The students of 5 2 Youth support a teen their own age through the Compassion International program.  Raymon Marandi Hopin is 15 years old and lives in India.

Here is what Compassion tells us about him:

Personal and Family Information

Raymon lives part of the year at Bethel Boys Home but returns home to live with his father and his mother during breaks.  His father is sometimes employed as a laborer.  There are 4 children in the family.  Everyday duties for Raymon include gathering firewood, caring for animals and washing clothes.

As part of Compassion's ministry, Raymon participates in church activities, Vacation Bible School and camp.  He is also in high school where his performance is average.  Soccer, singing and listening to music are his favorite activities.

Your love and support will help Raymon to receive the assistance he needs to develop his potential.  Please pray for him.

Community and Project Information

Raymon lives on the plains of Santhal, home to approximately 10,000,000 residents.  Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, adobe walls and thatch roofs.  The primary ethnic group is the Santhal Tribe and the most commonly spoken language is Santhali.

The regional diet consists of bananas, plantains, rice and potatoes.  Common health problems in this area include colds, diarrhea, asthma, viral fever, kala-azar (parasitic disease), influenza, typhoid, malnutrition and tuberculosis.  Most adults in Santhal are unemployed but some work as laborers and earn the equivalent of $17 per month.  This community needs educational institutions, employment opportunities and social awareness programs.

Your sponsorship allows the staff of Bethel Boys Home to provide Raymon with Bible teaching, medical checkups, vaccinations, life skills training, tuition and field trips.  The center staff will also provide literacy classes and meetings for the parents or guardians.

Country Information (click here for more info on India)

India, the world's largest democracy, has a tropical climate in the south and a more temperate climate in the north.  The cool season is from November to March; the dry, hot season is from March to June; and the hot, rainy season is during the remainder of the year.  India is so large that Compassion has two offices there - one in the southern states and one in the eastern states.

India is a diverse country.  People in the southern regions and people in the eastern regions speak different languages, enjoy different cultures and observe different religions.  In Southern India languages spoken are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.  In this region Christianity dates back to the first century A.D. when St. Thomas, the apostle, landed in Kerala and established a church there.  He was eventually martyred in Chennai, this is the city where compassion's southern office is located.  In eastern India, a large percentage of the population is tribal and poor.  Compassion opened an office in this eastern region in June of 2002 in Kolkata, (formerly Calcutta), the capital of West Bengal.  Kolkata has a tropical climate.  The main religions in eastern India are Hinduism and animism.  The languages spoken in these areas are Oriya, Bengali, many tribal dialects and Hindi.

India has been inhabited for more than 4,500 years.  In 712, Arabs invaded the country, bringing with them the Islamic faith.  British influence came with trading companies that set up operations in India in the 1600s.  British rule over India was established in 1757 and lasted until 1947 when India gained its independence.

Raymon lives northeast of Ranchi.  Look for an orange area on the right side of the map.