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.Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singn and his wife Winnie Singh and have 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. Gen Bhopinder Singh is like a brother to many widow mothers."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 Gen Bhopinder 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,” says Gen Bhopinder Singh. 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 Maitri provide shelter and care to abandoned widow mothers

For a mother who has spent her entire life loving and raising her child, being beaten and mercilessly thrown out onto the streets by her own son is too heartbreaking to overcome. But this is a common story among the elderly residents of the Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram. “I’ve seen mothers in old and torn clothes, their bodies smelling and their hands and feet rotting and covered in maggots,” shares Dr. G.P. Bhagat, founder of the ashram. These abandoned elderly men and women lay starving on the streets hoping for someone to rescue them from their suffering. But most people walk past them without a second glance. “Like this”, Dr. Bhagat explains, “many elders die on the roads.”Since 2003, SHEOWS (Saint Hardyal Educational and Orphans Welfare Society) has rescued over 10,000 elderly people from the streets and given them a home with care and support. The elderly staying at the ashram have all been abandoned by their families and have nowhere else to live. Your support can give them comfort after their abandonment. 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). Safe and loving homeFor 20 years, SHEOWS has been providing free shelter, nutritious food three times a day, clothing, medical care, recreation activities and emotional support to abused and disabled elderly people rescued from the streets of Delhi. The Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram has a dedicated rescue team that saves the elderly from the streets and gives them immediate medical care upon their arrival at the home. To tend to the multiple health complications of the seniors, the home has a medical facility with doctors and nurses, a physiotherapy unit, a pathology lab, a digital X-ray monitoring machine and a pharmacy to provide 24-hour care to older adults anytime they require assistance, even during emergencies. Dr. Bhagat prioritizes the health of the seniors and ensures that they receive three balanced meals a day based on their precise health requirements. Need for the fundraiserThe humanitarian mission of SHEOWS is making an impact in the area, as more and more people are being rescued and brought to Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram. To meet the financial costs of running the home, SHEOWS needs support to continue providing the residents with all the facilities that they need. This includes constant care and round-the-clock medical attention, nutritious food and maintaining a hygienic environment to keep the seniors in comfort and good health. Dr. Bhagat explains that as the number of residents is increasing, SHEOWS needs support for food and medicines. “I request you to help these elderly parents lead a peaceful life.”Donate now to help Dr. Bhagat continue caring for the 500 destitute elderly and giving them shelter, food, medical care and the will to carry on living despite their tragic abandonment by their families. Your support will enable SHEOWS to keep serving abandoned senior citizens and help them recover from the trauma of abandonment and life on the streets. “I have been serving these elderly as if they were my own parents”, shares Dr. Bhagat. “I want only one thing - their tears should vanish and they should have a smile on their faces.” To help Dr. Bhagat achieve this dream, your support is critical. Donate now to help SHEOWS care for more abandoned elderly. Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s largest online donation platform, to support SHEOWS in their mission to rescue the abandoned elderly from the streets and give them shelter, food, medical care, recreational activities and emotional support.

Help Dr. Bhagat care for 500+ elderly parents rescued from abuse and homelessness

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, Of the 250 the children rescued from abuse and exploitation, around 70 of them 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 Ahilyanagar, 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 good number 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 children, rescued from abuse in red-light areas a new life

We work to ensure that pregnant women receive optimal antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care. We identify pregnant women early and support them in accessing services from health care providers.

Healthcare

Our intervention is primarily focused on reducing all three forms of malnutrition i.e stunting, wasting and underweight, ensure full immunisation of children and improve Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices.

Children

SNEHA’s Social Protection Services project supports vulnerable women and children in accessing essential government welfare schemes, entitlements and social security services.

Social Protection

SNEHA’s Prevention of Violence against Women and Children (PVWC) program works to prevent and respond to violence by strengthening community awareness, support systems, and access to protection and justice services for women and children.

Women Empowerment

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

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

SNEHA strives to improve the health, nutrition and safety of women and children, living in the most vulnerable urban informal settlements. SNEHA aims to empower urban women and children through integrated health and nutrition programs, education, and advocacy. It endeavours to enhance maternal and child health, prevent violence against women and children, and promote community health awareness and access to healthcare services. The organization’s approach is two-pronged to engage with both care seekers and care providers. It works at the community level to empower women and slum communities to be catalysts of change in their own right and simultaneously also collaborates with existing public health systems and health care providers to create sustainable improvements in urban health.  During the years 2016-26, SNEHA directly worked with over 763,900 women, children and healthcare workers, and indirectly reached a population of over 5 million in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and other parts of Maharashtra. We work in partnership with the Government and with NGOs in other parts of India. VISION:Healthy Women and Children for a Healthy Urban World  MISSION:We work in partnership with communities and public health systems building effective and replicable solutions, empowering women and their families in urban slums to improve their health and wellbeing.

