1. What is CCH?
Covenant Children's Homes (CCH) is a program of India Christian Ministries (ICM). ICM headquarters are in the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP). AP is a state in which child labor and trafficking are huge problems. CCH is working with children who are in crisis and giving them a family-style living environment and providing discipling and education.
2. How are the children chosen?
ICM has churches in each village in Andhra Pradesh and we are working with the local pastor to bring in the children who are most at risk. Every one of our children has at least one parent (mostly both) who have already passed away. This leaves them more vulnerable to be put into child labor or sold into trafficking.
3. How many children are there in each home?
The pastor and his wife and family take in 10 children in each church home.
4. How many homes do you have?
The first CCH homes were opened in 2008 and there were 9 at that time, all of which were located in the Prakasam district, one of 27 districts in the state of AP. At this time we have 20 homes opened in 7 districts.
5. Do the children get to see their families after they move into the home?
Often the extended families live in the same village as the church where their child is living. Most of the families know the pastor and are thankful that food and education will be provided for their children. Getting the extended families to see that education is an important part of ending the cycle of poverty can be hard. Often, they want to marry the girls off when they mature, as young as 13 years old, even if they have shown potential for further education. Helping the families understand the importance of the child's education is one of CCH's primary goals.
6. Where does CCH get it's funding?
The basic needs of food and school fees are usually provided by contributing groups or organizations. Supplemental needs (school supplies, clothes, etc.) are provided by individual donations through this blog and through the CCH Facebook Page.
