Beginning in December 2007, Christians in Kandhamal District, in Odisha State in India, came under unprecedented persecution. At that time, about 60 Christian leaders and preachers were sought out and murdered, 800 churches were destroyed and approximately 9,000 Christian homes were ransacked; some were set on fire. More than 30,000 Christians were left homeless. Still today, thousands of people live in tents in front of their damaged houses. Many others have been displaced to other parts of India in search of work as day laborers in other districts. The education of thousands of Christian students stopped.

To respond to the needs, the Church of North India Diocese of Phulbani established three small hostels for boys. These three hostels -- Emmanuel Boys’ Hostel at Kanjamendi, Mt.Carmel Children’s Hostel in Daringbadi, and AshaSadan Hostel at Subarnagiri -- provide room and board and access to primary educational opportunities for the affected Christian boys. The existence of these hostels means that families could assure that their young boys could continue their education in a safe place in spite of the surrounding unsettled environment.  The facilities are beginning by caring for boys because of the great hesitancy of the affected families to place their daughters away from home, given special security issues in relation to girls.

The hostels began with 20 children at Emanuel Boys Hostel, 20 children at Mt. Carmel Children’s Hostel, and ten children at Ashasadan Hostel. Soon after, many parents and guardians came to the hostels asking that their children be admitted. The hostels provide safe shelter, food, and basic education to which the boys do not otherwise have access. Each hostel now has twice as many boys and the Diocese is struggling to sustain these hostels. Some of the children who are being cared for at the hostels are orphaned, physically handicapped, the poorest.  Some were on the verge of starvation and all have suffered the effects of the anti-Christian rioting which was very physically, spiritually, and emotionally challenging. 

To meet the needs of the children, additional dormitories and other facilities are being set up. Caring Christian staff members are sought to provide encouragement and to set an example. Children’s records and accounting of events must be kept. Funding for the support and expansion of the hostels is being raised and every expense is being recorded and kept according to the budget. A Committee monitors the hostel and produces progress reports. An internal evaluation is performed monthly and an external evaluation is performed annually.

Rt. Reverend K. K. Nayak, Bishop of the CNI Diocese of Phulbuni, writes to Global Ministries about the need to expand the Emmanuel Boys Hostel:

Hundreds of persecuted Christian parents and guardians are helplessly approaching the Hostel Management Committee to get admission of their children in the Hostel. But due to the accommodation problem the committee is quite unable to help them. The almighty God inspired in the hearts of the managing committee members to make a proposal to accommodate a minimum of 150 to 200 riot-victimized students in the [Emmanuel] hostel and proposed to make an accommodation facility for them through your precious helping hand. To fulfill said holistic vision, may I place a request before you to kindly arrange funds for construction of Emmanuel Boys’ Hostel building and wipe the tears of hundreds of persecuted Christian families.