One day during a routine traffic jam, Anil encountered leprosy patients for the first time. It was during this temporary inconvenience of traffic that his life changed forever.
Anil discovered that these beautiful people didn’t have proper medication or support. Wounds were festering and they were getting sicker. Some were dying. Their children had never gone to school. There was no way for them to make money because in India if you have leprosy, you’re shunned. These families were living in poverty and his heart broke. He knew he had to do something because you simply cannot “unsee” the effects of leprosy and ever be the same.
He didn’t know how else to help except to provide a meal for the precious people living under the bridge. He reached out to a friend who gave him $100 to purchase rice and thus his little ministry was born.
He continued to visit the homeless under the bridge and soon they invited him to visit a leprosy colony. While visiting the colonies, he saw how great the need was and his heart was burdened for them. Many others shared this burden like Joe Clendenny and countless others, and Embrace a Village began to expand.
Today, Embrace a Village serves over 4,000 people in southern India through medical care, after-school programs, custom made footwear, a rehabilitation center, hospice, nutrition, sustainable impact farming projects, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus!
The nutritional element that began back in 1998 through Anil is still a core pillar of what we do today. We offer nutritional education as well as a two-week supply of rice to families to help supplement their monthly intake of food. We also provide a meal to the children in our after-school tutoring program.
In addition, we have a wonderful partnership with Go Power®. Jack and Sandy Kennedy and their team at Go Power® have worked to create a “Happy Bar” high-protein nutrition snack. Go Power® provides 900 Happy Bars to Embrace A Village every week. Children receive this snack Monday through Friday during our after-school program, and it is also available to those in hospice care.
Are you interested in supporting our efforts to provide nutrition to the people we serve? Visit our give page to learn more about supporting Embrace a Village!
