Abound Update: Feb 2025
Over the past few years, Peter Whitfield has become increasingly involved with supporting a project to provide term-time hostels for children in Odisha, India — enabling them to access education that would otherwise be off-limits for them. In this blog article, he shares about the project, his recent trip to see the progress there, and how you can get involved.
“And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NET)
In 2022, I , Joy and my siblings setup a charitable organisation called Abound, which seeks to raise money for four children’s hostels (CEH) in Balangir and Diptipur, Odisha, India. The hostels provide a safe and healthy environment during term time for up to 170 different 9–18 year olds from rural villages to gain access to a full education. This helps break the poverty trap into which the children have been born.
In January I visited the work of CEH along with Rev Roger Widdicombe, vicar of St Paul’s church, Cheltenham, which has made Abound one of its mission partners. The greatest benefit of a personal visit is to encourage the children, and staff, that God cares for them, to show His love through engaging with them and to share in their daily devotions. This included the annual picnic to a large garden area with a pond and children’s play equipment. The children were given freedom to roam and relax, plus good food. The day ended with them playing games — including prizes!
The children attend school 6 days a week and have a full programme within the hostel, including tutored study time morning and evening, Christian devotions morning and evening (with incredible singing), school, plus playtime and three good meals a day. It is thrilling to see the genuine love between the children and how they lead one another plus taking responsibilities to help the running of the hostel.
To me, the most humbling thing is to see how God so loves these children from a rural life in the “back of beyond”, in a poor state in India. His provision of incredible staff (wardens, cooks, watchmen and tutors) who genuinely care, above and beyond, 24x7, for the development of the whole child is wonderful to see in action. In addition, God opened the hearts of many donors to fund an incredible building programme to transform the hostel environment which not only encouraged the children, but has encouraged the parents, alumni and church within the diocese.
Does it work? Alumni of the hostel include nurses, district healthcare workers, government administrators and teachers. One ex-student has become the WHO Director for Healthcare Systems for the whole of the state of Chhattisgarh — a fantastic example of the opportunities afforded the children.
Please Pray:
- For the children as they are away from families and face most of the same struggles our own children and young people face here in the UK
- For the health and strength of the staff.
If you would like more information or wish to donate any one-off or regular amount please visit https://www.abound.org.uk or do come and find me.
With love in Christ,
Pete Whitfield
