This winter, as the biting cold descends on 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 freezing winds and sleepless nights. A warm blanket could mean the difference between despair and hope.Donate warm clothes and blankets to abandoned elderly mothers now. Give generously."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, the founder of Maitri. "Since they are abandoned, they don't have a home or family. They have no means to care for themselves or their nutrition. Winters are extremely painful for them, and many eventually pass away. Without thermals, it's not possible to survive winters in Vrindavan."<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/1abfb906-563b-4747-85b8-8af2071a2856.jpg" />This heartbreaking reality is why Maitri is committed to providing blankets and warm clothing to these abandoned widow mothers. Your contribution can help shield them from the piercing cold and offer them a lifeline during this harsh winter season. "Maitri also provides food, shelter, and healthcare to abandoned widow mothers. Your funds will help them reach and support many more widow mothers in need.

Urgent need for blankets & warm clothes for 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.

After fighting for India, former Air Force officer is now fighting to save abandoned women. Help him, donate now

Cattle, bred for profit and abandoned after they stop producing milk, are often found malnourished, injured or sick on city streets. Many face bitter winters, starvation and death in road accidents - a sad fate for cows in a country where they are revered by lakhs of people. To save cows from such a sad end, Swami Ishwar Das started Shree Krishnayan Desi Gaushala, currently home to 18,000+ abandoned cows. But with the rising costs of fodder and medicines, he is struggling to provide the quality of care such mistreated animals deserve. “It was in 2010 when I witnessed abandoned cows from the streets in Uttarakhand being transported in a truck. The cows were administered anesthesia and stacked one above the other like lifeless goods. When me and a few of my acquaintances brought the cows off the truck, two of them died before my eyes and that sight shook me to the core. It was then that I started Shree Krishnayan Gaushala with 11 abandoned cows in a small donated land,” says Swami Ishwar Das.Swami Ishwar Das is unable to bear the rising cost of nutrition and medical care for injured cows and needs support to continue to save these voiceless animals. Donate now. All donations on this platform are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India), &amp; 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (USA).<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/ead01668-6b4d-4a8c-85de-30b43e174f22.JPG" />Every life matters“Here at Shree Krishnayan Desi Gaushala, it is our resolve to leave no stone unturned in caring for helpless cows. No matter what the cost of treatment may be, we make every possible effort to aid ill and injured cows. Our only objective is that a cow should not lose its life for the want of medical care, food or water,” says Swami Ishwar Das. In order to provide the best quality of care and treatment to its adopted cattle, three well trained veterinary doctors attend the gaushala 24/4. The NGO - Shree Krishnayan Desi Gauraksha Avam Golokdham Seva Samiti - spares no expense in providing nutrition either. From jaggery and grains to a healthy mix of green and dry fodder, cows are given meals best suited to their needs.With cost of fodder on rise the Gaushala needs help<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/93e7eafe-4438-40d6-ae40-6972feaf0988.jpg" />Swami Ishwar Das and his team, however, are struggling to keep up with rising costs of nutrition and medical care for cows. “The cost of fodder has risen by almost three times in the last couple of years. From food to medicines everything has become expensive. And we will never compromise with the quality of care and love that we want to give to our cows,” says Swami Ishwar Das. Help Swami Ishwar Das provide the best care and love to abandoned cows while saving them from a desperate life of starvation and suffering on the streets.

Help Swami Ishwar Das rescue cows on roads, abandoned as they no longer produce milk

Six out of ten Indians live on less than INR 262.4 a day. In terms of a lived reality, this means that they have to choose between proper daily meals or savings to build a proper house, child’s education and an extra pair of hands to work. They cannot access the safety measures against physical, social, economic and emotional hardship.  There is a cyclical link between these deprivations and monetary poverty. Health challenges that worsen their financial condition and quality of life or short term decision making due to poor mental health, restrict opportunities for socio-economic growth.   Additionally, local economies that have been starved of liquidity are sometimes now operating on a negative balance, due to the increasing penetration of expensive debt. The repayment burden means that despite working extremely hard, there is never enough disposable income to make the leap towards a better life.   The chronic stress of making ends meet can crush their hopes and imagination. It can entrap an entire generation and the next. 

Community & Rural Development

<a href="https://www.project-deep.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Project DEEP</a> is registered under One Step Forward Foundation, as a Section 8 non-profit. Our aim is to shift the paradigm and mainstream cash transfers to eradicate poverty.Our Plan:We will provide unconditional money to 1,600 households in Rajasthan &amp; Maharashtra in the next three years to create impact and generate local evidence for advocacy with philanthropy and the government. This program is inspired by the global movement that now has <a href="https://www.givedirectly.org/research-on-cash-transfers/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">over 300 studies </a>demonstrating the positive impact of cash transfers. Simultaneously, we will engage in research comparing this program to traditional programs across multiple outcome areas to demonstrate the efficacy of cash transfers. And over time, bring together practitioners and experts in this space for collective design, advocacy and learning.Our Why:We believe that the definition of poverty is wider than the defined multidimensional parameters, and includes a lack of choice and agency. Our mission is to put cash in the hands of people, so that they can carve their own path out of poverty. Our Theory of Change:The freedom to use an unconditional lumpsum of money unleashes people’s aspirations and increases their ability to take risks to fulfill these. Placing trust in people enhances their dignity and builds their confidence, leading to more resilience.Why Cash:Individual benefit - Cash is a fungible resource that people can use to fulfill their unique needs, for productive uses or to relieve immediate stressors.Local economy - An infusion of large lumpsums in cash starved economies provides cognitive relief, boosts local SMEs kickstarting the circulation and growth of capital.Giving hierarchy - It is an attempt to break the power dynamic between the giver and receiver, by including the recipient in the process of defining the problem and solution. Efficient philanthropy - The simple program design and hassle-free implementation ensure that the operational costs remain at or below 10%, enable to most effective use of every philanthropic rupee spent.

Donations through Give Foundation, registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961 are tax-deductible.

Muzamil Baig

Project DEEP

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

This nonprofit is registered under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961. This means you can deduct 50% of the donation you made through your tax return.

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Urgent need for blankets & warm clothes for abandoned widow mothers of Vrindavan. Donate now

After fighting for India, former Air Force officer is now fighting to save abandoned women. Help him, donate now

Help Swami Ishwar Das rescue cows on roads, abandoned as they no longer produce milk

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