- info@DawasMinistries.com
- 4164 Austin Bluffs Pkwy #431, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Dawas Ministries is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides the opportunity to hear the good news that there is hope in Jesus Christ. We aim to create a haven for children at risk, provide access to education and skills training to help individuals earn a living, and empower leaders to be responsible stewards of people’s souls.
Our mission is to ensure everybody is a creation of God and God cares for all regardless of caste, creed, religion, color and gender. Therefore, we provide opportunities for individuals and communities to make their lives better and become good citizens of their respective countries by providing food through food banks, educational opportunities, skill training, and training leaders to watch over their people in love and dignity.
Dawas Ministries strives to break the cycle of poverty, discrimination, abuse, and oppression through the following projects:
Dawa Bhutia, Founder of Dawas Ministries, was born and raised in India. Despite her father being a pastor, she lived a double life, discontent, and feeling she had no purpose. It wasn’t until she was 25 years old that she received a revelation of God’s love for her. It was then that she decided to believe in Jesus and make Him the Lord and Savior of her life.
History: Unforgettable Day 1998
After I got saved, I went back to my old job. One day, as I was walking to work, I saw two barefoot boys, around 6 to 7 years old, carrying large plastic bags. They were poorly dressed for the winter, and I wondered why they weren’t in school and where their mother was.
That same day, I felt led by God to go to a nearby marketplace. After work, I arrived there not knowing what I was doing. Suddenly, seven boys came rushing toward me and asked me for food. Though I had walked that path for five years, I had never seen them before, nor had anybody begged me like that. I found a small restaurant nearby and fed them noodles. While they were eating, I asked them who they were and why they were begging. Soon, I learned that these boys lived on the streets and survived by begging for food. After they had finished eating, they bolted out the door and disappeared into the crowd. I had nothing left to do, so as I was leaving, one boy came running and said, “You fed others; can you feed me too?”Unfortunately, I had no money left to buy anything, but I had the last comic book, called The Greatest Story Ever Told. I handed him the book and said, “This is all I have for you today. His name was Santosh Tamang. Long story short, today, he is pastoring a church and raising his family in Kathmandu.
Today, we continue to feed, educate, rescue, train, and restore the lives of individuals like Tamangs who have been destroyed by the enemy. Praise the Lord! I am looking forward to seeing more people receive life-changing experiences in Christ Jesus!
Changed Life, Changing Life!
Dawa has since become a United States citizen, allowing her to take Dawas Ministries to greater heights and minister to more children and families in both India and Nepal.
Naba Raj Singh was born and grew up in Nepal. He received his formal education in Nepal and earned an Associates in Business Administration from Pokhara Multiple Campus. Similarly, he earned a BA in Biblical Studies from University of the Nations and a MA in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Naba Raj Singh received an opportunity to know God early in his life and has been serving Him through Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for over three decades; in Nepal and overseas; mainly in the USA. He has had the privilege of serving others through teaching and as part of the leadership team at Dawas Ministries. Many of his responsibilities have involved teaching language to foreign missionaries and interpreting and translating materials.”
Susan Meiler was born and raised near Buffalo, New York. She has been a registered nurse since 1972. She served in the Navy for 3 years before joining the Army. Altogether, she is proud to have served her country for 25 years. During that time, Susan worked in general intensive cares, medical and surgical floors, Geriatrics, OB and public health.
Since she retired from the military, she has devoted her time to serving God in a variety of capacities. However, she is most excited about supporting Dawas Ministries, in the role of Secretary, and contributing insights and knowledge from her medical background.
As of April, 2023, India became the most populated nation in the world. India has ancient roots in hinduism and as a spice trade power, yet was under British imperial control until 1947. Still today, those events have created a stigma towards “western influence”. Many Indians want to regain their lost culture. However, since regaining their independence competing ideas of communism; from eastern neighbor China, and Sharia (Islamic Rule); from western neighbor Pakistan, have also begun competing for power in India. This concentration of diverse views, global population, natural resources, and geographic influence, have made India into a type of world arena where opposing governments and religions battle for power.
