In Vrindavan, thousands of elderly widow mothers face the harsh reality of abandonment and suffering. With no one to turn to, many are left begging on the streets, exposed to heat, cold and rain,Donate so that Maitri can provide shelter, food, clothes and medical support to abandoned elderly mothers now. Give generously.Winnie Singh has witnessed many cases of widow mothers being abandoned on the streets of Vrindavan, one of the holiest places in India. “Children leave their mothers as soon as they become widows. The children start feeling the burden. This has become a practice in today's society that money comes first and everything else later,” says Winnie whose Maitri India, rescues widowed mothers from the streets of Vrindavan.Many widowed elderly mothers often end up living a lonely life and begging to survive on the streets. And Maitri aspires to take care of every widow in need of help, but because of lack of funds, Winnie and Maitri are in a position to do it."Elderly widows don't have shelter. They sleep in cowsheds over sacks. They don't have a blanket. Nights are really difficult for them," shares Winnie Singh. <img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/1abfb906-563b-4747-85b8-8af2071a2856.jpg" />Maitri aims to:<ul><li>Provide shelter and nutritious meals leading to improved health and wellbeing</li><li>Make physical and mental health services accessible</li><li>Offer necessary quality aged care and assisted living support</li><li>Increase awareness and engagement around the struggles of abandoned widow mothers</li></ul>Why donate to MaitriWinnie needs your support to help those in need of food, healthcare and well-being. “Maitri urgently needs your support to provide nutritious food, clothing and healthcare to sustain these widow mothers who are prone to more illnesses as they age,” appeals Winnie. “You can become the family they were denied. Hold their hands so they don't need to beg ever again,” she adds. Let’s rescue abandoned widows mothers from the streets of Vrindavan and give them a better future. Donate now.Our help will enable Maitri to save hundreds of abandoned widows from a life of begging, and restore the respect, dignity, and identity they deserve.

Help provide shelter, food, clothes and medical support to abandoned widow mothers of Vrindavan. Donate now

“What will happen to them after me? I am 80+. I spend sleepless nights,” worries ex-Air Force officer, Group Captain AC Barua while talking about the future of the 28 destitute women under his care. “They have nobody in this world, sometimes they don’t remember their own names. They are absolutely alone,” he informs us as he goes from one room to the other meeting all the women who live at Seneh, the only home where they are loved and taken care of. After fighting for his country all his life, this octogenarian is now fighting to rescue homeless and abandoned women from dying on the streets. But he cannot do it alone. “Everyday I keep on getting calls from here and there. ‘Oh! there’s a woman lying here. Can you help?’ But I don’t dare to go and help because I don’t have the money. I don’t have the resources, our resources are very limited,” explains Gr. Capt. Barua who is lovingly called ‘Sir’ and ‘Deuta’ (father in Assamese) by the residents of Seneh. With your help, 80-year-old Group Captain Barua can fulfill his mission of rescuing abandoned and homeless women from dying on the streets, alone. Donate nowDonate easily through UPI, all debit/credit cards and net banking. All donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India), &amp; 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (USA).Seneh- a home filled with love, care and hopeThe residents of Seneh often don’t remember who they are, where they have come from. Many times these are women with mental health conditions and considered being a witch due to superstitious beliefs and beaten up as a result. They are victims of domestic abuse or widow mothers who are considered to be a burden on the family. Group Captain Barua has not only rescued them from critical conditions, he has provided them with urgent medical care, food and above all, a free safe shelter where they can live with love and care. Among these residents is Sarala Kalita who fled to save herself from the tortures of her alcoholic husband only to face neglect and trauma from her brothers- and sisters-in-law. “Both my brothers and their wives urged my father to leave me somewhere as they didn’t want to take care of me anymore. One day my brother’s wife didn’t even let me have food at home. She just wanted me to leave and go away. So that’s why, my father got in touch with Seneh through someone, and handed me over to Sir to take care of me,” says Sarita who has found joy in living at Seneh. “Coming to Seneh, it felt like I got a new life altogether. Sir has given me a harmonium. I love singing. It makes me forget everything and takes me to someplace else entirely,” she adds. More women like Sarala can find their way to a loving home like Seneh. All they need is a little bit of your kindness. “It is difficult to make both ends meet”To sustain their daily expenditure, Capt Barua needs approx ₹3 lakh a month and arranging the funds is a mammoth challenge for the NGO. “Our expenses are growing day by day. Residents are growing older, their sicknesses are increasing. At times we have to give them special food. They require more care so we have to get more employees. About half of them require leading around, 1-2 has to be fed also. It will be very difficult to sustain it unless we get help,” he added. One act of your kindness can save these abandoned women, with no one in this world, from struggling on the streets to survive. At 80+ Gr. Capt. Barua cannot sustain Seneh on his own. “With folded hands, I appeal to all. Please come and please help us. Let us help these people, these old people who have nobody in this world. They are dying. They will die on the streets,” he urged. Donate to this fundraiser by Give.do to support retired Air Force officer, Group Captain Barua in his mission to rescue abandoned and homeless women from dying on the streets.

