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

“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

Dev Pratap and Chandni know what it means to go to bed hungry. They grew up in slums, picking rags and doing odd jobs to survive. There were days when they didn’t know where the next meal would come from. But even then, they chose to share what little they had. With the few rupees they could save, they started feeding children. They worked as waiters in restaurants and took on every possible job to keep their small effort alive.Today, that effort has grown into a full-fledged mission. Their NGO Voice of Slums now feeds over 800 children every single day—365 days a year.They have put together everything from large utensils to a delivery van for distribution, the only challenge they face is to arrange rations in such a large quantity each day. And you can support them in this fight by donating to the cause. Your contribution can feed tens of kids who are in urgent need of nutrition. Donate generously!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)."These children wait for us with plates in hand..."<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/83da1512-1741-44cf-bff2-90e45d1e1275.webp" />In slums, food is not just nourishment, it’s hope. When the Voice of Slums van arrives, children come running with joy.“These children call me didi. When they see a plate full of food, they feel didi is there. She’ll make sure we get a good meal. I can see hope in their eyes.” Chandni says.These are children who have no one to care for them. Many have lost their parents. Others are neglected and forgotten by society. For them, Dev, Chandni, and their team are family—their only source of warmth, nutrition, and safety.A battle against hunger every single dayFeeding 800 children isn’t easy. It takes dedication, organisation, and above all, resources.“We have a full team, an equipped kitchen, and a van for delivery. All we need is rations.”The meals provided aren’t just to fill stomachs, they’re packed with nutrition, designed to help growing children regain strength, energy, and the will to dream again.“At times, I have sleepless nights just thinking how these kids might be surviving. For those who don’t have parents, they are completely dependent upon us. Where will they go?” Dev adds.<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/f25b705a-dd73-4ae7-91b5-0bd330008bff.webp" />You can make sure no child sleeps hungryYour donation will help Voice of Slums continue providing hot meals to children who have no one else. With food in their stomachs, these children can smile, play, study, and dream.“I can’t allow a child to sleep hungry. I can’t see a child unable to even play just because of hunger” Chandni says. They’ve built everything with love. Now they need your support.Voice of Slums doesn’t rely on big grants or government aid. It’s built on the resilience of two young leaders who turned their pain into purpose. They have the kitchen, the van, the team. What they need now is rations, and a community that believes no child should be left hungry. Donate today. Help feed a child. Together, we can keep hope alive.Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s most trusted online donation platform, to support Voice of Slums in its mission to feed and care for children from slums.

Join Chandni and Dev in their mission to feed hundreds of slum children every day

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

Founded in 2000, Room to Read believes that World Change Starts with Educated Children.® We envision a world in which all children can pursue a quality education that prepares them to be fulfilled and make positive change — in their families, communities and the world.Room to Read is transforming the lives of millions of children in historically low-income communities by developing their literacy skills and habit of reading, and by supporting girls in building the skills they need to succeed in secondary school and negotiate key life decisions. Because our programs can be replicated, localized, and sustained by local governments, we are able to create change at a systems level.Room to Read is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality by providing support during the two most critical time periods in a child’s education: primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education. Room to Read collaborates with donors like you, local communities, partner organizations, and governments to transform the education system through innovative models that are proven to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. To date, we have benefited more than 39 million children and worked in 23 countries, with the goal of benefiting <a href="https://www.roomtoread.org/media/gm1j4iaz/summary_room-to-read-global-strategic-plan_2020-2024_external-4.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">40 million children by 2025</a>.Our team of over 600 local staff work in partnership with state and national governments to promote the long-term sustainability of our programmes. Room to Read implements our Literacy Programme in government primary schools in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar; our Girls' Education Programme operates in schools in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Based on conservative estimates, as of the end of 2021, Room to Read benefited more than 19,000 schools through our Literacy Program and more than 350,000 girls through our Girls’ Education Program activities.

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

Mohit Mishra

Heena Patel 

Himalaya Ahuja

Salma Nakhuda

Sudatta Mondal

Jay Duenas

April Butcher

Room to Read India Trust

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.

Create change with NGOs on Give.do! Explore 3,000+ NGOs dedicated to causes like human rights, animal welfare and healthcare. Your contribution matters!

