Nancy’s heart in India
Nancy Dykes is fulfilling her call to help those less fortunate. Petrice Tarrant reports.
What began as a humble idea 20 years ago has blossomed into an international, life-saving mission.
Global Nulife Ministries has been saving lives for more than two decades thanks to the dedication of its founder, Tokoroa resident Nancy Dykes.
The organisation, which has funded the construction of more than 30 buildings in India, provides a sanctuary for orphans, lepers and widows in the Third World nation. ‘‘It’s a miracle,’’ Nancy said. The concept of giving was one drilled into the pastor at a young age.
‘‘Mother would read a missionary story most nights . . . There were lepers we would fundraise for and my grandmother would crochet throws to put over their knees.’’
And they weren’t always your average fundraisers either.
‘‘We would go out and blacken our faces to look like African children and we’d do an act and get donations.’’
She said all the money raised was sent overseas.
‘‘It wasn’t much but it gave us the deep impression that others weren’t as well off as us.’’
Even when Nancy’s brother died at a young age, others were put first, she said.
‘‘I remember my father saying he would not get a headstone for him. He said ‘well that’s not going to do him any good – I’m going to give what I would have given for the tombstone to the Korean boys’ home,’ – and so he gave the money to that.’’
Despite her upbringing, she said her first trip to India in 1981 was not a convincing one.
‘‘I remember lying on my hard bed in India saying I will never come back to this horrible place. It was very primitive, very dirty – it still is in some places.’’
But it was the people who pulled her back in 1988 – and her heart has been there ever since.
She began collecting donations and taking volunteers with her and in 1993 decided to form Global Nulife Ministries which now has a base in Tokoroa and one in the United States.
Tragedy struck in 1980 when Billy, Nancy’s 16-year-old foster boy, was killed in a water skiing accident.
Nancy said it was a big reason behind the ministry’s strong focus on bettering the lives of neglected orphans.
‘‘Within six months [after he died] I went to India . . . in a sense one child’s death became a thousand children’s lives, it had a strong impact on me to continue the work with children.’’
The ministry sends more than $ 70,000 a year to India. The money goes toward buildings, cars, maintenance and living expenses. The five main centres, run by local pastors, look after about 200 orphans, Nancy said. ‘‘We wish we could do more but we can only do what people sponsor.’’
Other projects include housing and feeding lepers, elderly widows, blind people and village pastors.
And while money is important, the backbone of the operation is the volunteer support, she said.
‘‘It doesn’t matter if they are religious, so long as their heart is in it, that’s what matters. People from all walks of life and all age groups come with me.’’
She said there was one message that always seemed to stick.
‘‘India will do more for you than you will ever do for India.’’
The youngest to take up the challenge was a 13-year-old while the eldest was 80, she said.