Helping People to Survive

«Rice and clean drinking water; clothing and medical provisions are all an essential part of the daily struggle to survive on the streets»

In India people are actually born into the status of beggars. They are caught up in the caste system, although now legally forbidden, and they have little or no chance of learning to read and write and even less opportunity of learning any of the skills which would raise them above the level of beggars.

Beggars stand completely alone, they receive no help from the authorities and have absolutely no kind of social security. There are millions of beggars; men, women and children, in every village, standing at every corner in the towns, they wait for alms.

The Bartimæus Project has launched a major operation to help these beggars. The project is located in all the larger towns of the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil, Nadu, West Bengal and Chattisgarh. Beggars are given rice, bread and clean drinking water; clothing and basic medical care. Bartimæus runs courses in basic literacy skills for adults and children alike, teaching them to read and write. The projects Social Workers encourage them to escape the hopelessness of their lives with the help of the Gospel and to gain the self-confidence to start a new life of independence.