Help ex-IAF officer rescue abandoned women and provide them with food and shelter

“I used to be sexually abused repeatedly, and when I screamed in pain, they hit and threatened me with more violence,” says Priya (name changed), a rescued child sex worker. Priya was abducted by traffickers and sold into a red-light area house before she was rescued by Guria led by Manju. For over two decades, Manju has been rescuing young girls forced into prostitution across the country. She has been shaken to the core seeing some of the most horrifying crimes that young girls have to undergo. “You can’t imagine the state of girls forced into sex work. The girls are given electric shocks and burnt with cigarette butts just to get kicks out of it. And if they get pregnant, the "owners" kick them repeatedly in the womb so that the child inside dies…If you want to see hell, it is here on this planet where young girls are sexually abused,” says Manju.Manju needs your help to rescue more young girls from forced prostitution and reunite them with their families. Donate now.Guria’s work over the yearsBased out of Varanasi, inarguably the holiest place in India, Manju and her organisation Guria, fights the sexual exploitation of girls, especially minors, by taking on the traffickers head-on, and rescuing and rehabilitating them.Started in 1993, Guria has rescued over 5500 persons from slavery, sex trafficking, and child prostitution so far. It has also been instrumental in shutting down hundreds of places that housed trafficked girls and putting scores of traffickers out of business and in jail.For instance, in 2005, a Guria-led rescue operation in Varanasi's red-light area led to the freeing of 49 women and girls, including minors. Many of them were kept against their will. Some of the traffickers were also arrested and tried. Since then, Guria has rescued thousands of young girls.Manju and her husband, Ajeet Singh began rescuing girls from Varanasi’s red-light areas and then working to stop the sex-trafficking of young girls within Uttar Pradesh and outside. The organisation’s aim is to eliminate the sex trafficking of women, especially minor girls, end second-generation prostitution and child prostitution, and rehabilitate women and girls who are rescued from the trade. Manju has faced violent backlash from the traffickers and other vested interests, but it has not deterred her from carrying on rescuing young girls from trafficking. Rescue and rehabilitationBesides rescuing girls trafficked for sex, mostly from low-income families, from across the country, Guria fights on their behalf in courts and also provides education, food, vocational training, and other facilities until they are united with their families. But because of a lack of funds, Guria is finding it difficult to rescue more girls and also take care of them once they are away from the clutches of the traffickers. Take the case of Sameena (name changed), who was abducted from Uttar Pradesh all the way to Telangana. Guria took it upon itself to rescue the girl with the help of its own work and also the authorities. After months of rehabilitation, Sameena went back to her family and even completed her education. With your support, Manju can rescue many more young girls from trafficking and help them live the life of their dreams.

Help Manju rescue young sex trafficking victims. Donate now

This is a sample description for Women Empowerment. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Women EmpowermentWomen EmpowermentWomen Empowerment.

Women Empowerment

This is a sample description for Environment For the purpose of testing I will use the word EnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironment.

Environment

This is a sample description for Livelihood. For the purpose of testing I will use the word LivelihoodLivelihoodLivelihoodLivelihood.

Livelihood

This is a sample description for Community & Rural Development. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Community & Rural DevelopmentCommunity & Rural DevelopmentCommunity & Rural Development.

Community & Rural Development

We are your typical middle class working women who discovered the connection between our waste and the ailments that were troubling our children. Given our experience in the corporate sector, we analyzed the issues and started to work on reducing our and our community's waste impact. Before we knew, we were part of the nationwide Garbage Sisterhood. At some point, we felt we have to step up from being an eco-warrior to an eco-entrepreneur to create products and solutions that can help people who want to make a change, and Stonesoup was born. Stonesoup Trust creates awareness on 'Zero waste living' in communities, corporations, schools, etc.

Stonesoup Trust

This nonprofit is registered as a charitable trust under section 12A of India's Income Tax Act, 1961.

