"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." Psalm 36:9 | | Pictured above: The faces of 11th standard (grade) students Harinisri, Swetha, and Nisha light up as they share their career goals. Your support opens up a whole world of possibilities for bright Dalit girls like these in India and around the world! Click the button below to hear their ambitious dreams! | | Direct Thrivent Choice®Dollars by March 31 | | Thrivent Choice® dollars provide needed support for programs like our partner's literacy training for women and girls in the Central African Republic (CAR). | | |
If you are a Thrivent member, you may have Thrivent Choice® dollars you can direct to a charitable organization like LPGM! Thrivent Choice® dollars have a tremendous impact on small organizations like ours. And you can do it with just a few clicks of your mouse!
Visit thrivent.com or call 800-THRIVENT (800.847.4836) to direct your 2024 Choice Dollars® by March 31. If you have already directed your dollars to LPGM, thank you!
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Reserve your spot by March 31: Travel to Guatemala
June 14-24, 2025
Your trip leader will be Pastor Mary Beenken of Peoria Heights, Ill.
The purpose of the trip is to experience the Guatemalan and Maya cultures while participating in our partner CCFC's educational programming and agroecology projects. You will share your life and God's love with those you meet.
| | | Honoring Jim Rohde's Service | | Pictured: Jim meets an English+ student in 2023 (above) and poses with two of his sponsored students at Saron in 2020 (below). | | |
After six rich years of service to LPGM's board of directors, Dr. Jim Rohde's two terms are over.
Before joining the board in 2019, Jim and his wife, Sharon, sponsored five boarding home students for several years. They had also declared their plans to include LPGM in their estate plans, making them Legacy Circle members.
When Jim's first term began, to his delight, "I quickly found the board meetings for LPGM to be fun and informative. The organization had a strong mission, and the staff was experienced and committed to carrying out that mission."
His personal highlights include traveling to India with LPGM in 2020 and 2023, serving on the Development Committee, and participating in LPGM's 25th anniversary celebration at his congregation, Prairie Lutheran (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
Jim will fondly remember working with the LPGM staff and board to operate "a growing, quality organization that has contributed to the lives of many persons on the fringes of their societies and economies."
"I believe I can say without doubt... LPGM matters!"
Passionate and dedicated people like Jim make LPGM tick, and we are grateful for his service.
New board members will be voted in at the board retreat on April 26. To learn more about serving on the board or a committee, contact Dan.
| | College Counseling Inspires New Confidence in Kalrayan Hills Seniors | |
As you may know, 12th grade students have just wrapped up their government board exams and are preparing to graduate this spring.
Many marginalized students know that earning a college degree would drastically improve their quality of life and allow them to support their families and communities, but the whole college process can be overwhelming and disorienting. They often lack basic skills and knowledge to navigate it.
LPGM-India staff member Victor Prince has observed this knowledge deficit, so he invited his college counselor friends to come to the Kalrayan Hills. On March 22, the counselors taught 12th grade students about the college application process, public vs. private colleges, degree types, tuition standards, scholarship opportunities, and career paths.
This session was a positive step towards equipping 12th standard students with the tools they need to thrive after graduation.
| |  | Monthly Parents' Visits Bring Joy to Saron | |
You may sometimes wonder how often boarding home students see their families.
These families are largely Dalit, meaning that they are pushed to the margins of society and often live in poverty. Many parents work as day laborers in faraway cities or as migrant farmers to provide for their children.
While boarding home schedules and family circumstances differ, parents are invited to visit Saron Boarding Home every second Saturday of the month.
On those special mornings, Saron students bathe early and dress in their best clothes to welcome their parents.
Parents often come bearing snacks and fresh homemade meals for their children, and they sit under the tree and share a meal together.
These reunions are joyous to behold, and the atmosphere is always festive at Saron on the second Saturday of the month.
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News from Tanzania:
International Women's Day Celebration
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To mark International Women's Day on March 8, Eripoto for Girls and Women planned a special all-day event in Lengijave village, the home village of Eripoto's founder, Esuvat Lukumay.
According to Esuvat, "This event was deeply personal for me as it took place in my home village, a place where girls’ education is still a major challenge. I wanted to create a space where women and girls could not only celebrate but also learn, be empowered, and see what’s possible when we invest in education."
On this powerful day, Esuvat's parents and siblings shared their unique perspectives of education for girls. Her older sister and brother, who never had the chance to go to school, spoke with deep emotion about the power of education, and her father shed tears of joy when talking about Esuvat's journey from escaping forced early marriage to receiving an education to becoming a fierce advocate. Esuvat's bravely forged path has given her younger siblings a chance to receive an education.
