Children of Beggars' Valley

Many of you have seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." In Hyderabad, India there is a slum called Beggars' Valley. It is one of the most dreadful of living conditions. The Indian government has provided no schooling for most of the children in that slum. A young pastor has provided a school but he really needs help. You can see pictures at the following website:

http://us.wwcs.org/Regions/Asia/India/StMarksHyderabad.html

The 200 students at St. Marks School in Hyderabad, India, are primarily children of beggars and those in low-paying occupations such as street-sweeping. Twenty are orphans, and 70 are children of single mothers.

St. Marks has been providing a school environment for children of this slum for many years, but in the last three years their student population has grown from 60 children to 200. Nearly half the children are unable to pay any tuition at all, which means they are shut out of any government provided education, as even the cost of the necessary uniform or pencils and paper is unattainable for their families.