ServeTrust has always placed an emphasis on education. Due to a combination of poverty, family circumstances, and remote locations, hundreds of children would have never had the chance to receive an education were it not for the various schools ServeTrust operates. Recently, Leena has felt an increased burden for the educational challenges many of these young people face, particularly in the wake of Covid. Many families had to take out loans to stay afloat during the shutdowns associated with the pandemic. With those loans now coming due, some families are pulling their children out of school and sending them to work to meet their increased financial demands. Other youth simply lost interest in school after so much time away. Without family encouragement, there is nothing to counter that tendency.
Leena is trying to address this problem by taking a personal interest in these students, hoping she can leverage her connection with them to persuade them to stay in school. On a recent Sunday evening, she and Aashika took a group of eight high schoolers out for dinner and conversation. She listened to them describe the burdens of going to school all day and then coming home to face the household challenges of financial stress and the relationship problems it inevitably creates. She shared with them the connection between international love and concern for them and the financial support these young people receive from generous donors so they can stay in school. She also is making plans to spend more time with them so they can have a safe outlet to share their struggles.
These young people have a tremendous advocate in the services of ServeTrust. Leena and her team are incredibly persistent in pointing them to the possibilities that are open to them if they have faith. That is why we can be confident our financial support of ServeTrust’s educational efforts will continue to bear fruit!