The people of the Santal community have lived in the northwest region of Bangladesh for hundreds of years. They are one of the major tribes in Bangladesh.

The features of the Santal people are quite similar to those of the Bengali people, the original inhabitants of Bangladesh, but the Santal people are a bit darker in color and have curly hair.

The Santal people practice ethnic religions or idolism. They do not practice Hinduism, but they worship several Hindu gods along with nature. They have their own tribe language, called Santali. It is completely different from the Bengali mother tongue, Bangla.

About a century ago, the Santal tribe possessed vast land properties in the northern part of Bangladesh. But according to Santal history, some cunning people from other communities took advantage of their addiction to home-made alcohol called Chuani and grabbed their land, not only making the Santal tribe poor but also ruling them for decades.

Most of the Santal people do not own land to grow crops. They work in other people’s fields as day laborers. Both men and women work in the fields. They spread seeds, remove weeds and collect crops in the harvesting season. Some of the Santali people are involved in the occupation of pulling a cycle-van.

Most of the Santal people have a small amount of their own land to live on. Their houses are made of mud walls with a straw or tin roof. These houses are normally 10 feet long, 7 to 9 feet tall and 8 feet wide. They have cow sheds attached to houses and do not have sanitary latrine facilities.

The northern portion of Bangladesh is plains and is very dry. The elevation is about 60 feet above sea level, and the weather is hot during the summer. During the winter, this area becomes the coldest in Bangladesh. And from September to mid-December, the area becomes drier. No crops can be grown, which ultimately causes a job crisis for the people because they cannot get regular work to earn their keep.

A crisis of water is another problem they face. They have to carry water to their homes from a far distance; however, some of the Santal families do have their own tube-well (hand-pump water supply).

Santal families often have five to seven children. With parents, children and grandparents, there are eight to 10 people in every household. The women who are widowed or have been left by their husbands stay with their children. These families usually have four to six members.

To send their children to school is a luxury for the Santal community. They are not able to bear the school tuition fees. As a result, most of the children of this tribe pass their days playing in the fields.

If any child from the Santal community goes to school, he or she usually drops out before completing the primary education (5th grade). More than 80 percent of Santal adults cannot read or write their own names.

Most of the Santal villages are in remote places. Walking is the only way to move around. To go a long distance, they take a rickshaw, cycle van or local transportation like a bus or pick-up van that runs on the highway.

The Santal community observes the culture and tradition of their ancestors. The Santal women wear sarees and use various kinds of ornaments and flowers to decorate themselves. The male wear lungis (Bengali skirts for men) and shirts. During certain special occasions the men wrap their heads with long cloths called pagris.

The Santal celebrate these occasions and worship idols with the music of drums and other local instruments, and the men and women take part in their traditional dance.

The favorite dishes are godo (field rat) and pork. They prepare these dishes for the festivals. They are also fond of kuicha (a kind of eel) and vegetables. Home-made alcohol is one of the main parts of every celebration and festival.

Approximately 65 percent of the Santal people follow their ethnic religion, 24 percent practice Hinduism, and 10 percent practice Christianity. The rest are Buddhists.

The growth trend of Christians could be more pleasing if churches became more effective in nurturing new believers. It is a common in Bangladesh for people who convert to Christianity to be troubled by their previous community group.

Compassion-assisted child development centers serving the Santal tribe include: BD-201 – 219 and 221 – 234.

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1. How long have you been in your current position, and what are your main responsibilities?

I have been in this position for the last three years.

My main responsibility entails supervision of the three core processes for Program Communications: Field Communication, Sponsor Donor Services and Tours and Visits.

Besides that I am responsible for communication with Global Partner Alliance (GPA) staff, mentoring my team, budgeting and working alongside the country management team (CMT).

2. Describe what an average day is like for you.

An average day starts with the corporate devotion. It is followed by attending to my “To Do List” where I address each request, need or assignment based on priority while also following up during a morning briefing on any pending work assigned to my team members.

The later part of the day involves meeting with the Country Director and/or other CMT members for updates, approval or planning.

3. What is the best part of your job, and what is the most challenging part?

The best part of my job is when I am able to represent the work of Compassion in East India to visitors from overseas in a way that moves them to become strong advocates for children. It gives me pure delight to take them around the child development centers we work with and show them the tangible difference Compassion is making in the lives of children coming from impoverished communities.