Smita Kulkarni

Menstrual cups and weaver sarees distributed to BBMP pourakarmikas, Linkworker’s and ASHA workers of ward 46. Thanks to RT Nagar residents and Rotary RT Nagar for contributing. It makes for comfortable periods for the next 10 years and colourful Deepawali habba. Thanks to Sowmya for coordinating it all.<img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/e2a8fe24-f7fd-4861-8535-2226c8c22ae7.jpeg" />

Donation in RT Nagar

22 Oct 2020: Continuing on our campaign of #cupforcovidwarriors, the recipients of the cup and weaver saree donations in the festive time of Navratri were the link workers and ASHA workers of Hombegowda ward. The event was organised by Vinodh and other team members of the Parivartana Trust who have been involved in COVID relief work in the past few months. <img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/8d25eb5a-d784-493a-935e-65165961892e.jpg" /><img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/47d148a3-0e83-4daa-86ff-55df0b47b9d8.jpg" />

Cups and weaver sarees to Hombegowda Linkworkers and ASHA workers

On 18th Oct, the ASHA workers of Shanthinagar and Shantala Nagar took a break from their COVID duty to gather at MG Road COVID war room centre for a session on sustainable menstruation and gifting of cups They were delighted to receive the pink cups along with weaver sarees sponsored by Mission Vishwas and Rotary. <img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/bfb16546-9e61-44cd-92d5-7033ca328306.jpg" />

Cups to Shanthinagar ASHA Workers

PadSquad, GiveIndia, Rotary, Mission Vishwas, Shrenis and Stonesoup came together today at Richards Park to gift 34 of our frontline COVID Warriors (BBMP Linkworkers, ASHA workers, PHC medical staff, Policewomen) with Happy Periods and Happy Festival Season. They received Stonesoup menstrual cups to manage their periods in a healthier, earth-friendly and more comfortable way. They also received sarees sourced from distressed weavers of Banhatti and Yamakanamardi of Karnataka. Needless to say their faces were glowing!<img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/9bcf723f-d220-4b5f-acab-dce8adaba627.jpg" />

34 cups to COVID Warriors of Pulakeshinagar Ward

BBMP Health department has done a commendable job in increasing testing levels in Bangalore. The link workers joined hands with the PHC (Public Health Clinics) in every ward and have been reaching out to slums, orphanages, old age homes and people at large to get tested. These ladies are out in the field most of the time, with limited access to clean bathrooms and erratic work hours. Many manage the period days by using multiple disposable pads so they would not have to change in between. Many take leave during those days. Bangalore Cosmo Ladies Circle 105 came forward to donate 30 menstrual cups to the link workers in Yelahanka Zone. The cups were distributed on Sep 2, 2020 at Mini Vidhana Soudha in Yelahanka by BBMP Health Officer of Yelahanka Zone, Dr Savita. Smita Kulkarni, co-founder of Stonesoup explained the need for sustainable menstruation and how cups will make their jobs easier to do during periods. She also demonstrated how to insert the cups and remove and answered questions. One of the link workers, Suma, took the lead and has noted the numbers of all those who received the cup today. Videos on usage and follow up will be done over the next one month to ensure they are able to use the cup successfully. By donating these 30 cups today, the Ladies Circle team has diverted 60,000 disposable pads from the landfill and collectively saved Rs 5,40,000 for the women that would have otherwise been spent on disposable pads over 10 years by these women. We would like more and more people to come forward lead similar initiatives to gift happy periods for the special women of Bangalore City! <img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/ed2355df-d727-4504-bf3c-22523d9320d6.jpeg" /><img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/ca9586df-33a8-4e8c-bf5f-50906ec98220.jpeg" /><img src="https://cfstatic.giveindia.org/055d2ef5-21b2-4a26-924c-dd7c78c8d5c7.jpeg" />

30 cups to BBMP Link Workers in Yelahanka

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According to the National family health survey 2015-16, India has 336 million menstruating women. Reports suggest that India creates staggering 113,000 tonnes of menstrual waste annually that can take over 500-800 years to fully decompose. Lack of proper disposal facilities also leads to overuse of the menstrual hygiene products beyond the recommended time which puts women at risk for infections. According to a report published by NDTV in February 2018, Disposable sanitary pads have the following side effects; causes Cancer, infertility and birth defects. The reports also suggest menstrual cups and cloth pads as a safer alternative. Stonesoup works in the area of sustainable menstruation, gifting women and girls 'Cash Free, Rash Free and Trash Free' periods.<ol><li>One Menstrual cup lasts for about 10 years and saves about 1800 disposable pads from going to the landfill</li><li>One reusable cloth pad kit lasts for about 4-5 years and saves about 540 disposable pads from going to the landfill. We recommend reusable cloth pad kits especially for school girls</li></ol> We want to gift green periods to about 80,000 women and girls. This includes menstrual cups for women in need and reusable cloth pads for school girls.

