Nikita learns to never give up

Until July 2015, Nikita’s family lived a quiet, smooth life. She lived with her brother, Nicholas, and her parents in a small house donated by Vincentian priests, and the young children went to school every day. But the sudden accidental death of their father, Mohan, turned the family’s life upside-down.

Elisa, the children’s mother, became the sole breadwinner, working hard as a daily wage earner. But her meager income never seemed to cover the necessities.

“It could meet only food and other amenities,” described the Orissa sponsor site staff, “but educational expenses could not be met. Elisa had almost lost her hope in giving quality education to her children that she had determined with her late husband.”

As God’s grace would have it, it was during that time that Chalice began sponsoring children in the area. Nicholas and Nikita were both matched with sponsors in 2016.

“This gave hope to Elisa,” write the staff. With their sponsors’ support, she could keep them in school. Now Nicolas is in grade seven and Nikita is the year below him. To increase family income, Elisa invested some of the sponsorship money in two chicks, and started backyard chicken farming.

“It helped her to meet all emergency needs,” write the staff proudly. She makes the equivalent of about $5.06 per day with her poultry. She now has 70 chickens on her farm – local breeds whose products are in high demand.

“I know how my mother struggles for us. So, I want to be a teacher and make my mother proud,” Nikita says. The Orissa staff know that if she and Nicolas keep up their grades, they will both do just that!