What better feeling can there be than to see vibrant young boys and girls emerge as healthy, confident, outgoing children ever glowing in the love of God, which would otherwise be hard to imagine in their given circumstance.

In the light of growth that we are experiencing from the past few years as God so graciously has opened new avenues for us to expand and touch more lives, sustaining quality in our work can be quite a challenge.

4. Why did you choose this particular area of work?

I started out with a job in a renowned chain of hotels only to realize with years that my heart’s desire was not fulfilled, as all I was doing was achieving targets and pleasing those who already had enough.

Having done my major in Human Development, as I had a desire to work with children, this working in the private sector for eight years was no longer fulfilling for me.

Coming from a strong Hindu Brahmin background, I found myself in Christ in 2003. Thereon, I was exposed to various outreach ministries from my church, primarily to do with children.

Working as a volunteer with the lesser known from the society was a privilege and an eye-opener which put a deep burden in my heart to reach out to them and make a difference by showing them God’s love, who otherwise were considered insignificant.

5. Why did you choose to work for Compassion?

I felt my calling was to do something for children, and God graciously opened the avenues for me through Compassion.

6. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your job?

When too many things needs to be attended simultaneously, it does get overwhelming at times. But with God’s grace I am able to pull through all of that.

Also seeing children leave before completing their term in the sponsorship program is heartbreaking. But I need to accept this reality, which is circumstantial, and move on, praying God will go with them and cover them with His grace.

7. What motivates you in your position?

To see hope in the eyes of children who have absolutely nothing in life and to see dedicated people choosing to leave their comfort zone to come and work among the impoverished, with very limited resources in hand, humbles and challenges me each day.

8. What have you learned as a result of your job?

When I look at the abundant need around, my faith in God and His awesome power gets grounded more firmly in me.

Amidst great dearth, neglect and poverty His love is manifested through the help little children receive at Compassion from their sponsors around the world.

All this has made me more determined than ever, that, slowly but surely we can make a difference in someone’s life, one at a time.

9. Tell us about a situation or incident you experienced through your job that touched your heart?

Once I was following up on a child’s update and came to know that he had been paralyzed for sometime and stopped attending the Compassion center due to his illness.

We followed up on his treatment’s possibility and the center staff tried to convince the child’s guardians to send him to city for a treatment by which he would most certainly get cured.

This was the most challenging part as the guardians were so under the bondage of old traditional practices where they would rely on local village quack doctor and witchcraft.

This went on for a few months. In the meantime, the child would write to his sponsor on and off with the help of his young friends, expressing himself longing to be normal again and run around like his other friends, go back to school, as he enjoyed studying.

It used to be so touching to read his letters. The guardians never did agree, and the child had a pitiful death without receiving any medical care.

I have not been able to quite come out of this as I know there are many such cases all around the world, and we have a greater responsibility to reach out to these children.

10. Do you have a message for sponsors who support children?

I just want to thank them for being an extension of God’s arms in reaching out to these children and supporting various programs of Compassion by overcoming innumerable personal sacrifice.

They are making a big difference, impacting a generation, and touching lives which would have otherwise continued to live in despondency. They are the very reasons for hope and opportunity in their life. They are making a difference for Christ!

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Acmeshall washed her face and mouth with water. The 6-year-old girl woke her mother up. Her mother, Lodis, enjoyed seeing her daughter’s hurry for Easter.

Acmeshall was very happy as she wore a brand-new white skirt specially made by her mother. She said her prayers and waited for her parents to take her to church.

At the same time half a kilometer away, an 8-year-old boy, Razu, was also getting ready for the morning devotion of Easter Sunday. Things were a little different here.

Like many of the children registered in Compassion in Bangladesh, Razu belongs to a Hindu family. His family came to know about the Christians and Jesus Christ through Compassion.

Razu’s family earns their living selling milk from their cow and goats. The cow and the goats were gifts from Razu’s sponsor. Though Razu’s parents and grandfather are from another religion, they allow Razu to participate in every program of the Compassion child development center and church.

This was the first year Razu would celebrate Easter. He reminded his mother the night before to wake him up in the morning. His mother didn’t know anything about Easter, so Razu told her the story about the resurrection of Lord Jesus.

The next morning his mother called him early. He left his bed and prepared for church. He didn’t have any new clothes for Easter, so he put on his only shirt. His elder brother, Sazu, also got dressed up with him for church. Their grandfather, Ramcharan, took them to church. For Ramcharan, Easter was just another festival, only for the Christians.

