Skill Samurai Sponsors First Orphanage
Jeff Hughes, the owner of Skill Samurai, has had a lifelong passion for empowering children through education. He founded Skill Samurai with the hope that he could bring about real change in lives locally, and globally. This October he was able to finalize one of his goals, the building of an orphanage in India.
Skill Samurai partnered with Angel House to fund the purchase of land, and construction of a home for 12 children and two house parents.
Founded by Oakland University graduate Lindsay Russo, Angel House is the only known U.S. organization dedicated to building orphanages in India. Angel House is a focused rescue initiative for abandoned orphans and trafficking victims throughout India and Southeast Asia. Through their efforts, more than 6,000 orphaned children who would otherwise be reduced to a life of begging, and homelessness are enrolled in school and flourishing in over 200 safe and loving homes.
Angel House works with dozens of families, schools and companies, such as Toms and Grace & Lace, that provide amenities or sponsor homes with the organization. These homes can be built to accommodate 12, 25, 50 or 100 people — and shelter children from ages 4 to 12.
Russo said orphanages are only built in locations that can keep the building financially sustained. When Angel House finds a place, it searches through dozens of applications sent in by town residents on behalf of orphaned children.
“Once these kids move in, most of them are on their own because they don’t have a legal guardian. Immediately, the house parents — which are one married couple per 12 children — are the legal guardians,” Russo said. “So, for the first time in these kid’s lives, they have someone who is in charge of them and looking out for them.”
Russo credits some of the rise and success of Angel House to the national response of her 2011 appearance on “Minute to Win It” — a former NBC game show that turned her episode into a two-part special featuring Angel House. Russo built 11 orphanages with her share of the $250,000 she won with her friend Michele Brentano on the show.
Russo said she hopes Angel House can transition these children into the next phases of their life. She plans to launch a program to sponsor each Angel House orphan’s college education.
“Education is huge. It’s the №1 way, we’re going to change the orphan problem,” Russo said. “Once these kids are educated, it’s really the only way you’re going to reverse what’s going on.”
Every child receives healthy meals, a brand-new bed, new clothes, and loving parents. Their children will be provided with a complete education to position each child with a chance to succeed at achieving their dreams.
A team of local builders in the community will begin construction of the house in March, and it will be ready for the children to move in by the summer of 2022.
If you would like to join with Jeff, and Skill Samurai, they have created a fundraiser to purchase backpacks, and school supplies for their 12 children. You can donate at the link below:
https://angelhouse.me/fundraisers/skill-samurai-school-supplies
Pictured is a group of orphans with their new home in Polancha, India.
The second picture is of children outside of the school with their new backpacks.
