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OUR STORY

At Learning to Hope, we have been dedicated to providing free education to the children of northeast India since 2002. Our journey began with Carol and Lori’s meaningful connection to indigenous Devendra and Koko Rai, who introduced us to a remarkable 15-year-old girl named Pushpa. In a time of desperation, her family believed that entrusting her to another family would at least ensure she had a roof over her head and food to eat. It was a tough life working from 5am to 10pm with no pay and her final duties of the day was to give the head man of the family a massage. This situation left Pushpa without any hope of ever getting out of her circumstances. Her future held nothing more than being an indentured servant.  Through our efforts, we strive to change the narrative for children like Pushpa, offering them hope and opportunities for a brighter future.​

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Devendra emphasized the critical role of education in empowering vulnerable children like the girl, highlighting that literacy, numeracy, and English language skills can significantly enhance their prospects for stable employment, thereby reducing their risk of falling prey to human trafficking.

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Devendra received gifts from Carol and Lori, allowing him to compensate Pushpa's "employer", who then sent her home to family. Community support led to the family receiving livestock, providing them with income and financial stability. Over the course of the next years, Pushpa and her siblings were educated, and Pushpa later married and became a worship leader.​

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Upon returning to the U.S. Carol and Lori’s friends and family asked if any other children needed the same help. Of course, the answer was YES!...and so began Learning to Hope.

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What started as individual sponsorship to the school of their choice eventually became the launching of Grace English School in 2007 in KhatKhati in Northeast Assam, India. Since then, many hundreds of children have benefitted from the school. They have learned English as a second language and have learned the benefits of reading, writing and arithmetic. They have heard how much Jesus loves them and have come to understand that many in America care for them through their financial support. We are certain that the cycle of poverty has been broken for many families with hope and joy being brought to those who may have never experienced it before. As of 2025, we have 200 children enrolled from Pre-K to 8th grade.

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OUR VISION

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Currently all of our efforts have been focused on our school in Assam, its name is “Grace English.” The locals gave it the name. Grace referring to what has been given to the students and English denoting that the English language is spoken and taught there. As of 2025 we have approximately 200 children, 10 Teachers, 1 Cook, 1 Maintenance Man, 1 Headmaster and 1 Property Manager.  The children receive their education completely free! We seek monthly and one-time gifts to fund the yearly budget that currently stands at $74,000.

The school is in the small village of Khat Kahti in the State of Assam and sits on a large, lovely piece of property. We started with a traditional thatch building but after a few years the termites and weather got the best of it.

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Fortunately, in 2011, First Baptist Church of Lodi donated the offering from their Christmas choir concert to build a new building that would have 3 classrooms. It was completed within a few months, giving us long term stability and credibility in the community. Since then, we have had several building projects funded through various resources and currently have a two-story building with 11 classrooms, a large lunch room, a library/staff room, a headmaster’s office, a super fun playground, a new chapel with seating for 150 people, 4 bathrooms, new kitchen, electricity, water tank with filtration system, increased staff and are thrilled to have received government certification.

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In January of 2018 Co-Founder, Carol Alexander obeyed a call from God to retire from her position at First Baptist Church of Lodi as the Women’s Ministry Director and moved to India to oversee the ministry 4-6 months out of the year. Carol lives with one of our families that is employed by LTH and works daily with the children, teaching and serving as a volunteer. She has raised her own funds to support this call and has found great joy and a new passion in this current work. We are thrilled for the school as her presence there has made the daily management and communication with the board much more efficient.

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JOIN US!

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Your Gift Is Tax Deductible! Thanks to our partnership with First Baptist Church of Lodi, all donations go through them as our supporting organization, making all donations tax deductible. 100% of your gifts go to the children of this school. We have no administrative cost or Board salaries. The only paid personnel are the Grace English School teachers, staff and school headmaster. We welcome your prayers, your encouragement, your support and your partnership to create a safe and life-transforming school for the children at Grace English School.

 

Donations Payable/Mail to:

First Baptist Church of Lodi

c/o Learning to Hope

267 North Mills Ave. Lodi, CA 95242

Memo Portion: INDIA 20-807AA

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Or give online via First Baptist Church of Lodi

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