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

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

SNEHA Mumbai

SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action)

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.

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

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Thank you to all those who have supported the relief efforts. We are now extending the ration support to 500 more needy families in Mumbai (Kandivali) and Thane, with your support.

Extending the ration support

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Every child deserves a healthy start in life. And every woman deserves access to quality healthcare. In India nearly 35,000 women die every year due to pregnancy and child-birth related complications. 57% Women of reproductive age (15-49 years) are estimated to be anaemic.33% of the disease burden among adults (young parents or to be parents) in India is attributed to unhealthy habits during adolescenceGlobally 1 in 3 women and girls are affected by violence and 32% of ever-married women in India have reported partner violence. Rapid urbanisation and overburdened infrastructure creates low accessibility and affects quality of health and nutrition services in urban informal settlements. Most of the above issues are preventable and are mainly due to the lack of awareness of healthy practices and poor access to quality healthcare services.Source: National Health Family Survey-5, World Health Organization 2017It is said that the health of the child and family begins with a woman. If the woman adopts healthy practices the family will also remain healthy. SNEHA’s intervention primarily focuses on women and to bring in behavior change leading to a lasting impact. While doing so we understand there are various factors impacting the health of women and children and hence we have designed a holistic intervention that focuses on the following:<ol><li>Identifying pregnant women at an early stage and supporting them in accessing antenatal, perinatal and postnatal services from healthcare providers to ensure that they deliver safe and healthy babies.</li><li>Working with children in the age group of 0-6 years to improve infant and child feeding practices, uptake of immunisation and illness management.</li><li>Counseling caregivers and decision-makers in the family on the importance of balanced diet, dietary diversity and healthy practices to ensure good health of the woman and child.</li><li>In the communities we work in generally, the husband/father is the decision maker in the family. We work towards making men an active support system for improved health of the women and children in their family and the community.</li><li>Supporting the healthcare providers i.e. the health posts and public hospitals by helping strengthen their services and bridging the gap between them and the community, to improve the delivery of services.    </li><li>We provide counseling services to women undergoing violence or depression and also support them with medical or legal help as required by them.</li></ol>SNEHA is a step towards bridging the health equity gap amongst people living in urban poverty, with a special focus on women and children. Significant Progress so far:<ul><li>48608 Pregnant women with potential complications assisted through referral networks (2016-22)</li><li>8160 Youth reached through life-skills and health education programmes (2016-22)</li><li>24420 Survivors of violence counselled for psycho-social support and advanced mental health counselling (2016-22)</li><li>4765 Mumbai Police personnel trained to respond to survivors of violence (2016-22)</li><li>86% survivors of violence accessing counselling services reported a reduction in violence and distress levels (2021-22)</li><li>99% of antenatal care clinics functional in project areas</li></ul> The following story of Saba reflects the challenges faced by women and families in the communities where we work, as our on-ground staff provides information and counseling to change behaviours and attitudes to improve the health of vulnerable women and children. Changing minds through careSaba was three months pregnant when SNEHA’s field staff member met her during the door-to-door visit. Already under treatment for white discharge and irregular menstruation related issues at a nearby hospital, Saba was also found to be mildly anaemic at 10.5 g/dl.We faced stiff resistance from Saba’s husband, because of which we were unable to reach her as Saba delivered in the seventh month of pregnancy. The baby was kept in a glass incubator and when discharged from the hospital after 10 days, he weighed 1.3 kg.During the home visits following the delivery, our field staff member educated Saba about food, health and nutrition practices such as kangaroo mother care, exclusive breastfeeding and maintaining hygiene to ensure better health for the mother and child.We continued with anthropometry of the baby which indicated improvement in height (57.3 cm) and weight (4.36 kg) measurements. When her husband saw his child’s progress, he was convinced of the benefits of SNEHA’s interventions.Our continued efforts have shown positive results with the child now shifted to the normal category and the family continues to follow healthy practices to ensure the well-being of the mother and child.

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Help Maitri provide shelter & care to abandoned widow mothers

Help Dr. Bhagat care for 500+ elderly parents rescued from abuse & homelessness

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

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