By Amy Penn
02/23/2017 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – On March 27, 2016, Muslim extremists attacked the Christian community in Lahore, Pakistan as they were celebrating Easter. According to a survey from International Christian Concern (ICC), suicide bombers detonated twice in the public park, killing 23 Christians and injuring approximately 50 others.
In addition to providing immediate aid and small business assistance to the martyrs’ families, ICC found 22 school-age children in need of educational assistance. These 22 children’s education was in jeopardy because their primary breadwinners were killed or severely injured in the attack. Therefore, ICC provided school assistance for a year as the families recovered from their losses.
This school assistance project covered all educational expenses for one school year, running from April 2016 until March 2017. ICC paid for all monthly school fees, annual charges, and covered uniforms, school shoes, stationary expenses, and tutoring.
Ali, a Christian student who benefited from this project, noted, “Although I have lost my two loving brothers, who were breadwinners, I am thankful to Almighty God for choosing our family to be counted among the martyrs. [After their death], I decided to quit schooling and search for a job to assist my parents and take care of schooling expenses of my other brothers and sisters. However, it was God’s plan and a miracle in our life that ICC extended financial assistance for one year of schooling.”
Students like 10-year-old Carol are thankful for the assistance. She said, “I am studying hard because I know the educational support which my family is receiving from ICC is just because of my brother’s martyrdom.” One man who lost his son during the explosion said that “ICC is actually following the teachings of Jesus Christ i.e. ‘Love you neighbor.’ This is indeed a great service and Christian teachings. My whole family is grateful to ICC for extending one year of scholarship for the schooling of my two kids.”
Even community members who do not have children who received educational assistance saw Christ’s love through the schooling assistance that ICC provided. “I salute ICC for sharing Christ’s love with the persecuted and encouraging the poor to get a good education,” a community leader shared with ICC.
Providing school assistance, however, will not bring back the dead. Final memories of their loved ones still haunt family members. Another student who ICC supported still misses her brother and recalls moments of playing cricket with him in the park when the suicide bomber attacked them. “He was a great brother and fantastic friend of mine,” she remembers.
Continue to pray for the families of those who died during the Easter bombings. Pray that God will continue to provide for their needs and bring healing to those who mourn.