Look after orphans and widows this Easter

ORPHANS and widows are among the most disadvantaged people in our communities. While human civilization cannot exist without women and children, it is far too often that women and children find themselves in circumstances that leave them all alone in life and without anyone to help them. The death of a woman’s spouse or the deaths of a child’s parents should give us cause to reach out to those women and children who have been left alone and care for them in ways that are possible for us. But rather than choosing that route, people choose to discriminate and exploit orphans and widows. 

 

The suffering of orphans and widows 

India has a long history of widow discrimination. There was a time when the tradition of sati was widely practiced and while we have moved on from such banned customs, widows across India still face discrimination. In some regions, widows are prohibited from wearing colorful clothing or engaging in activities such as music or dance as they are to be in a perpetual state of mourning for the rest of their lives. But this disdain for widows has permeated into people’s behaviors as well. Widow abandonment is becoming a common practice and there are rising cases of widows being starved, locked up in their homes or pushed out onto the streets. 

The situation for orphans is no better. It is believed that children become orphans when their parents die but there are also countless children across India who are abandoned by their parents for reasons such as being born female, being disabled or being born with a life-threatening disease. These children are also orphans and are in danger of becoming victims of crimes such as child labor, domestic servitude, child marriage or being trafficked and sold into sexual exploitation. It is common to hear news reports of children without parents or guardians who have been abused or gone missing because they are “easy targets” for criminals.   

 

What orphans and widows need

Orphans and widows need our help to navigate this world after having been left alone in it due to death or abandonment. By their nature, orphans and widows are in a fragile state and without care, they are in danger of being mistreated by people who exploit their vulnerabilities for malice or financial gain. These are crimes against the law and should not exist in our societies – but they often do. Fighting against these injustices are NGOs for orphans and widows that rescue the vulnerable from the streets and give them the care they deserve for the rest of their lives. In helping orphans and widows, we can save thousands or millions of lives from despair.

These charitable organizations have teams that rescue orphans and widows from the streets and bring them into their safe and loving home where they receive regular and nutritious meals, constant medical attention, education for the children, recreational activities for the widows and the companionship of the other residents that often bloom into beautiful friendships that support their emotional needs. The goal of these NGOs is to give the women and children the foundation needed to rebuild their lives after having faced the worst hardships known to human beings: isolation, abandonment, abuse and pain. 

 

Help Maitri look after widows

There is a particular town in India where widows are brought to be abandoned on its streets without any food, clothing or medicines. Left on the roadsides, these widows spend the rest of their lives begging for scraps of food from people walking past them and doing their best to stay safe at night from criminals. These mothers and grandmothers have spent their whole lives taking care of their families but are abandoned by their children because they have become old and are no longer of any use to them. In addition to being left on the pavement, these mothers are also heartbroken at being abandoned by the people they love most. 

Maitri is an NGO that searches the streets of this town for such widows and brings them to their safe home where the women are given a roof over their heads, good meals to eat three times a day, medical attention from doctors, medicines for their health conditions and personal support and counseling to help them recover from the emotional pain of abandonment. For 20 years, Maitri has been taking care of abandoned widows and giving them a life filled with happiness, support and care. But the organization needs your support to reach out to more abandoned widows and care for them with love. To support Maitri:

 

Support Widows

 

Help Palna look after orphans

The birth of a child is a cause for celebration. But for parents across India, it is believed to be a curse or a bad omen to welcome a child with disabilities into the world. These children might have conditions that are curable or even treatable but for some parents, abandoning these children is better than living with the “shame” of a disabled child. These innocent children are then dumped into garbage bins or abandoned in public places where they are vulnerable to being bitten and attacked by animals at night, kidnapped by criminals and snatched by traffickers who subject these children to mistreatment and abuse. 

Palna is an NGO that found a solution to this heartbreaking situation. The charitable organization placed a large cradle outside the doors of their children’s home so that parents can leave their “unwanted” children with the NGO rather than abandoning them in public places where they are exposed to dangers. Once any weight above 1kg is placed inside the cradle, an alarm goes off inside the home and the staff members pick up the child, give them immediate medical attention and take care of them with regular meals, exercise, activities to help them enjoy their childhoods and education so they can work toward better futures. To support Palna:

 

Support Orphans

 

Look after orphans and widows this Easter

Easter is a time of celebration and reaching out to those in need of love, care and affection. Looking after orphans and widows is an important part of making sure that all members of our communities are able to overcome the pain of abandonment and have the foundation to rebuild their lives in a long term and permanent manner. The two charitable organizations are taking up this cause and have transformed the lives of hundreds of orphans and widows with their protection and guidance. This Easter, your support can help them reach out to more women and children and give them lives filled with happiness. Happy Easter! 

 

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