From the snowcapped Himalayans to tropical beaches, India is truly a nation of contrasts. It boasts a rich history spanning tens of thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known civilization in South Asia once called India’s fertile Indus Valley home. Today, with the world’s second-largest population, India includes a staggering variety of ethnicities, languages, religions and cultures. Its wealth of natural resources and vibrant cultures, however, belie the abject poverty in which so many of India’s citizens live. The city of Guntur — in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh — is no exception to these maladies. Thousands of field laborers earn very low wages in this rice-producing region, which is susceptible to crop-destroying flooding and droughts.

Because of widespread poverty, few parents are able to send their children to school, and opportunities for girls are even fewer, as parents may not view their education as a priority. For this reason, Auxilium School — located in the outskirts of Guntur city — serves as a beacon of hope. Founded in 1981 and run by members of the Salesian Sisters, Auxilium School provides the poorest children of the Guntur slums — as well as children from surrounding rural areas — with shelter, nutrition and education. As a caring sponsor, you are coming alongside these dedicated Sisters and providing these students with the hope, education and opportunity they need to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come.