"My son used to kick me when he was in my womb. Why make an issue when he kicked me in my old age?" reasons a very forgiving Shakti Dasi. The widow travelled 2300 kms from Tripura to Vrindavan after her only son violently beat her with a burning plank of wood and broke her knee one evening. She had to leave behind the business she had built with her husband who had died a few years back. Shakti ended up on the streets of Brindavan begging for food and shelter. But when Winnie Singh of Maitri saw Shakti in a frail state in tattered clothes, she brought her to the shelter home where Shakti gets food, care and medicines. What more, with Maitri’s intervention, Shakti reconciled with her son - and daughter-in-law, and now travels home to Tripura twice a year to spend time with her grandchildren. But she is not leaving Maitri, as this has become her family.Not every elderly widow who comes to Vrindavan after being abandoned by her family gets as lucky as Shakti. Many of them often end up living a lonely life and begging to survive on the streets. Maitri aspires to take care of every widow in need of help.<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/ce101369-528c-4d37-bc1d-1118b9925af3.jpg" />Maitri’s Project Jeevan to the rescueAbandoned, elderly widows are the amongst the most vulnerable in India. After being thrown out of their often abandoned by their own children and are forced to beg for food and shelter. “Through Project Jeevan, Maitri houses aging widow mothers in two ashrams in Vrindavan and Radhakund (Mathura), providing them with wellness and well-being. The programme also reaches out to widow mothers beyond the ashrams with fruit, milk and healthcare services,” explains Winnie Singh, co-founder and executive director, Maitri India.Save homeless elderly widows from begging on the streetsMost widows who make their way to Vrindavan are abandoned by their families, often after years of abuse. They come here hoping they will spend the rest of their days in prayer and devotion. But most live in impoverished conditions on the streets and in dingy rooms. Since poor living conditions often cause a wide range of health ailments, including respiratory infections and chronic conditions, Maitri comes to their rescue through its Project Jeevan.The project aims to:<ul><li>Provide 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 on and engagement around the struggles of abandoned widow mothers</li></ul><img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/1abfb906-563b-4747-85b8-8af2071a2856.jpg" />Project Jeevan needs your support to help those in need of food, healthcare and well-being. Donate now.“Maitri urgently needs your support to provide food, clothing and healthcare to sustain these widow mothers who are prone to more illnesses as they age,” appeals Winnie.Maitri believes in a woman’s right to dignity in life and death, more so a mother. 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.

Save abandoned, elderly widow mothers of Vrindavan from begging on streets

In the dark and dingy alleys of red light areas, injustice, pain and suffering run rampant. And the worst affected are the children who grow up in red-light areas and are subjected to constant abuse and violence. “The sight of a 12-year-old girl being gang-raped by a group of men near a house l haunts me to this date. I was filled with anguish and resolved to do something,” says Girish Kulkarni who has made it his life’s mission to rescue children from red light areas and give them a safe and secure childhood. In the last 3 decades Girish has saved over 1100 girls from a life of abuse in red-light areas, giving them a loving home, education and medical care. He has further supported over 20,000 children with a better life.Sadly, 250 of the children rescued from abuse and exploitation are HIV positive. The high cost of medication has left Girish struggling for funds. Your support can help him provide these children with the care and upbringing they need. Donate now.Donate easily through UPI, all debit/credit cards and net banking. Charitable 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). A movement to protect vulnerable children“Growing up in Ahmednagar, the experiences I had as a child witnessing the horrors of sex trade defined the path of my life. I had even seen my friend’s 15-year-old sister and 70-year-old grandmother being forced to do sex work for the price of a cup of tea”, recalls Girish. “I started by merely feeding and teaching children of sex workers initially with the intention of giving them some respite from the horrors of life of abuse in red-light areas. Gradually more and more mothers started coming to me and asked me to take their children away, even if it was just for a couple of hours,” he further adds.The work that Girish started in his youth gradually grew to become a movement, with many more joining his cause. His NGO Snehalaya to date has transformed the lives of millions. Girish’s work is crucial for the survival and safety of vulnerable children of sex workers. Snehalaya is almost entirely dependent on donations from the public and your support can strengthen his mission to save children most in need. Donate generously.The horrors of life in red light areas“The cruelty and abuse that children as young as 6 or 7 years of age face is something that I can’t explain in words. Young daughters of sex workers are made to watch their mothers being raped, are brutally assaulted and forced into sex work. No child deserves to grow like this, Girish says in anguish.Sad reality of life for children growing up in red light areas is that they are deprived of even the most basic needs like proper food, safety and education. Moreover, a majority of children rescued by Girish are diagnosed HIV positive. The task of securing medication, providing them quality education and much needed nutrition is one that requires constant support from donors. Moreover, the increase in healthcare cost has left Girish struggling to keep his home for children going. But your support can enable him to give his children a loving environment and save many more who still remain trapped behind closed doors.Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform, to help Snehalaya give hundreds of children rescued from red-light areas a life away from violence and abuse.

