Who wants to plant a tech training center in a Bangalore slum?

Tonight over dinner, we had a great conversation with David Rajkumar, one of the OM staffers here in Banglore. David works primarily among Moslems who live in the slums of Bangalore. He has had a vision for the last several years of a simple tech training center to train young people to get well paying jobs. His idea is illustrated by two stories.

Ashley (not her real name) is a teenage girl, the eldest of eight children living with their mother in a slum. Her father is dead, so after finishing 10th grade, she dropped out of school to help take care of the family. Like her mother, she works as domestic help, earning about $35 per month.

Kelly dropped out of school after 9th grade because she didn't like to study. She had the opportunity to go to a 3 month computer training course which gave her the necessary skills to do extremely basic office work. She now earns $70 per month.

With three months of basic computer skills, the earning potential of young people can double. This is the type of economic adjustment than can allow families access to more education, better living conditions and stability.

David's vision is to start a basic computer skills training center where young people from the slums can study for several months at a time. For people who have never used a computer before, only basic navigation, data entry, and office application skills are necessary to allow them access to significantly better jobs.

All this vision needs is someone to get excited about it. Perhaps an exploratory trip to determine the type of skills necessary? Maybe a small team to come furnish the center with some computer and kick off the first few weeks of classes? Keeping such a center running would likely only cost around $300 per month, including rent and the hiring of a professional instructor.

As Scott, Pete, and I listened to this vision, it seemed to fit pretty well with the demographics and skills of our church in the Silicon Valley. We're already sending doctors to do short term medical trips. Why not send engineers to do short term tech training trips? Could we provide the resources and energy necessary to establish this training center? Could it be an ongoing ministry connected with our church?

All a vision like this needs is one or two people to get excited about it, own it, and make it happen.

Isaiah 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom should I send? And who will go for us?"

In response to God's invitation Isaiah said "Here am I. Send me!"

Anyone want to respond to this invitation from God?