Acmeshall entered the church and joined her Compassion friends at the front row. She was too little to understand the entire spiritual concept of Christ’s resurrection. However,  she understood two things well: Jesus is alive and Jesus loves her. These were the most important things for this little girl.

Acmeshall learned at the Compassion child development center how to pray and how to thank God for His graces. She prayed for her own family, her sponsor and family, her friends and for her teachers.

Razu was also at church. He learned many new things about Jesus. He loved all the carols and Bible verses. He also liked how the pastor boldly declared the resurrection of Christ. It was a new experience for him. At the end of the service he said his prayer.

After the devotion, Acmeshall and Razu both spent some time with their friends. As it was a holy day, they returned to their home.

At home, Acmeshall played with her younger sister and cousins. Her mother prepared special sweets and snacks for the celebration. She made pies, called Pitha, out of flour, coconut, sugar, molasses, eggs and rice. She made custards, called Payesh, from rice, milk, molasses, sugar and coconut. They shared food with everybody.

They also had a special meal at lunchtime, beef and vegetable curry with potatoes, with lemon squeezed over it.

At evening, Acmeshall visited house to house with her friends to share the merriment of Easter with everybody.

The scenario at Razu’s house was completely opposite.

There was no special food for them. Razu didn’t have his breakfast, so he was hungry. At lunchtime his mother served him rice with little vegetables. No sweets for Razu or Sazu. They spent Easter day like any other regular day.

Along with Razu, thousands of poor Christian children all over Bangladesh couldn’t distinguish Easter day from a regular day. They are going through such poverty that celebrating Easter with new clothes and delicious food is a luxury for them.

In Bangladesh, Easter is considered as the second major festival for the Christians, after Christmas. The non-Christian people have very limited ideas about Easter. They think of it as one of the additional religious festivals.

As the Muslims and Hindus don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ, they don’t show any curiosity about this occasion. However, the Christian community of Bangladesh celebrates this glorious occasion with great joy and arrangements.

The celebration styles at the villages are different than that of the urban areas. In the villages and the rural areas, the most important part is the morning devotion at church, which take place around 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning.

After that, the Christian families share sweets and pies with their relatives and non-Christian neighbors.

The tradition of new clothes is also a part of Easter. The capable parents try to buy new clothes for their children, not dress clothes, but just everyday clothes. The exchange of gifts like Christmas time is not common.

The lifestyle of the people at the villages is very simple, and they celebrate Easter in a simple way and that brings an exceptional flavor to this joyous occasion. Their simple lifestyle allows them to focus completely on the resurrection rather than on fancy clothing or food.

Acmeshall’s mother, Lodis, shared her Easter experience with us.

“Easter is very important for us, as it tell us about the resurrection of our Lord. I am very happy that my daughter learned at the Compassion child development center that Jesus is alive. She can pray herself, and she is building a great relationship with God.”

Little Acmeshall was very excited about Easter.

“Did you see my new skirt? My mother made it for me. We had a great Easter day. I know Jesus is Alive and he will come to take me. I love Jesus.”

In the capital Dhaka, the most exciting part of Easter Sunday is the Sun Rise Service. It is the special morning devotion, arranged in front of the Parliament building before the sun rises.

More than 15,000 Christians from all over Dhaka join the Morning Prayer to celebrate the precious occasion of Jesus’ resurrection. This worship and prayer service is a symbol of fellowship and love.

The dawn of Easter Sunday starts with worshiping our God and remembering His most precious gift for humanity. After the service, greetings are exchanged by the people.

Almost every church arranges a special service and fellowship meal in the evening. Adults as well as the children together enjoy the happy moments.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

The other day I had an opportunity to spend an hour with a couple of our field staff, Mathew from India and Kevin from Bangladesh, and I asked them this question: How can Compassion work in India or Bangladesh or Indonesia?

Here is what they said …

We redefine the meaning of “evangelism.” The true way to evangelize someone is simply to act in a way that causes them to ask, “Why do you care?” This is what we do. We don’t “evangelize” the children in the sense most Westerners do. We simply care for them and then the parents ask why.

I’ve been processing that conversation ever since it occurred. Perhaps many of us have our focus in the wrong place. If Christians would make relationships our top priority, we wouldn’t have to put so much time or effort into evangelism. It would be the natural result.

What do you think?

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I’ve never experienced poverty firsthand. My real experience is seeing poverty through Compassion.

