WHO will give us blankets? This question is posed by an old woman who was abandoned by her family on the streets of Vrindavan, a place where old widows are left on the streets to beg for food and spend the last years of their lives in sadness and extreme poverty. In 2005, Winnie Singh witnessed this misery and resolved to rescue these women who were forced to suffer from hunger and abandonment in their old age. She founded Maitri which is an NGO that rescues and shelters abandoned widows and gives them a warm and loving home, regular meals and a family of women who care for one another.
Maitri’s winter outreach
This winter, temperatures in Vrindavan can go down to single digits and this is torturous for elderly women sleeping on the streets. During these cold winter months, Maitri is distributing winter wear including thermals, blankets, sweaters, socks, caps and gloves to protect these destitute women on the roads from the harsh winter winds which can cause extreme illness and even death. To help Maitri distribute warm winter clothing to abandoned widows on the streets of Vrindavan, you can donate here.
Hear from widows on the streets
“We can starve for a night or two without food and still stay alive, but we are defenseless against the cold weather” says Gendu, 70-year-old widow living on the roadside. Gendu begs for food on the streets of Vrindavan to stay alive, but when the winter season approaches, she is terrified. “I don’t have anything to defend myself against the weather. Not a warm blanket or even a sweater” she says.
Like Gendu, there are countless abandoned senior citizens who once lived in a home filled with children whom they loved and cared for all their lives. But once they became widows, their own families chased them out of their homes and left them to perish on the streets of Vrindavan. In addition to the dangers that a woman faces living on the streets alone, these heartbroken women also have to contend with the pain of being abused and abandoned by their own children. Once busy mothers, they now sit on the sides of roads and extend their hands for a few coins from passersby that may buy them their next meal.
What happens to homeless elderly women during the winters?
Winne Singh shares that elderly women can handle the heat during the summers, but can barely manage to stay alive during the winter months. Their bodies become so weak during winter that they become susceptible to various diseases. Since Vrindavan is located on the banks of the Yamuna River, the area experiences extremely low temperatures. “I have seen many women dying in their beds because of the cold. Sometimes it gets so cold that many don’t even feel like getting out of bed. This may bring them more diseases.”
Homeless widows sleeping in cow shelters
In desperation, many old women living on the streets make their way to cow shelters (called gaushalas) to find a place to sleep for the night. “But, even there, they cannot get the kind of clothes and bedding that can keep them warm,” explains Winnie. “They need thermals, sweaters, gloves, caps and blankets.” To help Maitri distribute warm winter clothing to abandoned widows on the streets of Vrindavan, you can donate here.
Helping women beyond the walls of Maitri
Maitri cares for over 150 widows who receive shelter, food, medical attention and care. But not every elderly widow who comes to Vrindavan after being abandoned ends up at Maitri. There are countless women living on the desolate streets just waiting for someone to reach out and help them. So, while there are women who have been rescued by Maitri, “there are many more who need support during the winter months,” Winnie Singh of Maitri shares. When you donate to this fundraiser, you give them warm clothes and blankets to protect them from the harsh winter.
Winnie’s plea this winter
“I ask everyone to help us. Help us so we can look after not just the abandoned mothers in our ashram but all the abandoned women across Vrindavan. Help us give all of them winter wear and look after their health, so that no abandoned mother is in pain and that no widow loses her life due to the harsh winters.” To help Maitri distribute warm winter clothing to abandoned widows on the streets of Vrindavan, you can donate here.
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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