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Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14, NIV).
Jesus said “whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:5, NIV).
Children have an honoured place within the Christian family,
children are to be the objects of our care.
But when Christians are persecuted,
it is often their children who suffer the most, as they are young and vulnerable.
Many children are orphaned and find themselves alone in a hostile world.
Sometimes they are kidnapped and mistreated terribly . . . .
They threatend me...
They said I was a dog, a pig just like my father
I was afraid. I had to do what they said because I was afraid
He used an umbrella until it broke,
In the violence in Orissa, India, children were threatened with death
to persuade their parents to convert to Hinduism.
Christian orphanages were torched.
Many Christian families suffer poverty because of anti-Christian discrimination in their societies.
Lack of food, clean water or proper sanitation.
can threaten children more than adults.
Physical growth and mental development can be affected by poor diet, ill health
and other problems.
Education is the key to a child’s future. But needy Christian children often have little
access to schooling. Even if they can go to school, it may be a very hostile place
if they are from the minority faith.
Our hearts go out when we see pictures of children suffering.
How can we help?
Feeding programmes for families are a vital life line in desperate situations.
Children need never go to bed hungry at night.
There is less pressure for youngsters to leave school early to earn a living to help their families.
This helps break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy.
Barnabas Fund currently assists 16 Christian schools or education projects in six countries,
in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
This supports 5,261 children to get an education in a Christian environment.
We also help to fund the construction of school buildings,
school equipment, books and materials, and teacher training.
At some schools the children receive a nutritious cooked meal and medical care.
Here we see a Christian school in Pakistan where Barnabas Fund has helped with building
work, equipment, furniture and school books, as well as helping with running costs.
Some children live in dangerous environments, like these teenage girls in a remote part of Kenya.
The Rescue Centre provides a safe haven and a warm loving Christian environment.
Other projects do similar work, for orphans in Burma, or vulnerable girls in Pakistan.
Good Christian childrens literature provides encouragement and teaching
for Christian children around the world.
Trepinka is a very popular magazine for Christian
children in Central Asia. One young girl had her copy confiscated by the teacher, who read
it out in class intending to mock her. But the teacher and class were so captivated by
the stories that Trepinka became a staple feature of class time,
Persecution and cruelty are devastating but particularly so when targeted at innocent children.
Please express your care for those who suffer at the hands of others remembering them in your prayers.
And if you are able to support any of the Barnabas Fund projects that help Christian children,
your gifts will be gratefully received.