NANDHANA | India
A Young Girl Struggles to Afford Medical Treatments
Eleven-year-old Nandhana has already experienced enough hardship to last a lifetime.
Her father is serving a life sentence in prison. She is an only child and lives with her mother, Rajina, in a small village in India
After her father was sent away, Nandhana and her mother became adrift. With no home, they didn’t know how they would live from day to day.
Girls like Nandhana are already at great risk for being kidnapped into the sex trade. An estimated 1.2 million children are involved in prostitution in India. And children of prisoners are among the most at risk for being forced into illegal activities. Without a safe place to call home, Nandhana’s risk is high.
Rajina can’t keep a close watch on her daughter all day, because she has to work. And her daily wage isn’t even enough to properly care for Nandhana’s nutritional and educational needs. But that’s not all. Nandhana’s suffers from a kidney condition and has a cortisone deficiency, which is causing her to go blind.
Nandhana must go to the hospital every month for critical treatment, but Rajina simply cannot make ends meet.
Seeing their condition, some neighbors took Nandhana and her mother in so they would have shelter. They were also introduced to Prison Fellowship International, and our child sponsorship program.
Since entering the program, Nandhana and Rajina have experience significant relief.
They now receive a special cash assistance allowance and transportation to and from the hospital so Nandhana can continue her regular medical treatments.
Educational materials are also provided, and Nandhana and is earning top grades in school. A caseworker also visits the family regularly to ensure their needs for safety are being met.
“Our hearts full of thanksgiving and love to Prison Fellowship International,” say Nandhana and Rajina. “We now have hope for the future.”
Help a child like Nandhana experience hope for the future.