Our Work, History and DNA.

Since 1993, Life Association has been reaching and serving some of the world's poorest people, through schools, children's homes, church plants and training. With your help we want to do much more.

Around 30 years ago, Simon Hawthorne and Rev Paul Morley visited Uttar Pradesh in the north of India and fell in love with the people of this amazing country. They also experienced first hand the devastating impact of poverty, particularly on children. From this a burden to act followed, and the Mizpah Christian School was developed in 1993, from which Life Association’s long history began. Over the years our work has diversified, through schools, loving children’s homes, church plants, training, medical projects and even a hospice.

Throughout that time, and into the future, our mission remains the same. We want to reach and serve the poorest of the poor, with the hope and love of Jesus, in word and deed. Our focus remains particularly on children, who are always those most affected by poverty. All our projects are run by local churches and Christian leaders, so that local people are empowered to deal with the problems particular to their own areas.

Over the years there has been good progress in raising many from the depths of absolute poverty in India. However, India’s huge and rapidly growing population means that today there are still huge needs to be met. Below is a range of statistics from some of the world’s leading sources of data, illustrating life in India, accompanied by images of the people and places that our projects serve and minister to. You can click on any of the images to view it.

If you want to keep up to date about the work of Life Association, please take a look at our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. If you are not already subscribed, please also sign up to our mailing list.

Our Projects

CORONAVIRUS recovery and relief work

Coronavirus has had a devastating impact amongst the poorest in India. During the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, we have been sending funds so that desperately needed food aid can be distributed from our projects. We are now working with medical partners to provide medical support and vaccinations. For more info on our Covid work, please visit the Covid Recovery page.

KISHANGANJ, BIHAR

Born out of one of our other centres, the project in Kishanganj now provides a loving home and healthcare for around 80 boys and girls from impoverished villages. They also receive a good quality education through a partnership with the local Emmanuel Christian School. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the project in Bihar has provided over 10,000 food aid packages for local residents who would have otherwise been left destitute. In Bihar we have also faclitated training for local pastors, equipping and supporting them to lead the local church in the best possible way.

ORAI, UttAR Pradesh

The Mizpah Christian School, built in 1993, now has 450 children attending with over 95% going onto further education at college or university and all receive an outstanding Christian education. The church, on the same 8 acre site, remains the only evangelical Christian witness to 1 million people. The school recently opened our new laboratories which will allow us to get recognition from the Government in Delhi and enhance the University placements available to our children.

Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh

Our project in Gannavaram opened in 1997 and now provides day schooling for around 80 children, evening tuition, Christian education and food support for children from some of the poorest rural backgrounds. There is also a satellite project in the nearby town of Gudivada, where a church plant ministers in an impoverished slum community. In Gudivada, we hope to develop the work to be able to provide pre-school daycare provision.

Machilipatnam, ANDHRA PRADESH

This school opened in a slum village just outside the coastal town of Machilipatnam in 2010. The village suffered from cases of leprosy and poverty on an extreme level. The children were employed as rag pickers at the local station, earning a few rupees a day, with none of them receiving an education. The school currently provides not only an education for 125 children but also food and healthcare. In November 2014, 10 riders took part in the Cross India Cycle Challenge which raised £41,670 enabling us to build a second floor to this school so that 100 more children from the village can receive an education.

Mumbai, maharashtra

Since 2002 we have been supporting a home for street children. These precious boys are rescued from a life of destitution and utter deprivation on the city’s railway tracks and adopted for life in a loving Christian family home. Over many years we have seen them rescued from a life of misery to become married with good jobs and a strong faith. Through our work in Mumbai, we also provide occasional support and ministry to the significant community of Christian construction workers, who travel from across India to find work in the city.

MADURAI, tAMIL NADU

Up until 2018, Life Association sponsored a Christian home for disbaled children in the southern city of Madurai. After the building was sold by the landlord, the funding was used to sponsor the children in full time specialist education and vocational training. Some of the children have now grown up and are being equipped with skills to enable them to find meaningful sustainable employment.

VELLORE, tAMIL NADU

Bloom is a community empowerment project based in two villages in Vellore District. Bloom sponsors a tuition project for children living in significant poverty which provides educational and nutritional support. To support a child at this centre costs £6 per month - please specify Bloom when setting up your regular donation and indicate if you would like to receive letters/updates from/about the child. We are also launching a small project to support abandoned elderly people via communal meals - see 'sponsor an elder' tab.

The second wave of Coronavirus is now spreading uncontrollably across India.

The BBC recently called it a tsunami. You will no doubt have seen the daily news pieces, outlining the heart breaking statistics and stories. The ‘double mutation’ of the virus is leading to over 300,000 new cases every day. The death rate has now exceeded 250,000. Experts are agreed that the real numbers for both are likely to be much higher. Hospitals are overwhelmed and turning people away. Oxygen and medication are scarce. The funeral pyres are mounting. Bodies are being washed up on river banks and nurses are abandoning hospitals leaving patients to die.

We as a ministry serving India are compelled to respond to this unprecedented crisis. Our partners in India are sharing alarming updates with us, but together we have developed a plan to help. Since we launched our Covid Recovery Appeal, we have been able to:

• Send out support for much needed food aid in the north of India.

• Our medical partners in the south are mobilising to begin vaccinations to the poorest and most destitute and we have already provided resources for that programme, with a commitment to fund as many vaccines as possible.