During the program, two girls living at Eripoto Safe House shared their stories. A village leader spoke about the importance of protecting girls’ rights. Esuvat's husband, Hedson, talked about the harmful biological and social impacts of FGM, amd Winnie from a local organization, Inherit Your Rights, educated the participants about women's legal rights under Tanzanian law.
The event ended by sharing a meal together before sending the 250 participants home with food packages to feed their families. Esuvat shared, "Food insecurity is a real challenge in this community, and many women struggle to provide for their families, especially at this time of year. We wanted to ensure that the celebration extended beyond the event itself—giving them not just knowledge but also something tangible to take home."
Esuvat says that the feedback they received was overwhelmingly positive. She explains, "Many women shared how eye-opening the sessions were, especially on women’s rights and the long-term effects of FGM. Some mothers approached us afterward, eager to find ways to keep their daughters in school. The impact was also felt among men, as local leaders engaged in meaningful discussions and even expressed a willingness to challenge harmful practices. Seeing the transformation in perspectives was truly inspiring."
| | Parents Labor Far Away to Provide a Better Life for their Two Daughters | |
After attending St. Anthony’s primary school in Chennai, India, sisters Janani and Kayalvizhi began living and studying at Siloam Boarding Home, and they have been there for the past four years.
Their parents are proud of them and work hard to provide for the family, which means living far away from their children. Their mother works in Bangalore as a tailor, and their father does masonry work in Chennai. Chennai and Bangalore are each over four hours by bus from Siloam, which is in Tirukoilur.
Kayalvizhi is in 10th grade and enjoys playing with her boarding home friends. Her favorite subjects are history and geography. She wants to study computer science to become a software engineer.
Janini is in 12th grade and wants to complete a bachelor’s degree in commerce, and to follow in her uncle's footsteps by becoming a bank manager. A student leader and theatrical performer, she wants to study well and get a good job so that she can take care of her village and help pay school fees for children in her village.
To her sponsors, she writes, “Thank you so much. You have provided a lot of help for me. Take care of your health."
| | | Nandini's Bold Path: From Engineering Student to U.S. Healthcare Work | |
As the eighth girl-child in her family, her odds of gaining access to education were slim. Luckily, Nandini was able to enroll at Siloam Boarding Home in India, and with the support of her sponsor, she excelled.
She lived and studied at Siloam Boarding Home through 12th standard. After graduating, she continued to defy the odds by starting an engineering degree with a focus on electronics and communication.
After completing the degree, she was offered a role with a United Staes healthcare company.
Nandini is now a wife and mother, and while it would be common to quit her healthcare job, it is important to her to continue supporting her family financially.
With her husband's support and encouragement, she has continued her career and is a working mother.
To Nandini, having a career and an income is a crucial part of her identity and self-esteem. Knowing that her job is supporting her family makes her beam with pride.
Without the gift of sponsorship, it would have been very difficult for the eighth daughter to earn an engineering degree, get a job with a U.S. company, and become a working mother. Thank you for helping Dalit girls and women like Nandini beat the odds!
| | | Pictured above: Kayalvizhi (bottom left) and Janani (bottom middle) pose with their father and a female relative in their village home not far from Siloam Boarding Home. | | Pictured: Epzi (in green dress) stands proudly with her English Club students at Siloam Boarding Home. English Club is a new English+ program at the boarding homes. | |
“English is an international language. English+ makes a drastic change.
Children try to come up with new words and vocabularies and to relate it to their lifestyles. For example, they learn words relating to kitchens, gardens, and conversations with friends.
They are eager to learn English fluently and eager to go on field trips to learn more English. Every week, they ask me to go on more excursions.
They are also interested in reading English books, so I have borrowed books from the British Council. They learn more words from the books and relate them to their own lives. They are probably 70-80% less afraid of English than when they started learning.”
-Epzi, English+ Team, India
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Upcoming Dates
Late March - Sponsor News and Student Updates in the mail
Mon., March 31 - Deposits due, June trip to Guatemala
Mon., March 31 - 2024 Thrivent Choice®Dollars Deadline
Sun., April 6 - The Rev. Dan Ruth, LPGM executive director, will preach at St. John's Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Sat., April 26 - Board of Directors Retreat (Minneapolis, Minn.)
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Our Mission: LPGM provides access to quality education for people at the margins – especially women and girls. We work together with global partners to listen, respond and bear witness to local needs and priorities.
Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 41-1818525. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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