Help Girish give 250 HIV+ children, rescued from abuse in red-light areas a new life

“They insert a candle in the vagina, fingers are inserted (in the vagina) and tortured, and if children don’t relent even then, they put chilli powder so that children will say “yes” because of the burning of the skin… There are teeth marks on their bodies, and their vaginal parts are burnt. When children stay in these conditions, it is painful even to hear,” says Lalitha SA of Society for Participatory Integrated Development (SPID), in course of talking about many heart-rending stories of trafficked children in red-light areas.In over three decades, the SPID led by Lalitha, has saved over 3000 children from the red-light areas, many from clutches of sex trafficking.Sadly, many more children need to be rescued and in need of a loving home. But Lalitha needs our support to carry on the mission, to move out of her small facility so that she can rescue more children, house them in a permanent location and give them all the love they deserve. Your support can help her give these children the care and upbringing they need. Donate now.Donate easily through UPI, all debit/credit cards and net banking. Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India).A movement to protect vulnerable childrenAs a social worker, Lalitha has worked for decades in GB Road, the red-light area of Delhi and helped many women escape the clutches of being forced into sex. But it was the exploitation of children, many of them hardly ten or twelve or even less. The SPID has focused on rescuing such children and giving them a new life.Lalitha plays a vital role in the survival and safety of vulnerable children in the red light areas. As SPID is almost entirely dependent on donations from the public, we can support and strengthen SPID’s mission to save children. Donate generously.Donation to SPID’s fundraiser on Give.do“I have limited funds and very limited space, and if I had the funds, I would be able to rescue many more children and provide them with more comfort. With folded hands, I plead with you that you help us with funds in large numbers and support us in providing us children with a decent life. Become a part of the mission,” pleads LalithaDonate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform, to help Lalitha give hundreds of children rescued from brothels a life away from violence and abuse.NGO's 80G number: AADAS3217RF20212NGO's 12A number: AADAS3217RE20214

This Navratri, help Lalitha give kids rescued from abuse in red-light areas a safe and loving home. Donate now.

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

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

Women Empowerment

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Education

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Children

Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan, registered under the Indian Society’s Registration Act, 1860, in 2000 in Bahadarpur, Jalgaon as a non-political and non-religious organization. Computer classes for the villagers was the first step taken by the organization, and it was just the beginning. Gradually, villagers learnt about the existence of the organization and started to take interest. During this course of time, BNGVN realized the importance of ‘strengthening the economy’ of villagers as well as the hidden power in the group of women. So, BNGVN initiated and strengthened Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Bahadarpur, Shirsode &amp; Mahalpur regions. Along with this work, BNGVN initiated their efforts to provide sanitation blocks for the villagers.The organization has progressed on the basis of their learning of problems faced by farmers and women and thus has undertaken several programs taking in consideration the needs of the society. So far, the organization has established more than 2000 SHGs in 4 districts. The organization is now giving utmost importance to ‘micro-credit’ for poor farmers. With the aim of creating a strong foundation which would help sustain the villagers without any external support in future, the idea of building a ‘Gram Nidhi’ or village fund has emerged along with a revolving fund for lending money to the needy farmers. Though the organization has its role in all this development work, they believe that they are ‘helping people to help themselves.’

