A few days prior, Taru had noticed Sayida’s son, Zain, was limping as he walked to school. Zain is one of the students at Taru’s primary school, Deepam, which means “the lamp”.
Deepam is located in Modi Road, a slum occupied by impoverished families in Bangalore, India. Ninety-five percent of the residents living in this slum are Muslim.
Modi Road residents live in crowded shacks.
Taru was saddened to discover Zain was limping because he had a fungal infection between his toes. Taru learned that the cause was rainwater was seeping into his family’s tin shack and never had a chance to dry out.
“India received so much rain this year, and that includes Bangalore. It was too much rain. Whenever there are heavy rains, the poor people dwelling in small huts suffer a lot because water oozes from beneath the ground and drips through broken asbestos sheets making life difficult,” David explains.
When Taru learned this, she and one of the other Deepam teachers visited Zain’s family at their home.
Zain’s family of 6 shelters in a very small shack, barely 10ft by 10ft. All of them were walking barefoot.
That same day, Taru returned with a rug from her own home and two new blankets for the family.
The next time Sayida saw Taru, she said after receiving the provision from Taru, she and her family slept in a way they had not been able to do in many days.
"Only Jesus can deliver us from slavery."
“August 15th is a very special day for every Indian,” David writes, “Because of this day in 1947, we got our freedom from the British. This is our national festival and every Indian feels proud of our freedom. We seek to use every special day such as this as an opportunity to share the Gospel.”
David and Taru celebrated with the Modi Road community. Some of the Deepam students came dressed as something they wanted to become in the future - policemen, doctors, or lawyers. Others dressed as Indian heroes such as Mahatma Gandhi.
David Kumar with Deepam students in their Independence Day costumes.
After celebrating out in the community, Deepam students and their parents were invited into the school for a special program.
David spoke to the group, sharing,
“We all must be very happy and proud as Indians that we are a free country, it is our privilege that we should rejoice and enjoy our freedom. But we are not fully free, we need to constantly fight against sin to which we are all slaves. This is a far more serious issue than all other things in our lives, because, sin has eternal consequences. Who can deliver us from this slavery? Only Jesus can do that.”
After celebrating out in the community, Deepam students and their parents were invited into the school for a special program.
The program ended with food packets being distributed.
The cost of attending Deepam is rising. Deepam students receive two nutritious meals every school day. Other expenses for operating include the rent on their facility and staff salaries. For many whose families struggle to feed them, this might be the only times they eat.
It costs about $222 USD to send a student to Deepam primary school for a year, but any amount helps David and Taru share Jesus with and minister to the families of Modi Road.
“Your faithful partnership not only encourages us and helps us to feed the hungry, it also helps us motivate parents to understand their kids better and discover hidden talents in them. Your partnership helps us to wipe the tears of many hurting women and creates opportunities to share the love of God, communicate the gospel of Christ, and pray for them.”
This ministry is so much more than education - it’s relief, it’s love, it’s care. It’s Jesus. It’s the difference He can make in the harsh reality of life in an Indian slum. David and Taru keep shining His light brightly for all who will see it.
