing school are already hard at work making uniforms for these new students.

The tendency to be stubborn is frequently viewed negatively, yet Kajal's stubbornness not only altered her life but also the lives of her siblings. When we first met Kajal, she was 7 years old. She attended school in her village, but when the family moved to the city, everything changed. The siblings were made to forgo their education and work in the kilns. It did not go over well with Kajal at all. She has always wanted to go back to school but was aware that her family cannot afford it. Her family was totally unwilling to enroll any of their children in school when we first suggested that they send them to school in 2019. They had the view that the more hands that are employed, the greater the income.

When we contacted them once more in 2020, they made the same choice. Kajal knew she had to act since she did not want to pass up this chance. She and her siblings stopped going to the kilns to work. At the end of the month when parents got their salary they realized their kids income did not contribute anything. They were heartbroken to know that the hard labor their kids did all day was all in vain. Learning this truth the parents decided to take the step and send their kids to school. Kajal and her three siblings were happily enrolled in school.

One of the class's smartest students, Kajal even took first place in her most recent test. Now that their children are in school, the parents are pleased with them and encourage other parents to do the same.

According to Mahesh, "My father developed a drinking problem, and we were forced to sell all our property and farms." This is the tale of how they got into what seemed like endless debt. Mahesh, who was 13 years old, attended a reputable school and led a happy life with his family. However, things changed as his father's drinking habit developed as a result of some trading losses. Everything they owned was sold. Even their own family members would not take them in, leaving them with nowhere to go. Mahesh was soon made to labour there by force once his father began working in the kilns.

At age 34, he wanted his children to live happy lives and pursue education. But he was unable to. The owner of the brick kiln held the key to his child's future.

Mahesh could see hope again when our team arrived. He believes that he will one day be able to escape this slavery and have a free life. His children and his children's generations will be free from the inhumane conditions they currently endure. His two children are now happily enrolled in the school.

Schools have finally re-opened in India and 303 more children were ready to start their journey in school right away. That means the Impact Nations family has now sent over 1,500 children to school!

Here is the most recent video we recieved from India.

The Covid crisis in India is slowly improving, but there is no clear indication from the government when they will be reopening schools. They had expected to launch the new school year in July, but their first priority is to keep the students and teachers safe, so it will likely be delayed.

In the meantime, our partners have begun building relationships in yet another brick factory and developing strategies to help those children prepare for their first day of school. Soon we'll be holding (socially distanced!) classes right in the brick community, teaching the children what to expect when they begin attending school. We are also providing meals for the families in the factory.

None of these children had even dreamed of having an education, so it will be a huge adjustment for each of them. We’ll be teaching them simple things such as how to sit quietly and listen to the teacher, how to keep their shoes in good shape (most have never owned shoes before!), and how to share with their parents what they are learning in the classroom.

Please continue to pray for our partners as they work tirelessly to bring hope to these families. Please pray that the covid crisis subsides so that the schools can open soon.

Thank you so much for being a part of this effort. Your giving will reverberate for generations. Some of these families have been working as indentured servants in brick factories for three generations. Your gift has broken that cycle.

When the India school system announced they would reopen schools in October 2020, the Impact Nations family came together once again and raised the money to send another 433 kids to school. They were to join the 850 children that you helped enroll in 2019. Unfortunately, we live in a season of sudden change. Shortly after enrollment began, the government suddenly announced that schools were closing again due to another Covid surge.

Since then, the government has twice announced a re-opening but backed off each time due to health concerns. At this point, it remains unclear when the children will enjoy their first official day in school. But they have not been forgotten…

As soon as your gifts arrived in India, the Sewing Center created uniforms for every one of the new students. Because these kiddos have never had a proper school uniform before, they have never learned to care for their clothes properly. Therefore, our partners are holding onto the new uniforms and school supplies until schools are ready open again. Once that happens, the school will help them learn how to best care for their uniforms.

Our partners are passionate about being involved in these children’s lives and about giving them an education. They are currently developing a “class” which they can host themselves for about an hour each day in the brickyards. This will give the kids a jump-start on learning before schools ever open and teach them what life is like in a classroom.

Additionally, these students-to-be have been receiving food from our partners throughout the pandemic. At school, each child would have received one nutritious meal every day. Without school, our partners continue to stand in the gap.

As the Impact Nations family, we are all committed to demonstrating the Gospel both practically and supernaturally. Despite the changing circumstances, these kids are still encountering the Gospel thanks to your generous donations. We are eagerly anticipating the first day of school, but in the meantime, we will continue to care for these families and prepare the children so that they can be successful in all that God has for them.

Thank you again for helping to transform these lives. I can’t wait to tell you all about their first day of school. Let’s pray that it is soon!

Last year when we approached his family to send their
kids to school

After a huge success last year in freedom of kids from slavery and sending them to schools and giving them new life, we were really excited about what God has planned this year for these kids. But as Covid-19 came in India the schools were shut. Many kids who were unable to join the schools last year were waiting to join the school as they saw the change in life of kids who were going to school.

But as we all know that everything happens in God’s own timing, the schools were given permission to open. We started visiting the brick factory and saw that there were many kids waiting to get free from the life of slavery and change their life and life of their family members. Among these kids there was a boy named Fazik. We remembered him from last year.

Last year when we approached his family to send their kids to school, they were least interested in it. They believed that a little education cannot change their lives or their future. But as they saw the change in the kids who started going to school, they started feeling guilty towards their kids, because now the kids started questioning them why they didn’t hear our team out. Why they didn’t allow them to go to school. They could also be free of this slavery and live a good and free life.

When we went to colony this year, the father approached us with tears in his eyes begging us to take their kids to school too. We were happy to hear that. This not only helped us free one more family from the slavery but also shows what a great success last year was.

When we send a kid to school, we are not only saving one person, but we are changing the future of a whole family. We give the family a new hope and a new perspective to life. Going to the factory and being with the kids is one of the most joyful times for our team. We love these kids and really want to thank Impact Nations and each and every single donor who is giving out what they have for these kids.

Once schools open again, Impact Nations will be sending an additional 433 children to school for the first time!

India has been one of the hardest hit nations in the world during the pandemic. Their private sector unemployment reached 80% at one point. When our partners were finally able to reach the brick factories, they found a community wrestling with starvation, suicide, and depression.

"The whole country was starting to adapt the new normal life but the new life didn’t included these people as it’s difficult for them to maintain social distancing and they have to go from place to place for work. So, they were still unaccepted by the people.

We started going to the slums daily and started a feeding program there. One day when we were feeding the people a young girl came to us with a book in her hand and told that she was missing school. She was one of the girls we got in school last year. She told us that she really wanted to study. So, we took the book and started teaching her.

We realized that this pandemic has taken away the opportunity from the kids to study. The kids just started adapting the school environment. We started the tuition in the area and started teaching them in small groups."

Back to School

Hope is returning to this precious community. Our partners continue to feed families and tutor the children in the midst of the difficulty.

Now we are faced with another opportunity to change the future for so many children. The government of India is opening schools again on October 19th. The 862 children that the Impact Nations family rescued last year will once again be able to go to school!

In addition, we have already raised enough for another 230 children to begin their education. How many more can we rescue from a life of slavery and send to school?

YOU can send a child to school for only $130 today!