Born in 2001, Shanthi was the youngest of four children. Three months after her birth, Shanthi’s mother and father chose to follow Jesus, causing their world to quickly fall apart.

With no church in their village, they would weekly walk over fifteen miles to attend church, bypassing several closer village churches to avoid persecution.

Not long after starting to attend church, their families heard of their conversion and confronted them. They reprimanded them and told them now was their time to turn back to their gods. They could not escape their conviction to follow Christ and instead chose to be removed from their family and village.

One night, out of fear karma and retaliation from their family and village, Shanthi’s father took his life. When their pastor and fellow believers arrived to have the funeral, so did their families. They attacked Shanthi’s mother - blaming her and her “new god” for their son and brothers death.

Out of concern for Shanthi, her brothers and her sister, her mother brought them to Rise+Shine and asked if there might be space for them as they are no longer safe with her.

Since that day, Shanthi has graduated from high school and is two years into a five-year medical degree program. She hopes to help children from villages just like the one she came from.

Rise+Shine also took care of Shanthi’s mother. Not only she is still alive and well, but she’s led over twenty family members to faith in Jesus. These are the same family members who once beat her for faith.

Because of people like you, people like Shanthi are able to receive an education that empowers them to rise above their circumstances and to shine with a light of hope into their communities.

You can help more students, just like Shanti, rise above their circumstances to make a difference in their community.