Find the best NGOs in India on Give.do and Donate to Fundraisers

NGOs Listing page

<ul><li>266 million people in India cannot Read.</li><li>Inadequate Facilities, Poor Education Quality, Seasonal Migration and Gender bias have led to low learning levels and high dropout rates between ages 6−14</li><li>While over 95 percent of children enroll in primary school, only half of those students graduate from secondary school.</li><li>Around 39 percent of adolescent girls ages 15−18 are not in school. Around two thirds of girls from that age group are engaged in household activities or child labor.</li><li>One in every three child brides in the world being a girl from India. </li></ul>The government has recognized the urgent need for educational reform, as more than 50 percent of Grade 5 students are unable to read at a Grade 1 level. To address the existing gaps in education, the government is advancing several initiatives to enhance educational instruction and support on a national scale. These efforts include the launch of a new National Education Policy, revision of the National Curriculum Framework and National Program for Foundational Learning — all of which are now in alignment with our own focus on foundational literacy and gender equality. With the foundation laid for Room to Read to serve as a thought partner to the government and school leaders, we are working collaboratively to implement systemic change, ensuring the results we have seen in our programme schools can be replicated in schools across the country.  Room to Read believes that World Change Starts with Educated Children.® We envision a world in which all children can pursue a quality education that prepares them to be fulfilled and make positive change — in their families, communities and the world.OUR LITERACY PROGRAM transforms primary schools to enable children to become independent readers and lifelong learners.Our Literacy Program trains and coaches teachers, creates quality books and curricular materials and establishes libraries filled with diverse children’s books in local languages that can be enjoyed at school or home. We partner with local communities, governments and the publishing industry to test and implement innovative models that help children succeed in school and develop a love of reading.OUR GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROGRAM helps girls build the skills to succeed in school and make key life decisions.We prepare girls to make positive change by providing life skills curriculum, opportunities for mentorship and peer support and family and community engagement. Our program supports young people of all genders to build knowledge and skills with which they can create a gender equal world. We help governments deliver similar programs through their own education systems. Our Results<img src="https://cfstatic.give.do/5a4d8f9b-5fac-44a5-a65b-e5b9a41dffa5.jpg" />

The World Change Challenge

The education crisis, in India, continues to affect students that are the most vulnerable to dropping out of school, threatening their quality of life, health, and economic opportunity. While literacy, the foundation for all future learning, is a path out of this vicious cycle of poverty, a startling 300 million people in India cannot read, of which a disproportionate number are women and girls. Despite free and compulsory education for all children between ages 6−14, inadequate facilities, poor education quality, seasonal migration, and gender bias have led to low learning levels and high dropout rates. While over 95 per cent of children enrol in primary school, only half of those students graduate from secondary school. Gender disparities in education persist despite policy measures taken to promote girls’ education. Around 39 per cent of adolescent girls ages 15−18 are not in school and around two-thirds of girls from that age group are engaged in household activities or child labour. Early marriage also plays a large role in keeping girls out of secondary school, with one in every three child brides in the world being a girl from India.  
 Room to Read builds foundational literacy and provides children with the tools, support and enabling environment they need to succeed in school and life. Since 2015, Room to Read has scaled its programmes in India in partnership with local governments and built systemic capacity to implement our programmes across entire districts and states, leveraging government funds and resources to make India our largest country of operation. With a total of 1.5 million schools and 25 million children throughout the country, there is an immense opportunity to effect widespread change through our evidence-based programming.The goal of Room to Read’s Literacy Programme is to transform primary schools into child-friendly learning environments that enable children to develop the skill and habit of reading throughout primary school and become life-long independent readers. Our Literacy Programme includes three mutually reinforcing activities - (i) Teacher Training and Support, (ii) School Libraries, and (iii) Quality Children’s BooksRoom to Read Girls Education Programme equips girls with the tools to self-advocate and find power in their voices to chart a path they choose for themselves through a continuous handholding period of 7-8 years. We employ and train local mentors, known as social mobilizers, who generally come from the same communities as the girls in our programme. They facilitate programme activities and lead as powerful role models for the girls and the girls’ families. Our Girls’ Education Programme includes four interconnected activities - (i) Life Skills Curriculum, (ii) Mentoring and Peer Support, (iii) Family and Community Engagement, and (iv) Material Support 
 Our Literacy Program is the only children’s education program that develops both literacy skills and a habit of reading — a holistic approach to ensure that the ability to read is helping students to succeed in school and beyond. With regards to our Girls’ Education Program, our comprehensive life skills curriculum and mentoring are distinct in that they provide comprehensive frameworks through direct involvement with participants, which is provided over 7-8 years to enable girls to really refine their personal development through these tools. Further, our strategy of providing direct support via programming delivered through local schools and other partners, while simultaneously collaborating with governments to advocate for policy change and implementation also distinguishes Room to Read among other like-minded organizations that tend to focus on one of these two areas. Through our years of working in India to date, we have found that scaling national-level change in India can be a challenge due to the country’s large population and many systems and policies across its 28 states, and thus are focusing our efforts on maximizing partnerships and programming at the local level while reinforcing government initiatives to advance our own work. The successes that we have achieved as a result of our direct program implementation — such as a 25 per cent reduction in dropout rates for participants in our Girls’ Education Program — build confidence that we can positively influence millions more children through our life-changing programs.

The World Change Challenge

Promoting Literacy and Gender Equality in India through Education

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

Help Manju rescue young sex trafficking victims. Donate now

Join Chandni and Dev in their mission to feed hundreds of slum children every day

Disclaimer