Brent's Trip to India

Last week I returned from India. I was there for two weeks visiting some of our partners and their projects. It was a great trip and I can again confirm that the support you give to India Partners is truly helping change lives in that country of great need.

One project in particular I want to share with you, and ask if you would help. The project is a self-sufficient emu farm that was proposed by our partners Pastor Eliezer and Sister Prema at Living Sacrifice Ministries (LSM).

For the past eight years, we have partnered with LSM in Andhra Pradesh, India. Their activities include child care, community development, disaster relief, and micro-lending programs. LSM also focuses on one-to-one mentoring. In so doing, they lay the seeds for prayer groups and churches in remote villages.

An emu farm will help support orphans and children who live at LSM’s Little Lamps Children’s Home, as well as pastors’ families in remote villages and widows in need. They will buy one acre of land, raise 100 emus and sell their chicks.

Emu birds are raised throughout the world and have adapted to a variety of conditions ranging from cold winters to extreme heat. Emus grow to be between 5 and 6 feet tall, and they normally live up to 40 years. Emus can be productive for as long as 30 years, laying between 20 to 30 eggs in a season.

Emus are sold so their meat, skin, bones, feathers and oil can be used for various purposes. Emu oil is the most marketable product; it is used for therapeutic rubbing oil, skin lotions and treatment of burn victims.

Revenue from the first year of operation of the farm will pay the expenses for the second year of operations. There will be additional growth (purchase of an incubator) and expenses (higher feed costs as the birds grow) in the second year. The sale of the chicks from the second year of operations will fund the third year of operations. After the third year, annual net revenue will increase to support operations, in addition to 24 orphans/children, 12 pastoral families and 24 widows.

Our hope is to raise $7,250 from individual donors like you. We plan to raise the remaining $86,300 needed from private foundations.

Would you consider a gift today of $20, $30 or $50 to help make this self-sufficient emu farm a reality? You can also purchase one emu for $175. (If you would like to donate, click here). Thank you for your help as we seek to serve those in India.

God bless you and have a great February!

In Christ,

Brent Hample
President