The unfortunate side-effect is that India has become a very difficult region to operate in benevolence. Kindness is often feared to have ulterior motives or to be a play to gain influence. As a result, many “western” charities or organizations have experienced severe persecution. Even organizations that many consider well-respected, such as Compassion International, have been barred from operating in India.
Dawas Ministries has also encountered significant persecution. In one altercation, after completing a feeding shelter outreach, a radical group targeted Dawa Bhutia and her team and had them arrested under fabricated charges. Recognizing the false allegations and corruption, one of the arresting police officers also imprisoned himself with the team until they were all released a week later.
Despite persecutions, threats, and limitations, Dawas Ministries boldly continues to care for the needs of underprivileged children and the disadvantaged men and women.
Approximately 70% of India’s population lives in rural areas with 54% dependent on agriculture for their living. Unfortunately, the drought rate in India has increased significantly – by 57% since 1997. From just 2020-2022 drought affected nearly two-thirds of the nation. In just the last 10 years, one-third of the country has experienced four droughts. That’s approximately 50,000,000 people every year who have been severely hindered from generating income or having food.
When these events occur, it is common for men to leave their families in search for food. Many young people sell their bodies just to make enough money to survive, and children often run away to the city only to find the world they hoped for doesn’t exist. In these communities, traffickers are perceived less as criminals and more as saviors because they bring the “hope” of provision and remove the “burden” of children.
The average adult in India and less in Ne_pl has only 5 years of education, with 80% of the entire population living on just 200 rupees ($2.50) per day. So, children who migrate to cities often think they can provide for themselves better through collecting cans, washing windows, and pick-pocketing than most adults. However, they must spend the money they earn the same day. If they try to save the money, it is usually stolen by other kids, makes them a target to adult criminals, or is “confiscated” by the police. Homeless and hungry children often join a sub-culture of “street boys” that do whatever it takes to get a little money and food each day, so it can immediately be spent on entertainment, specifically video games, movies, and cheap “drugs”; sniffing glue, paint, or other inhalants. The most “successful” street boys often don’t know that using inhalants is dangerous and rarely live through their teen years. Conditions for girls in the street are often much worse, as they commonly experience physical and sexual abuse, are bullied or mugged by the boys when they do get food or money, and are easily kidnapped by traffickers and sold as sex or household slaves. It’s estimated that 16 of the 20 million current “prostitutes” in India are victims of such trafficking. The average life expectancy of a trafficking victim is 7 years.
Dawas Ministries’ food bank and other outreach programs meet the basic needs of families with children and help them to live a decent life. By providing education and foster homes, we are advancing the fight against child trafficking, discrimination, threats, and hunger. As we build relationships with orphans and families with children, they are empowered to escape poverty and break the cycle of homelessness.
Dawas Ministries has been uniquely positioned with a solution to fight against the enemy. We have the heart to preserve and restore the dignity of the people God has created them with. We believe peace and prosperity cannot come through the funding and influence of outside nations, but must be accomplished through the life of Jesus Christ, who has promised it in Him. We are called and empowered not to change anybody’s belief system but to show the path of life and liberty. Dawas Ministries actively provides aid to hurting children and families so that they can gain the advantage of having their basic needs met to focus on their education and the life God has given to them to enjoy.
The Dawas Ministries team is uniquely positioned to provide a solution through:
“Nevertheless, if India is to live as a nation, if the slow death by starvation of her people is to stop, some remedy must be found for immediate relief. The proposed conference is certainly not the remedy. It is not a matter of carrying conviction by argument. The matter resolves itself into one of matching forces. Conviction or no conviction, Great Britain would defend her Indian commerce and interests by all the forces at her command. India must consequently evolve force enough to free herself from that embrace of death.“
– Mahatma Ghandi (In his letter to the Viceroy “Quit India” Speeches)
You can be a part of caring for children at risk with Dawas Ministries! We ask for your prayers and hope that you will connect with us. Please also consider making a one-time donation or becoming a monthly financial partner.
A Donation of just $50.00 is more than most Indian people live on for 2 full days.
