Last month we had the privilege of meeting Rahda and hearing her story. Each morning she rises and awakens her daughter so that they can both do their daily chores around her parents home.

Rahda Shares a Photo of Her Daughter.

Then Rahda jumps on her bicycle and rides her daughter to her school before riding 30 minutes to Bethel Community College. At 3:30 PM she rides back to her daughter’s school just in time to meet her as school ends for the day.

Next month Rahda will start her field work at a local hospital and in June will earn her degree as a nursing assistant. At that time she will have the opportunity to work at a hospital or local health clinic and earn up to 3 times as much as should could in the textile factory.

Watch her tell her amazing story of courage and determination here.

One of our field partner orphanages in South India has a waiting list of Indian families that want to adopt a baby girl. Each week the orphanage is also called by infant cradles asking them if they have room for an unwanted newborn baby girl. Most times the director must tell them “at this time we can not accept anymore babies.”

How can this be and yet so many girl babies are aborted, killed or neglected in India each year?

I believe the root problem is government regulation. Think Slum Dog Millionaire – the movie about the horrific conditions in orphanages and how evil men abuse, mutilate and sell children for personal profit.

This is the reality in some orphanages in India. So, the government attempted to restrict the “financial gain” an orphanage could make from caring for an orphan child. Problem is, this has a direct impact on great orphanages all over India.

The government has limited the adoption fee to approximately $100 USD even when the adoptive parents are willing and able to pay more. The challenge. It cost an orphanage about $500 to rescue and care for a newborn child for six months. Add the costs to evaluate and educate potential adoptive Indian parents and the orphanage is loosing money on every child they adopt.

It does not matter whether you are a for profit or non profit. You can not “keep your doors open” if you are loosing money.

This is why good and reputable orphanage – many with a waiting list for baby girl adoptions must tell the infant cradles they can not take another newborn baby girl.

Yes, the laws in India need to be modified so good is able to do more good. But in the short-term, The Rhema Project is looking into ways we can help cover the financial gap.
It also allows us to uphold one of our core principles – We must help Indians own the solution to end the genocide of baby girls in their country You see, the estimated cost to rescue, care, clothe, educate and fund a small dowry for an orphaned girl over a 20 year period is at least $15,000. For $500 we can do the same plus have her loved and cared for by an Indian adopted family.

Just think what might happen if all over America families decided that this holiday season they could be part of giving the greatest gift ever to another family 9,000 miles away!

Matilda Jane Donates Clothes to Bethel AFC Girls

When all that is yours needs to be stored in a small locker and your wardrobe consists of one school dress, one sports outfit (worn on Friday for game day at school) and a tattered blouse and skirt for weekends receiving a new outfit from America one day is like having Christmas and your birthday all wrapped up into one!

This is what is happening this Friday when the girls from Bethel AFC orphanage will open the clothing donated by Matilda Jane. The boxes of clothing arrived early this week but “Christmas morning” needed to be delayed because of midterm exams at school. They know getting a good education is their only hope for a better tomorrow. So, regardless of how excited the girls have been to wear their new Matilda Jane clothing they know they needed to study first.

Unlike most of us in America who quickly forget what we actually got for Christmas or our birthday, these orphan girls will cherish their new “digs.” Most times these girls only get the “left overs” after they are no longer wanted by the original wearer. Not these outfits, Matilda Jane has donated brand new clothing and the first time they will be worn is when the girls of Bethel quickly run back to their room and change into their new outfit. After a brief fashion show with much laughter and smiles, the girls will return to their room and will be neatly hang up their Matilda Jane’s in their small locker and then only worn on special occasions.

Next time you are looking for clothing for your little girl check out Matilda Jane’s website (www.matildajaneclothing.com) because when you buy from them you will be also giving toward an Indian orphan girl at Bethel AFC.

Thanks to Alicia Lewis, customer care extraordinaire for Matilda Jane and TRP board member Denise Walsh for making this Friday so very special for a group of girls in India.