HOLY BELLS SCHOOL

This school was started by Annie and her husband 10 years ago. (she's in one of the pictures below....dressed in blue) They started with 15 children on their living room floor. Kindergarten and preschoolers. (The littlest children are inside looking out the barred windows.) It grew to Kindergarten through grade 4 and just this year they added grade 5.

The children are children of the slums and off the streets. Many of them are beggars and are required of their family to work before and after school for a total of at least 5 hours. School isn't important to their parents but Annie and her husband are trying to do their best to see these children have a chance to become something other than a beggar.

The church bought school bags, books, & the uniforms they have on. Uniforms are not something the church normally does but the Lyerly's were able to make this happen. A plea went through because some of the children were so poor.....1 child came to school in his mothers blouse and it was humiliating for that child. Annie and her husband said it broke their hearts that day.
This boy sells stuff on the street before school and after. He must put in 5 hours or his parents won't let him go to school.
The school feeds them 1 meal (Lunch) every school day. It's usually the only meal these children get. Annie's husband told of the children going through the garbage for food. They might find somehting in the garbage in the USA. Here the garbage is gone through several different times by those who live on the street. I felt so privileged to meet Annie and her husband. Good people that have raised their families and are now reaching out to help those around them. They have a tough battle as the parents live with the mind set of the cast system. I'm a beggar and it's good enough for my child. They don't see the value of school. Annie and her husband are hoping to plant some educational ideas in these childrens heads so they can rise above their conditions and the next generation will be better.