My name is Bidyuta Kumar Singh. I was born and brought up in a Christian family in a remote, mountainous village in Odisha, Eastern India. My family was very poor, and we often struggled to get simple things like food and clothing. I really valued education and, although it was very difficult to obtain textbooks and supplies for school, I took my education very seriously.
I had just completed higher education in Economics, and was looking forward to all the potential opportunities that life as an educated man in rural India might provide. God, however, had different plans for me. One day, whilst bringing wood from the forest, I had a terrible accident. One of my legs was broken, and the other leg was severely injured. In my area of India, there were no medical facilities, and I had to face the fact that I may never be able to walk again. My dream job of working in the government was in doubt, and I felt that I was in a hopeless situation.
My mother was a very godly woman, and she encouraged me to pray to God. She told me that only he can help me in this situation, and so I trusted in God. I prayed to him and asked for his forgiveness. I asked him to help me and to heal me. I promised God that if he were to heal me and I could walk again, then I would only walk for his work. I confessed my sins and submitted my life into the hands of God.
God heard my prayers and the prayers of the many other people who prayed for me. Slowly, I could see the healing process happen in my life. It took me three months to take my first step, but over time, I was healed completely. I knew that I was only able to walk because of God’s grace and mercy upon my life. As I had promised God, I wanted every step that I took to be for his kingdom work only, and that is what brought me to the ministry.
I particularly wanted to serve and care for the poorest of the poor, the orphans and the needy children. I wanted to bring the gospel hope to those who have no hope in their lives. In my area, hundreds of thousands of people have never heard the gospel, so at the age of 23 in the year 2000, I started a ministry, Helping Point, to reach these people.
Bringing God’s love into communities
Along with four other people from local villages, I started to respond to God’s call to serve this area. Initially, we founded a number of community centres where children could receive additional support with their studies. The public education system had failed to provide adequate education, limiting the potential of many of these children and contributing to the persistent cycle of poverty.
By mentoring these children and providing them with free education and tutoring, my colleagues and I began to develop relationships with families in the area. These relationships with the community were foundational to how we were able to share the love of Christ.
As Helping Point grew, we began to establish churches where people could go to learn about the Bible and grow in fellowship with other Christians. Usually, a community centre staff member assumed the role of pastor of the church, allowing for the continuation of previously built relationships in the community. The pastors took on the responsibility for caring for the spiritual and physical needs of their congregation. Slowly, these churches grew, as members began to share the love that they had received from God with their neighbours.
In 2002, Helping Point wanted to serve the rural community by providing education for children who may otherwise not receive schooling at all. St. Simon’s English School was established to meet this need. Most of the children are not required to pay tuition, allowing Helping Point to reach out to the poorest members of the surrounding communities. The children are taught English as well as other subjects in an environment that glorifies Christ and proclaims his gospel.
Since opening St. Simon’s School, Helping Point continues to grow, establishing new projects in the most rural and remote villages in India, training new staff members to teach and care for their neighbours, and displaying the love of Christ through teaching and acts of service.
Our mission
Helping Point was founded to make disciples of Jesus and to alleviate poverty across India. We are a grassroots, non-denominational Christian charity working in the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in eastern India. Our mission is to empower the Dalit community (the formerly so-called ‘Untouchables’) to achieve physical, spiritual and social change.
For the last 25 years, I have been leading Helping Point and serving the poorest children by taking care of them, giving them an education and providing them the opportunity to study and to fight the poverty in their families. In all that we do, we share the gospel and the love of God with the people around us. Through this ministry, we now have 10 community centres alongside the school and a children’s home. We have been able to establish six churches, and many people have been brought to Christ.
God has been merciful to me, and I want to continue to serve the Almighty God till the very end of my life. Please pray for me and for the ministry of Helping Point. We seek to help the poorest of the poor and reach many people with the gospel of Jesus.
May God bless you.
For more information, please visit the website www.helpingpoint.org.uk or email helpingpoint@gmail.com