Just like my parents did, my wife and I try our best to remind him as often as possible that there are people/kids around the world who lack basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter, which we often take for granted. There were times when he would say that he wants to help those kids.

I guess we just sow the seeds …

2. How many letters and case studies does Compassion process? (Juli Jarvis)

A lot! An average of 54,465 case studies per month, and an average of 282,490 letters per month!

3. What is the process for a child’s case study to be updated? Will we begin receiving yearly case studies soon? If they remain at every two years, will they at least become more detailed and personal? (Alyson and Juli Jarvis)

A case study update for a child is due when the last case study form is between 18 to 24 months old.

The church partners send in the case study form and photographs to the field office, and the field office staff processes them and submits the forms and photographs electronically to our Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs.

I don’t think we’re ready yet to do yearly updates, but we’ve started discussions on ways to redesign the case study form from an outcome perspective. We don’t have a definite date for that yet. 

4. How does the India office handle letter writing? Does each individual project have its own process?

If a sponsor writes to their child very often, say two to three times a month, do these letters get delivered individually or does the child get a couple at the same time? 

Does India have a child respond to every letter from the sponsors, or is it heading that way? (Alyson and Sara Benson)

Most of the child development centers in India have a similar process. All sponsored children write letters to their sponsors once every four months, and in addition to that the children write letters in response to sponsor letters and gifts.

India and a few other field countries have their children respond to every letter from the sponsors, but until now they did not have the tools to track the responses.

We are in the process of installing software in each field office to help them track their child and sponsor correspondence efficiently. 

5. What are some of the most interesting or meaningful things you’ve seen (or heard of) being sent by sponsors with their letters?  (Renee)

Finger puppets! At least for me it was interesting, because I didn’t know finger puppets existed. The ones that I saw were Noah’s Ark puppets.

Make sure whatever you send fits into an envelope no larger than 8″ x 11″ and 1/8″ thick, and please check with our contact center (800-336-7676) if you have questions.

Tips for mailing small gifts to your sponsored child.

6. If I am sponsoring a Hindu child and make Christian references and add Bible verses in my letters, will I offend the child and their family? Will they think I am pushing my religion on them? (Kalaya)

No, not at all, as long as you don’t condemn their religion in any way.

We partner with churches, and the parents are told by our church partners that their children will be receiving Christian education. Some church partners even have the parents sign a consent form. 

7. Has Compassion as an organization ever come across much persecution for preaching the gospel in a mostly non-Christian society? Do parents often withhold their children from attending the center, even though they badly need the help, because they do not wish for their child to be exposed to Christianity? (Mel)

Compassion as an organization has not faced any persecution, but our church partners have been impacted by it.

Our church partners have a good reputation in the communities for the good work that they do for their children, so they’re mostly protected by the local community.

8. I sponsor a child in India and have wondered about the school system. Do children attend grade school up to eighth grade and then on to four years of high school? (Mary)

Children start in pre-primary or kindergarten/nursery when they’re 3 years of age for two years.

• The first year is LKG (Lower Kindergarten) and UKG (Upper Kindergarten).
• Primary: Children age 6 start in class 1 or first standard. (Grades are called “class” or “standard.” Primary school goes till class 5.
• Middle: Classes/standards sixth to eighth.
• Secondary: Classes/standards ninth and 10th.
• Higher Secondary: 11th and 12th standard, also known as “10 plus 2″ or simply “plus two.”

9. I have a question about marriages in India today. Do the bride’s parents have to provide a dowry, and if so, does this cause a great financial crisis for them? What is Compassion doing to combat the problem of child brides in India? (Mary and Heather)

Yes, dowry is highly prevalent among the Hindus, and it creates a lot of financial stress for the parents. That’s why a girl child is considered a burden, because they have to pay the dowry to get their girls married off.

Dowry is illegal in India if it’s reported that it was demanded or given as a precondition of marriage.

There are still child brides below the age of 18, which occur mostly in the rural areas of India. It’s left up to the church partners to raise awareness about this issue.  

10. If a sponsored child leaves the Compassion program, can they return to the program at a later date if their circumstances allow?

If a child who has left the program returns to the program in another area of their country at a later date, would the original sponsor be notified and given the chance to sponsor the child again? (Shelly)

Yes, whenever a child is reinstated into our program, the first thing Compassion does is to try and locate the sponsor who was linked to the child. 

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