Editor’s Note: Kasturi was 13 years old when her step mother insisted she be married away as a child bride. She did it to rid herself of the girl, a common practice in India.

Katsuri knew of predatory men before because as a young girl at Little Flower, a school for the children of the leprosy-affected in India, the girls couldn’t play outside because of the danger.

All that changed when Rising Star took over the Little Flower school and built protective walls around the girl’s dorm, began offering excellent education to the girls, and then championed Kasturi in her fight to not marry, but stay in school

Now, she has the chance to attend the new Behar School, which Meridian readers helped to finance, but children like her need a sponsor. It costs so little to completely change the life of a child, and in this world where everything seems to go so wrong, you can help something go right. Our goal is to sponsor about 65 more children. Please help us. You can make a difference that changes not only one life, but generations to follow.

Please join with other Meridian readers in sponsoring a child (or children) by clicking here.

Kasturi’s life took a devastating turn when she lost her mother at the tender age of one. Her father remarried, leaving Kasturi in the care of her stepmother who treated her with indifference. She felt unloved and unwanted.

Fortunately, at the age of six Kasturi was accepted at the Little Flower School.  She was both nervous and excited. Because the school was many miles from her home, Kasturi had to live at the school in a hostel with 49 other girls.

Life there was also difficult. There was only one housemother, overworked, overstressed and frazzled trying to take care of so many children.  The housemother carried a thick stick, which she used to maintain order among the girls.  Kasthuri was struck more times than she wants to remember.  She felt she was always looking behind her to verify where the stick was, and to make sure it was not aimed at her!

There were several older men who tried to prey upon the young girls.  One year four girls became pregnant.  The school took action by locking the girls in the hostel during the night.  In the morning, they were escorted to the school at 8:00, where they remained until noon.

Because the school was located in a leprosy colony, it was unable to find any qualified teachers.  The only instructors were the few adults that had learned how to read before they contracted leprosy.  These instructors, however, had other responsibilities, and thus school was only four hours a day.  At noon the girls were escorted back to their hostel, where they were locked in until the following morning.  Can you imagine?

There was no air conditioning in the hostel or the school.  Both were cramped and crowded and unbearably hot.  There was little room to walk around and almost no room to play.  There were days when little Kasturi felt like she was suffocating.

Due to some miraculous events, Rising Star Outreach was able to take over running the school.  We built a wall around the school to protect the girls.  We found qualified teachers and were able to extend the school day until 3:00. We put fans and lights in both the school and the hostels.

Please join with other Meridian readers in sponsoring a child (or children) by clicking here.

With the protective wall in place, the girls were able to play in the school courtyard.  Afternoons were now filled with games and sports.  After a free hour of play, the students then had tutoring sessions until dinner.  They were all far, far behind in their studies and had much catching up to do.  After dinner, they studied until bedtime with the new lighting.

When Kasturi turned thirteen she had to face another looming threat: child marriage.  In her rural leprosy colony, child marriage was a harsh reality.  Girls were often forced into wedlock, sacrificing their education and childhood. Kasturi’s stepmother, eager to rid herself of the responsibility of caring for her during school vacations, began arranging  Kasturi’s marriage to a much older man.

When she learned about her stepmother’s plans, Kasturi was terrified.  She knew what life was like for the women in her colony.  She knew that she wanted more.  She had been carefully nurturing secret dreams.  But a marriage now would rush those dreams.  She felt trapped and desperate.

She learned that her stepmother had arranged for her to be married during the upcoming four-day school vacation.  Had she endured all these hard years at the Little flower School, just to be married off to a life of drudgery?  Trembling, she worked up the courage to tell the school counselor her predicament.  Kasturi begged her counselor to convince Suku, Rising Star’s Director, not to send her home for the holiday.

Please join with other Meridian readers in sponsoring a child (or children) by clicking here.

Learning of Kasturi’s plight, Suku met with the stepmother. and tried to convince her to abandon the marriage plans,   He explained the dire consequences of child marriage, including the health risks. What’s more, it is a death knell to a girl’s education.  It confines girls to a lifetime of oppression.  Despite Suku’s arguments, the stepmother was unmoved and determined to go ahead with the marriage.

But Suku wouldn’t back down.  He turned to the father, who was clearly reluctant to cross his wife.  Suku explained to him that if Kasturi could graduate, she would be able to earn much more money to help the family.  Her school should be considered as an investment in the future of the entire family.  The father almost agreed, but then after a stern glance from his wife, once again insisted that Kasturi would get married during the upcoming vacation.

Suku was getting more and more frustrated.  He would not abandon Kasturi to this future!  He also realized that the school would be in great trouble if one of their girls was married at the age of thirteen.  He used this to strengthen his argument.

Suku reminded the father that it was illegal to marry a girl at the age of  thirteen.  Since this would also be putting the school at risk, Suku would thus be forced to call the police and report the parents.  They could go to jail.

The threat of calling the police finally broke the impasse.  Kasturi’s stepmother, though reluctant, finally relented under Suku’s persistent arguments.  Kasturi was saved from the clutches of child marriage. This happened just last week!

I can’t help but wonder what Kasturi’s life would be like if Rising Star Outreach had not been there for her as her step-mother was taking steps to have her married off—a child bride.  If she had still been languishing on our waiting list, like so many other children, Rising star would never have known of her predicament.

With Rising Star’s support, Kasturi has been flourishing at school. She is studying in the 5th grade and has been discovering a passion for science and mathematics. She is becoming a confident, determined young woman, inspiring other girls in her community to stand up for their dreams.

Her story serves as a testament to the power an intervention can have in the life of a child. Kasturi’s determination to believe herself worthy of dreaming and capable of achieving her dreams  proves that with courage and support, even the darkest circumstances can be overcome.

We like to say at Rising Star that every child is born into this world with unique talents, interests and abilities.  We’ve had children who have excelled in almost every field, even though they were nearly all initially beggars on the street, considered by most people, to be worthless.

But we in the Church know that every child has limitless eternal potential.  They are each Spirit children of an all-powerful and eternal Father in Heaven.

Like many of you, when I hear the news reports of the suffering of children in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, I feel heartsick.  I wish there was something I could do.  My husband and I were blessed to have the opportunity to sponsor three different families from Ukraine in their move to the United States.  I felt so grateful to have even a tiny little thing to be able to do, but it was only a drop in the bucket of suffering.

While there’s not much I can do to help the children in Ukraine, Gaza or Sudan, I am grateful to know that I can reach out and help in a different situation.  There are many “Kasturi’s” on the waiting list to get into the Rising Star Outreach school in Bihar, India.  Already, 68 Meridian Readers have signed up to help sponsor these children.  It will make a phenomenal difference in their lives!

I had the opportunity today to talk to Suku in India.  When I told him about the 68 new Meridian sponsors I could “hear” his smile and enthusiasm through the phone!  He was overjoyed, because he knows what admission to our school means, not only to a child, but to their entire family.

If there is any way you can help, I would invite you to join us.  Each life “saved” is multiplied many times through the generations.  I love Mother Teresa’s belief that, We can do no great thing, we can only do small things with great love. I also believe that through such small things, we can change generations.

Please join with other Meridian readers in sponsoring a child (or children) by clicking here.