Drawing Closer

The room was quiet. Pairs of girls were spread all around the common area in the home. One teen girl for every younger one. Their heads were bent low over notebooks, as pens, pencils, colored markers and crayons scratched across the surface. Occasionally, soft talking broke the silence as the teams of girls worked together to write letters to their sponsors.

“The older girls on campus are really making progress with their English skills,” says Casey Foreman, Back2Back India Director. “In the pursuit of continuing this improvement and giving them practice, we’ve been encouraging them to help the younger girls write their sponsor letters.”

Writing their letters together is allowing all the children to practice their English skills, but it’s also proving to foster deeper connections between the older and younger children.

Neha, 14, sits on the marble floor with 7-year old Hassini. As Neha helps Hassini to respond to her sponsor letter, she reminds the young girl of her sponsor asking to hear a story.

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“Hassini began to share a story about her life,” says Casey. “She would say a few words to Neha and Neha would write them down for her.”

Whether it is letter writing, shared meals, or an interactive game outside on the campus, the children at the India Hope Campus are drawing closer to one another. Relationships are being cultivated and this is something we joyfully celebrate.