Gift a Green Period

According to MHAI India has 336 million menstruating women and 36% use disposable sanitary napkins that totals to 121 million women. This implies that India has 12.3 billion disposable sanitary napkins to take care of every year. Most of these products are disposed in unsanitary and unhygienic ways like flushing in toilets, throwing in dustbins as part of regular solid waste, by burning, by burying, by throwing it into a river etc.<ul><li> Disposable sanitary pads and tampons contain super absorptive materials like polyacrylate, when flushed absorbs all the liquids, swell up and causes sewage backflow which is serious health hazard </li><li>Deodorised sanitary products used by women/girls contain chemicals used in bleaching such as organochlorines which when buried in the soil disturbs the soil microflora and decomposition takes time.</li><li>When a used disposable napkin is thrown into a river, it contaminates the river</li><li> Burning of pads releases harmful gasses that affects health and environment. Burning of inorganic material at low temperature releases dioxins which are toxic and carcinogenic</li><li>There is enough research and evidence to show that sanitary pads contain chemicals that have adverse effect of women’s health</li></ul> 
 <ol><li>Spread awareness on Sustainable Menstruation and encourage women and girls to switch to sustainable menstrual hygiene products like cloth pads and Menstrual cups. </li><li>Develop a cloth pad making unit in 10 districts of India, making sure that the new age cloth pads are made available locally and produced locally. </li><li>Train women in every district of India to do sessions to help girls and women to think positively about their periods and promote sustainable menstruation options including menstrual cups. </li><li>For 10 women who are trained to stitch cloth pads, 20 women will be trained to spread the awareness of Sustainable Menstruation and sell sustainable menstrual hygiene products.</li></ol> 
 <ul><li>Reduce the amount of sanitary waste generated in the district. A set of 5 cloth pads reduces 1500 disposable period care product from going to the landfill. Every menstrual cup sold reduces 2500 disposable period care product from going to the landfill</li><li>Create livelihood for about 300 women in 10 districts</li><li>Ensure the that Sustainable Menstrual hygiene care products are made available locally.</li></ul>

Project GreenDot

With the onset of Corona virus pandemic, many of our tailors and the weaver communities have gone out of work. The weavers have huge piles of cloth unsold and the tailors have no clothes to stitch. We are looking at creating employment by making the tailors stitch masks out of the sarees and other material lying unsold with the weavers. What started as a livelihood project for our tailors stitching cloth pads and bags has now turned into a pan india movement to employ tailors and weavers. 
 Stonesoup trust along with other NGOs would like to make millions of these reusable cloth masks. We need help in finding large scale buyers - corporates like banks, airlines or retailers like Big Bazzar, Super Markets etc. We also want to donate these masks for the needy. Donate generously, help fight corona and generate livelihood. For corporate and retail orders write to trust@stonesoup.in 
 An order of 4 million masks will employ approx 10,000 people for 2 months. #Createlivelihood #Generateemployment A single cloth mask has 4 benefits # Saves the environment# Employs out of work tailors# Employs weavers # Creates a very comfortable on skin product that saves money too!

Project Livelihood Masks

Bangalore alone generates 4000 MT/day  of waste everyday,it has 7+ toxic landfills and 24 lakh tonnes of mixed waste across these landfills generating methane gas.Municipalities aren’t able to handle the increasing amount of waste,current solutions for bulk waste management are not scientifically managed and end up burning the waste instead of turning them into usable end product.Currently there is a huge carbon footprint of waste management and  dependency on unreliable waste pickers. Bulk generators hesitate to start composting in situ due to taboos associated with it like smell and flies. They lack expertise, fear high capital expenditure and fluctuating operational expenses. 
 Composting at source is the best decentralized waste management technique. This can be done at home level, community level, ward level etc. This saves unsegregated waste from going to the landfill and reduces dependency on Urban Local Bodies and vendors for waste pick up. At Stonesoup trust we want to work with individuals, communities, schools, corporates, Urban Local bodies et al. and spread awareness, and do project on composting at source. The compost generated through the composting projects will be supplied to the farmers who will use if for growing food. This will ensure ethical and safe farming. 
 We want to ensure that about 20,000 households start composting their waste at source. Impact on Waste Management<ul><li>A set of 3 home composters saves around 30 Kgs of waste per household/ per month from going to the landfill</li><li>A community composter can save around 600 KGs of waste/Month from going to the landfill</li><li>A leaf composter can save 2 tonnes of garden waste from ending up in the landfill</li><li>All the composters will generate nutrient rich compost to nourish the soil and grow safe good.</li><li>Reduced carbon footprint of garbage transport.</li><li>Reduced emissions of methane( greenhouse gas)</li><li>Mitigate climate change. </li></ul>Impact on Farming and Soil<ul><li>Compost is nutrient rich and provides good nutrients to the crops grown over an extended period of time</li><li>Humus in compost acts as a sponge absorbing over 50% run off water during irrigation. This helps in crops dying due to sudden loss of moisture. </li><li>Compost improves soil porosity strengthens root systems and plant resistance to pests, requiring lower pesticide application. </li></ul>SDGs Fulfilled<ul><li>SDG11:Sustainable communities:CaaS,decentralized waste management</li><li>SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and production:95% of the waste can be easily rescued from landfill if it is segregated</li><li>SDG 13 Climate Action: </li></ul>