God’s love is relentless. He is ‘an ever-present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1) – and it’s his love that motivates us to go where the need is greatest. With your prayers, we will keep striving to make a difference for vulnerable people around the world, whatever circumstances they face.
It’s hard to imagine suddenly losing one of your parents and your home. But this is what happened to young Sandip*, from a small village in western Nepal. In August 2014 the unthinkable happened: catastrophic flooding destroyed 3,000 homes, including Sandip’s. And the flood took something even more precious from him – his father.
Torrential rains caused rivers to burst their banks, sweeping away homes and livelihoods with little warning. As Sandip’s family ran to escape the waters, his father, Madhav, fell and hit his head. As their home had collapsed, the family took refuge in a temporary shelter.
In the ten days they were stranded there, Madhav’s health deteriorated. They had lost everything and had no money to take him to hospital. After ten more days, he died. Sandip was only seven years old.
Unshakeable hope
Shock and grief encompassed the whole family. Yet, despite this tragedy, there was still hope. God, in his relentless love, was not about to let go of this young boy or his family.
Sandip’s mum, Pratima*, is determined for him to still receive an education. Despite the pain of losing her husband, she knew she had to keep going, and found work cutting meat in a butcher’s shop. It’s not enough to cover her children’s needs, but thankfully our local partner could help through the local church.
Pastor Rajaram, who leads the church, took the family under his wing and treated them as members of his own. Empowered by the training he received from Tearfund, he also began an after-school tuition class. Tearfund’s partner were able to provide stationery and other school materials. Even after his world crumbled around him, Sandip was able to cling on to the hope of a brighter future.