• In the north, a new partnership with a Christian hospital means we have been able to fund life saving oxygen cylinders. We have also provided a new piece of equipment to treat patients suffering a fungal infection maiming those who have recovered from Covid. Preparations are being made to begin a vaccination programme in that location as well.

• Elsewhere, we have funded life saving treatment for a church leader critically ill with Covid.

We have plans to do much more. Even if and when this second wave subsides, further suffering is inevitable without the proper coordination and planning that has been utterly absent up to now. At Life Association we are digging in to journey with India’s Covid crisis for the long haul. Vaccinations, food aid and medical support will continue to be a crucial part of our strategy, but e need your help.

The first and most important thing you can do is continue to pray. With that in mind, we have set up a special page on our website with details of what to pray for during the current situation. You can click here to access that.

Second, please make a one-off or regular financial donation to support our two priority action areas.

Whether you are able to donate £10, or £10,000, you will help in relieving the unimaginable suffering and pain this second wave is causing, all in Jesus’ name. Please do continue to pray earnestly and please do give as you are able.

Thank you in anticipation of your support of our relief efforts.

Together we can make a difference.

PLEASE JOIN WITH US IN PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE OF INDIA IN THIS CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.

If you are struggling to know where to start in praying for the people of India at this time of unprecedented crisis and disaster, here are some useful prayer points.

FOR THE PEOPLE OF INDIA: For those suffering with Covid, for all to get the urgent treatment they so desperately need for their healing and recovery. Comfort for those who have lost loved ones and are in despair. For people to adhere to the regulations in order to stop the spread of the disease.

FOR THE HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL CENTRES: That doctors and nurses would not be overwhelmed but have strength, resilience, compassion, wisdom and skill in treating patients; that supplies would be manufactured and delivered efficiently and fairly to the places of greatest need; for high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in hospitals.

FOR THE VACCINATION PROGRAMME: For the supply and manufacturing of vaccines to be better co-ordinated; for an urgent and rapid increase in trust and confidence in the vaccines by the Indian people; for significant increases in the numbers taking up the vaccines; for the vaccines to be distributed without prejudice or corruption to the most vulnerable and those most at risk.

FOR THE NATIONAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS: To be co-ordinated, competent and effective in their response. Please specifically pray against corruption, confusion, indifference, prejudice and apathy preventing people from getting help. Pray also against the politicisation of the pandemic response, which has been a significant problem over the last year.

FOR THE CHURCH IN INDIA: For those believers who have endured so much hardship and persecution in recent years, that they would continue to stand firm and show the love of Jesus to their neighbours in the midst of this pandemic. Pray the Lord would protect and strengthen His Church in India.

Pray with us:

Almighty God, we thank you that your heart is inclined towards the poor and most marginalised.

We pray for India, that you would deliver the people of India from death and disaster.

We pray that doctors, nurses and medical staff would be filled with strength, resilience and compassion.

We pray that all the branches of government would be effective and co-ordinated in their response.

We pray for medical supplies and aid to be sent to the places of greatest need.

We pray that you would strengthen, defend and protect your church in India, that it might be a clear witness to the saving love and healing power of Jesus.

We pray that your church would be filled with love for neighbour.

Lord, bring healing from disease and deliverance from disaster we pray.

In Jesus’ mighty name.

Amen.

PRAYER FOR INDIA FROM LIFE ASSOCIATION AND CHIRST CHURCH THORNTON: Our friends at Christ Church Thornton invited us to pray with them for the current situation in India. Here are the three short online prayer sessions, initially aired on their social media channels. If you want to pray for India too, why not watch and pray along with us?

Ways to help us.

Become a church represEntative

We’re always looking for people to partner with us and advocate for our work amongst some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people. If you share our passion to reach and serve them with the love and hope of Jesus, and want to raise awareness of our work, we’d love to hear from you. We'd be more than happy to visit you and speak on the work in India to your church or small group to get the ball rolling.

host a fundraising event or undertake a sponsored challenge

Put on a curry night, cycle the width of England, have your ladies group round for afternoon tea. These are some of the fundraisers that supporters of Life Association have undertaken in the past, raising vital funds for our work. No matter how big or small your event is, they are a great opportunity to hopefully influence someone else to have the same passion for the needs of some of the world’s poorest people. We’ll give you all the support you need to help you make the most out of your event, and if you haven’t got the confidence to plan it yourself, we can help as much or as little as required. Just get in touch!

Go to India

If you are a teacher or medic or simply love children then why not come to India with us for a life changing experience and the trip of a life time. Each year we take teams of volunteers out to India for short term in one of our projects, far away from the tourist areas normally visited by westerners. If you are a medic or teacher and have India on your heart we’d love to hear from you as we have plenty of long term opportunities to serve in our projects as well. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, our trips are on hold until further notice. Stay posted here for further updates.

Ink for india

In partnership with Printer Cartridge Recycling a leading recycling company, we have developed a scheme to turn your empty inkjet cartridges, mobile phones and unused surplus into valuable funds to help continue our work. If you would like to help us raise funds for Life Association, whilst at the same time reducing the amount of electronic waste consigned to landfill, please click this link to start donating your items on our behalf. Please note we don’t take laser or large toner cartridges. Mobile phones can be in any condition. All the proceeds go to us so we would be very grateful for any donations.