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Dean provides update on India orphanage
For nearly a decade Richards resident Steve Dean has been involved in a project that provides safe haven for orphaned girls in India. Dean, a longtime area farmer, helped construct — and has been heavily involved with Rose of Sharon-Homes of Hopes, dating back to its inception in 2011.
It all began, when by chance encounter, he met the Rev. Prasanna Kumar — of Chennai, India, a city of 13 million, on a flight to Africa for a hunting trip. While visiting on the long flight, Dean learned that Kumar was finance director for India Bible Literature, which was collecting used Bibles and taking them to India where they are sold. That money was then used to produce Christian literature in various dialects.
During their initial discussion, Kumar said he and his wife had given up their 900-square foot home to house 24 orphaned girls, and every week there were requests for them to take another child.
From that encounter Rose of Sharon-Homes of Hope was born. To date, they have collected nearly half-a-million dollars in donations for the project, which includes the construction of their housing.
According to an Aug. 23, 2014 story in the Daily Mail, Dean formed a not-for-profit corporation, Rose of Sharon-Homes of Hope, US — and Kumar formed Rose of Sharon-Homes of Hope, India to operate the project and to own the land, since individuals are not allowed to own property in India.
Dean previously said they operate without any administrative costs, and every dollar collected goes to the project. He said when he travels to India to visit the site, he pays his own expenses.
Dean said in a previous interview with the Daily Mail that the project is supported locally by the First Baptist Church, and the First Christian Church — who had provided bulk sums of money from the Gene Merritt Fund, which they administer.
Tragedy, however, recently struck the orphanage during the early part of the summer, which was housing eight girls at the time — ranging in age from eight to 16. Both Kumar and his wife contracted COVID-19 — with his wife ultimately succumbing to the illness, according to Dean. He added that none of the girls were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Dean said the orphanage was forced to temporarily close its doors in mid-June, resulting in the orphaned children having to move in with their nearest relative.
"Which wasn't a good deal," Dean told the Daily Mail, adding that he anticipates the girls soon returning to Rose of Sharon-Homes of Hope.
Dean said he was concerned upon hearing the girls would be placed with their nearest relative.
"I know a lot of those little kids come out of conditions that aren't good," he said. "So when I found out, it was kind of crushing to me, because we're trying to perform a service, and these little girls are going to have to go back into bad situations in some cases."
Added Dean: "They'll be returning, and we're sure of that. And we've had someone staying at the home to look after the place. The reason Rose of Sharon is so dear to my heart, is because it wasn't something I planned on. I believe God put me in that spot at that time, to step up and provide this avenue by which girls who don't have much, can be taken care of. It's not really me, I'm just the instrument — just the guy who put wheels under the project."
Although the project first started to provide a safe home for these girls, Dean said the key to their future is education.
"They're introduced to Christian education opportunities every day," he said. "They recite verses from the Bible, so they're exposed to Christianity in a Hindu nation."
Dean said that he and Kumar have been diligent in flying under the radar, as previous organizations like theirs have run afoul of the "Hindu system, and been kicked out of India."
"We definitely don't want that to happen to us," he noted. "We're not going to (retreat) from (teaching) Christian values, but we're also not going to be stupid about it. We've been accepted into a Hindu village, and it's just unbelievable that they've allowed us to be here."
Additional information can be found at roseofsharonindia.org.