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Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan

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Agriculture in India is dependent on rain while the average farm size amounts to around 2-3 acres, making farming an unsustainable source of income. According to reports, the Khandesh region of Maharashtra witnessed 1,341 farmer suicides in 2010. Those who lost their lives were mostly debt-ridden farmers affected by drought and crop-failure. 
 Our project provides loans to over 60 farmers from three villages on low interest rates. We ensure that our loans are invested in the purchase of at least two buffaloes. We also train farmers in veterinary care and provide fodder for their cattle. Our intervention ensures maintenance costs are cut while providing a secure alternative source of income in the form of dairy farming. It also gives nutritional security as the dairy provides sufficient milk for selling as well as consuming within the family. 
 In the year 2010, a sum of Rs. 7,80,000 was disbursed to 78 farmers from three villages with a 100% repayment rate within a year. Also, after a follow up of each of these families we learnt that the loans had not only enabled them to become debt-free, but the cattle had given them a stable source of income.Any donations to this project will ensure farmers and their families can live safe and secure lives in Maharashtra.

Provide villagers with a stable income by donating a buffalo

Talukas except for two or three in the north and east of Jalgaon, are labelled under drought prone areas with unpredictable rains. At times it rains heavy and then it does not rain for three to four years. The area is also affected badly because of hailstorms. A majority of the population in this area depends on agriculture and hence their economic condition is very weak. There was a time when this area was famous of cultivation of bananas. Now the water level in the ground has gone down to 700 feet. Due to such problems, people are migrating to Pune, Mumbai, Nashik and Gujarat. When the situation gets worst, farmers choose to end their miseries by committing suicide. Condition of farmers in the adjacent Dhule district is no more different. According to the government, in Jalgaon there are 1,533 villages with population of 42,24,442. Jalgaon covers 11,765 sq. kilometre area. 80 percent of the district is occupied by rural population and 20 percent by the urban. Bhagini Nivedita is working in the space of Community Development since 2000 in the village Bahadarpur. We are also working in the villages of Nashik, Dhule and Nandurbar on the following lines:1. Formation of Self Help Groups2. Creation of opportunities of income generation for women by establishing small enterprises for them3. Imparting various trainings in agriculture and supporting with finance to the farmers4. Initiation of various activities for village development 
 Work/initiatives that will be part of the project:1.Deepening and widening of stream (Nala)• Day by day the streams/Nalas are getting filled up with mud and soil.• Many streams/Nalas have been narrowed down due to the encroachment of farms and other things• Because of the two reasons mentioned earlier, water percolation capacity of land is reduced to a great extent• It is the need of an hour to do deepening and widening of streams/Nalas after a proper technical survey2. Soak-pit• Roof water harvesting• Soak-pit for sanitation3. Farm-pond• Size of a farm-pond depends on the quality of land and available water source4. Construction and maintenance of bunds• Conservation of flowing water and soil from farms5. Bund on streams/nalas• On the basis of source of water in stream/nala, the distance between two bunds, no. of buds and types of bund are decided6. Well refilling• According to the slopes present, percolation of water near a well and then steaming it in the well7. Tree plantation• Tree plantation in village, on the roadside area and provision for maintenance of these trees8. Ponds/lakes/dams• Rejuvenation of existing lakes/dams and digging out mud residue from them• Creation of new lakes and dams9. Underground bunds• Construction of underground bunds in rivers/streams to control wastage of water flowing underground10. Drinking water • Taking necessary actions to overcome scarcity of drinking water in villagesMethodology: 1. First of all, awareness about conservation of water, jungle and land will be created in multiple villages. Mediums like digital presentations, street plays, documentaries, posters and banners etc. will be used to create awareness2. BNGVN will accept an application and a resolution from a village for starting different interventions by BNGVN in their village3. Once the village will be chosen, a proper primary survey of the village will be conducted and an action plan and a budget will be made4. While focusing on the objects of working for conservation of water, land and jungle, initiatives for individuals and society will be implemented by following rules of the land5. All the technical aspects will be checked and considered before implementation of any activity6. This project will be implemented only for those who will assure forever maintenance of the work done in their village7. The villages will be chosen according to the village selection criterion. Final right of selection of villages will be with BNGVN only8. Different initiatives under this project will be implemented by skilled technicians governed by contract 
 To change the existing scenario in Jalgaon and to make it prosperous, we are proposing ‘Watershed Management’ as an intervention strategy for the district. Objective:1. Agricultural development in Jalgaon district2. Economic development of farmers in Jalgaon district3. Water conservation – percolation of each drop of rain in Jalgaon district4. Soil conservation (Prevention of soil erosion), environment conservation and tree plantation in Jalgaon district

Watershed Management- Jalgaon District

We are working towards the empowerment of unprivileged women in four districts of Maharashtra. We have realised that financial stability is the best enabler for poor women living in this area, and we are providing them with skills training so that they can gain employment opportunities and become economically stable. For carrying out all all these training programs, we need funds to meet the training costs and arrange for the raw materials indispensable to the training process. 
 We are aiming to start with training 16000 women at first, and then take this training programme to a larger scale. We will be training these women in the skill of tailoring and garment making, and they will be taught to stitch at least 20 types of different Kurtis. 
 By providing vocational training to these women, we will not only be making them financially independent, but also help them in building a healthy self-esteem. Last but not the least, these women shall be able to provide economic support to their families once they start earning.

Udyogini- An initiative for empowering women by training them in garment making skills

Talukas except for two or three in the north and east of Jalgaon, are labelled under drought prone areas with unpredictable rains. At times it rains heavy and then it does not rain for three to four years. The area is also affected badly because of hailstorms. A majority of the population in this area depends on agriculture and hence their economic condition is very weak. There was a time when this area was famous of cultivation of bananas. Now the water level in the ground has gone down to 700 feet. Due to such problems, people are migrating to Pune, Mumbai, Nashik and Gujarat. When the situation gets worst, farmers choose to end their miseries by committing suicide. Condition of farmers in the adjacent Dhule district is no more different.According to the government, in Jalgaon there are 1,533 villages with population of 42,24,442. Jalgaon covers 11,765 sq. kilometre area. 80 percent of the district is occupied by rural population and 20 percent by the urban.Bhagini Nivedita is working in the space of Community Development since 2000 in the village Bahadarpur. We are also working in the villages of Nashik, Dhule and Nandurbar on the following lines:1. Formation of Self Help Groups2. Creation of opportunities of income generation for women by establishing small enterprises for them3. Imparting various trainings in agriculture and supporting with finance to the farmers4. Initiation of various activities for village development 
 1.Deepening and widening of stream (Nala)• Day by day the streams/Nalas are getting filled up with mud and soil.• Many streams/Nalas have been narrowed down due to the encroachment of farms and other things• Because of the two reasons mentioned earlier, water percolation capacity of land is reduced to a great extent• It is the need of an hour to do deepening and widening of streams/Nalas after a proper technical survey2. Soak-pit• Roof water harvesting• Soak-pit for sanitation3. Farm-pond• Size of a farm-pond depends on the quality of land and available water source4. Construction and maintenance of bunds• Conservation of flowing water and soil from farms5. Bund on streams/nalas• On the basis of source of water in stream/nala, the distance between two bunds, no. of buds and types of bund are decided6. Well refilling• According to the slopes present, percolation of water near a well and then steaming it in the well7. Tree plantation• Tree plantation in village, on the roadside area and provision for maintenance of these trees8. Ponds/lakes/dams• Rejuvenation of existing lakes/dams and digging out mud residue from them• Creation of new lakes and dams9. Underground bunds• Construction of underground bunds in rivers/streams to control wastage of water flowing underground10. Drinking water• Taking necessary actions to overcome scarcity of drinking water in villagesMethodology:1. First of all, awareness about conservation of water, jungle and land will be created in multiple villages. Mediums like digital presentations, street plays, documentaries, posters and banners etc. will be used to create awareness2. BNGVN will accept an application and a resolution from a village for starting different interventions by BNGVN in their village3. Once the village will be chosen, a proper primary survey of the village will be conducted and an action plan and a budget will be made4. While focusing on the objects of working for conservation of water, land and jungle, initiatives for individuals and society will be implemented by following rules of the land5. All the technical aspects will be checked and considered before implementation of any activity6. This project will be implemented only for those who will assure forever maintenance of the work done in their village7. The villages will be chosen according to the village selection criterion. Final right of selection of villages will be with BNGVN only8. Different initiatives under this project will be implemented by skilled technicians governed by contract 
 To change the existing scenario in Jalgaon and to make it prosperous, we are proposing ‘Watershed Management’ as an intervention strategy for the district.Objective:1. Agricultural development in Jalgaon district2. Economic development of farmers in Jalgaon district3. Water conservation – percolation of each drop of rain in Jalgaon district4. Soil conservation (Prevention of soil erosion), environment conservation and tree plantation in Jalgaon district