Hope 4 Dalits
HLWM-Hope4Dalits was founded in India 1999 by Pastor Joseph and Geetha Komanapalli and the Dutch couple Adrian and Frances van Halem. Frances van Halem had met Joseph and Geetha in person during a trip to India in 1985. The contact never completely broke off. In 1998, the couple Komanapalli came to Germany for a few weeks and visited Adrian and Frances van Halem in the Netherlands. The Komanapallis told of their vision to reach out to the poor in the coastal fishermen area of the Godavari River Delta area, not far from where they live. In 2000 the foundation HLWM was also registered in the Netherlands.
Foundations in Germany and Switzerland are also supporting the ministry.
Joseph Komanapalli was trained as a carpenter and a pastor. He supervises more than 120 full-time and part-time co-workers to run the Ministry. He is also President of about 2,000 independent Christian denominations in West Godavari. Their son David Komanapalli co-leads the accounting and project management with his parents.
Geetha Komanapalli is trained as teacher and in charge of the primary and secondary schools, as well as the primary health care and community health education programme. Similarly to her husband, she is a gifted speaker. She also writes the lyrics for songs and loves to worship and sing.
"I was so impressed by the love and warmth they give to the children. When Geetha sat in the last row and took a little girl in her arms, I was so touched."
​
- Peter Scuhr, joined the visit to HLWM in 2015