Pittsburgh Attorney Jan Swensen was overwhelmed by what he saw during several missionary trips he made to India. Orphaned children were sleeping on sidewalks, foraging in trash bins and struggling to survive.
Joining with several other leaders, he founded the James Connection in 2003. The nonprofit continues to raise money to provide basic necessities—food, shelter and clothing—to the children in these war-torn areas of the country.
Thousands of children are in distress in Manipur, a small state in northeast India near the border of Burma. Many witness tragic violence while others are orphaned as a result of deadly diseases that sweep the region. Most families live below the poverty line, earning an average annual wage of less than $1000.
The James Connection is supported through contributions from hundreds of volunteers, many originally from Pittsburgh but now from throughout the U.S. Through these proceeds, the nonprofit purchased 8.5 acres of land for the construction of Angels' Place, an orphanage in Churachandpur in the state of Manipur, which cares for more than 150 orphaned children.