1. 
2. Richard Samuel
3. Ministries

Sahayam Home

The Sahayam Home is a place where destitute women can live out their days surrounded by love and care given in Jesus’ Name.

The Greatest Fear

Do you know what the foremost fear in the mind of an elderly destitute person in India is? That there would be no one to bury them. In India it is common to see elderly people living on the streets because they have no other place to live. Usually their husband or their adult children have cast them out because they do not want the financial responsibility of caring for someone who no longer makes a contribution to the family’s welfare.

In the city of Madurai alone there are approximately 3,000 elderly who live on the street. As Richard Samuel’s wife, Annie, saw the plight of these aged women, she heard the Lord prompting her to respond. Annie was obedient to His prompting, and the result is The Sahayam Home, a place where destitute women can live out their days surrounded by love and care given in Jesus’ Name.

Divine Help

“Sahayam” is a Tamil word meaning “Divine Help.” Indeed these women have received divine help, having been rescued by the hand of a loving God working through the Gospel servants of CCM. Below you can read some of their stories to hear how their lives have been transformed by the One who has redeemed them. The Sahayam Home is a testimony to the unconditional love of the Creator God who is Lord of the universe and who loves all of us out of His grace, not because of anything we can do for Him.

Partner with Us

The mission of The Sahayam Home is to give elderly women who have been cast out by their families not only a home, but also the hope and love of Jesus. By supporting this work, you can join the One who is the “Defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5). In the New Testament, Paul admonishes Timothy to provide for those widows who have no one else to care for them. Specifically, he says, “The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.” (1 Timothy 5:5) You can be an answer to those prayers by clicking the yellow Donate button on this page to continue the work of The Sahayam Home.

Testimonies

Ruth, age 45

I am from a Hindu family. My parents are no more. I have four brothers. Two of them are mentally ill. I was living with the other two brothers. I have a birth defect which causes me to be unable to speak properly. I am unmarried because of this weakness. My sister-in-law ill-treated me a lot without the knowledge of my brothers. I was very sad and had no joy and peace in my life. My brothers came to know about The Sahayam Home and left me here. I thank God for providing me a home. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior because it is He who saw my pitiable state and gave me a home. I am baptized now, and by God’s grace, my speech has improved tremendously. I am even able to sing songs and recite Bible verses. I am very happy that God has chosen me to be His child. I thank God for The Sahayam Home.

Mrs. Ruby Prabhu, age 63

I am a widow. I have three children - two sons and a daughter. Because of nervous weakness, my eyesight is almost fully gone. My children are well settled in life, but they are not willing to accept me in their homes. As per Indian custom I previously lived with my younger son’s family, but my daughter-in-law did not want to take care of me. I was not fed properly and was not given any medical care. I was deeply hurt and lived in tears, praying to God to give me shelter. At that time my son heard about The Sahayam Home and left me there just to get rid of me. But God has turned it to be a blessing for me. I know that this is the answer to my prayers. I feel loved and safe in The Sahayam Home. I thank God for providing me a home where I can confidently stay until my end.

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD