"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.

This Navratri, 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

Help Lalitha give kids rescued from abuse in red-light areas a safe and loving home. Donate now.

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

Children

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

Education

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 education

education

women

Bhagini Nivedita Pratishthan, Pune established in 1979, has passed the test of time. It is a well recognized organization of National and International repute. More than 30000 lives have been impacted by the relentless work in various fields.We work with a holistic approach to the Societal problem. Our initiatives, remarkable set of volunteers, facilitators and staff share the same motto and transparency in all programs.

Donations through Give Foundation, Inc. a registered US 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, are tax-deductible.

Donations through GIVE, a registered charity in UK, are covered under Gift Aid

Bhagini Nivedita Pratishthan, Pune

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

This nonprofit is registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010. This means it can accept donations from foreign nationals.

Anuj Velankar

...and we have sold about half the tickets already! Buy your tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/50-shades-of-brown-iii-tickets-411540507737

the Links are up

Thanks to Jerry at the Castle for the first concept posters for the show! Link coming up soon!

We have a poster!

Went in at 128 Arab Street ( The Crane) for a practice run with new material that I was planning to use for the 21st Set. Some amazing fellow comics, a great audience and cozy stage, but totally and utterly bombed!!! Probably need to decide to avoid any new material on the big day!

Practice run 25th Aug!

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Children are the most affected group of the society due to the Corona pandemic. In India, the impact was very large and deep especially in the lower income group. The problems that have cropped up are:Reading, writing and arithmetic is being forgotten due to lack of practice and reduction in attention span. Proper use of digital media is missing among teachers and students are not used to it. The situation was alarming during the pandemic due to scarcity of smart phones, inability to pay phone bills among the parents. Lack of a supportive environment at homeThese children need additional coaching to support school studies 
  This vacuum is filled by the Bhagini Nivedita Pratishthan, Pune through Project Abhyasika &amp; Science Promotion. BNP has been running this activity for the last 20 years, where students from 1st to 10th standard come to our center during non-school hours. Here they do their studies and homework under guidance of experts and trained staff. The “Learn with Fun” method is adopted to strengthen language and mathematical skills. The aim is to get cleared basic concepts, to increase thinking power and to inculcate self-study habits using creative activities, including science project competition &amp; exhibition, exposure visits. Supplementary nutritional snacks are given regularly. We maintain individual records to monitor their overall progress. 
 Since its inception, 2300+ students from the local community have been advantaged by this program. The early birds are now grown up as responsible and successful citizens and are our proud alumni. The students have gained confidence about their abilities as they get ample opportunities to learn by play way methods. This is in tune with the National Education Policy where stress is given to activity-based education for school children. Through this project scholastic performance and overall personality of children has improved and this will further help to better the overall educational level of the family.During and post COVID, students are availing both online and offline coaching as per the local conditions. The provision of supplementary nutritional snacks has filled the gap caused by online schooling and contributed to raise general immunity level. Parents in the nearby areas preferred to send their wards at the study centre as a safe and fruitful alternative.Contribute generously to this fund.

Donate to help a disadvantaged child Learn with Fun post COVID

Education is the 4th and important pillar of human life and progress. Generally, girls are able to study up to Grade 12, as it is free. However, for many girls from disadvantaged families, college education remains a distant dream. The boys in the family are given a much higher priority and girls have to strive hard to pursue higher education. Those coming from rural area, face problems of tuition fee, accommodation, food along with scarcity of study and project material. This affects the academic performance of the girls and future career. 
 The NGO decided to help impoverished deserving girls by giving scholarships so that they can tide over the situation. The beneficiaries are identified through publicity and word of mouth. Our special committee verifies the income proof, family background and academic records of the beneficiary. After the short listing is complete the committee interviews the girl and the scholarship is provided. Each beneficiary is asked to provide her progress record periodically. 
 The activity is carried out for last 7-8 years and 420+ girl students have been benefited by way of scholarship their engineering, medical, management and architecture studies and are on a competitive career path. This scholarship of great financial support for the essential educational expenses like books, material, field work including part payment of fees. Sometimes it also helps them for their livelihood when they are staying away from home. Thus BNP is contributing to a common woman for their empowerment.

Donate scholarship to a poor, deserving girl to pursue higher education

Support poor elderly women with a safe shelter in their old age

Subhashish Majumdar

make-my-birthday-special-by-raising-funds-for-bhagini-nivedita-pratishthan-pune

Donate to help a disadvantaged child Learn with Fun post COVID

Donate scholarship to a poor, deserving girl to pursue higher education

This Navratri, save abandoned, elderly widow mothers of Vrindavan from begging on streets

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

Help Lalitha give kids rescued from abuse in red-light areas a safe and loving home. Donate now.

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