It was early. The Bridge of Hope center had no children within its classrooms. Dedicated men and women arrived to set up the place. Very soon, every nook and cranny would be filled with eager and hungry youngsters…some of whom came from a very dark background.
These were children who may have otherwise been left to roam the streets; children who were perhaps destined to live in poverty, become drunkards or prey for sex traffickers. But now, these children were on their way to a future quite different from the generations before them.
A Joyful Investment
Once all the children arrived, they settled down for their morning tutoring lessons and hot meal. The boys and girls all looked neat and clean, which boasted quietly of the hard work of their Bridge of Hope teachers, who felt privileged to be part of these once-unruly children's lives.
Kien has been serving with Bridge of Hope since the program began in 2004. He oversees this center and has a heart of compassion for the children he serves.
"When I think about these children and their future, I feel very happy and joyful because of the work that we are doing among them. These children will get a new life; they will become new persons as we teach them. I feel very glad and happy to think where these children will be in the future because of the investment we have made in their lives while here at the center."
Kien (center) and the rest of the staff at the Bridge of Hope center care deeply about the children and their families.
Not Your Ordinary Bridge of Hope
This Bridge of Hope center is unique compared to others dotted across Asia. Although many centers serve impoverished children, or those forgotten by society or infected with leprosy, this center influences those trapped in a dark, unspeakable trade nearly everyone hates or looks down on. More than half of the children attending this center have mothers who work as prostitutes in the red-light district.
"While these parents are engaged in their daily work," Kien says, "their children are left unattended. They have no parental guidance or supervision whatsoever. … They are let loose, and they become very unruly. They do not obey or listen to others. This is a big need here to teach their children."
