As Christians, we believe that in Jesus Christ we have a sure hope for the future and a confident expectation of what God has promised through His Word, which gives us purpose for our lives. At Hillsong Church we are committed to connecting people to this lasting hope found through relationship with Jesus and helping people navigate through the ups and downs of life with assurance and purpose.

Janatara’s Story

Janatara was 17 when she was forced to marry Nazrul, who is 18 years her senior. Nazrul already had a wife and children from an earlier marriage, and after his wedding with Janatara, he began to split his time and resources between his two households. Janatara moved into a makeshift hut in a slum community and was at the mercy of her new husband.

Nazrul gave her money erratically for her to survive and at times he physically abused her. Janatara soon gave birth to two sons and somehow managed to keep her family afloat, even with poor nutrition and their home often in unhygienic chaos.

Despite these difficulties, Janatara was a force to be reckoned with in her slum community. When Vision Rescue community workers met her, they recognised in her the ability to positively influence others and saw that she was an ideal candidate to become a Vision Rescue community champion. She became an advocate for education, nutrition and healthcare in her community.

Janatara began her new role by admitting her eldest son to Vision Rescue’s informal education classes and learning how to maintain a clean home environment.

She was soon promoted and her eldest son began in formal schooling, with the youngest son being admitted into Vision Rescue’s Kindergarten classes.

Thanks to Vision Rescue and their ability to see the potential in one woman, Janatara now has hope for her future and her children’s future.

Jebin Mathew,
Creative Manager, Vision Rescue

Keeping Hope Alive

Vision Rescue community workers bring hope every day as they serve and offer practical assistance to children and families in vulnerable communities of Mumbai. We’ve seen time and again that hope rises within people when they are seen, valued and empowered and our partnership with Vision Rescue allows us to see hope become a catalyst for change in people’s lives.

Catherine Thambiratnam,
Head of Social Justice, Hillsong Church