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In 1998 Gopal and his wife Darlene got involved in the support of the Girls’ Orphanage in Patiala, Punjab, India. They visit Patiala every winter for about two months and actively work on helping improve the education, health, and nutrition of 35 to 40 girls. It was a long struggle to get things put on the right track, but now, as the girls graduate from high school, most are going to college or computer training.

One of the girls, Gurpreet, won individual 2nd prize in the national softball games in Chennai. Babli completed her undergraduate degree and Seema obtained her master’s degree, both are employed as school teachers.

In 2007, Gopal and Darlene started a program of educational support for poverty line children by offering scholarshipsat the SDSE Senior Secondary High School, in Patiala. All of the children, with a B average or higher, are from families with incomes of less than $100 per month. The scholarship program includes school fees, books, stationary, uniforms, and incidental expenses. They work with the school principal, teachers, parents, and the students to ensure a well structured support program. Rashmi and Narinder graduated in 2009 from high school and are now enrolled in degree programs in accounting and computing respectively. The scholarship program will cover them to college graduation.    

The average cost to support one child’s education in high school is $225/year and for college $450/year (not including engineering and medical colleges).

At the start of the program, our sponsored children did not know how to turn a computer on. They had never visited museums, libraries or other learning centers. Now, they send us e-mails and talk about one day coming to see us here in California. They know their lives, and the lives of their families, are changing forever.  When you help a deserving student, your life changes as well.

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