Date:                March 14, 2007

For Immediate Release
Contact: Robby Brumberg at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or Palmer Holt at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

KOTA, INDIA (ANS) -- Hopegivers International and its India partners have endured difficult times over the past year, but remain dedicated to continuing support of orphans, schools, churches and humanitarian projects in India, Michael Glenn, Hopegivers' executive director, has promised.

In 2006, Hopegivers faced quite an array of challenges. Licenses for their chief aid recipient, Emmanuel Mission International, were briefly revoked, many staff members were arrested, beaten or fined, and many orphans were driven away from their largest orphanage in India by opposition groups.

Yet Hopegivers remains undaunted, as God continues to do amazing things, Glenn quickly added.

"We feel as if God is toughening us up, so we can be even better stewards," he said.

"None of our pastors have left. They are still at their plows. And now many of the children are returning by the day as the situation calms. We are also in the process of establishing our headquarters in Delhi, while maintaining our strong presence in Rajasthan," Glenn said.

"The national government and other religious leaders are far more aware of who we are, as well as what we are about, as we stand strong to face opposition," he said.

The opposition did everything possible to drive the children from the main orphanage here, he said.

"Nearly 1,500 of our 2,000-plus students were driven away during the last few months, but they are slowly coming back. We have 700 now. Yet, concerns remain. We don't know what happened to some of these children, and we are aware that the girls can be pushed into prostitution and the boys thrown into the streets to be beggars or pickpockets," Glenn said.

The crackdown by the opposition has hurt financially, so Hopegivers has downsized and is more efficient and better organized, Glenn said.

"We need financial support, particularly with the summer just around the corner. But prayer is the most important need of all," he said.

Hopegivers (www.hopegivers.org) is a faith-based, not-for-profit humanitarian agency based in Columbus, Ga. Hopegivers exists to bring "help for today and hope for eternity" by rescuing homeless children, widows, the sick and needy, regardless of caste or creed, primarily in India, Malawi and Haiti.

Note: This release was produced by Mission Network News and MNN Extra