Gilgal Gospel Mission

Gilgal Gospel Mission’s St. Phillips Primary School is in the city of Hyderabad.  Dramatically different from the rural villages in which GGM churches are planted, Hyderabad is the 5th largest metropolitan city in India with 7 billion people. While the city is economically successful and on the forefront of India's technological revolution, in its heart more than 1/3rd of the population resides in slums (Ch V, Hyderabad-City Developement Plan) with congested tenements and tent housing with inadequate infrastructure, electricity, sanitation, and drinking water.  Most of residents live in small one room houses with minimal incomes that afford them a hand-to-mouth existence.  Many beg and scavenge just to survive.
 
Like any parent, Indians want so much more for their children and they realize that education, with a focus on English proficiency, is key to success. Government schools in India are often understaffed, without sanitation and furniture, and have underdeveloped curriculum, especially in teaching English. So, parents sacrifice everything to send their children to private schools, like St. Phillips Primary School. 
 
Though St. Phillips has its own building, a typical private school in India is in a converted house, in an alleyway behind busy streets, or above a shop. Classrooms are dark, by our norms, with no doors and noise from the streets permeates through barred windows. Walls may be painted white, but discolored by pollution and heat; no pictures are hung on them. Children will usually wear a school uniform and sit at rough wooden desks.  
 
The mission of St. Phillips Primary School is to offer reduced cost quality education to poor children in the city of Hyderabad with a curriculum rooted in Christian principals. Currently 50 students attend the school, but in the next 2 years, our goal is to have 150 students.  Recognizing that our students are poor, we charge fees similar to a government school but with more opportunities for learning.  Tuition is very low at $2.50/month, which necessitates  that we subsidize the tuition with gifts from generous donors.  While these fees seem low, it is important to know that the average wage of the working adults in these families is between $20 and $30 per month, well below the official minimum wage in Hyderabad.

 

For only $20/month, you can ensure that some of the world's poorest children receive a quality education and are taught about the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Please Educate a Child at St. Phillips Primary School.