"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

Hunger and malnutrition have become a reality for thousands of elderly parents abandoned by their own children, in villages and slums across India. Seeing the rampant distress among the elderly, a team of selfless heroes from our NGO partner Mitti Cafe, though disabled themselves, have taken up the responsibility of providing cooked meals and dry rations to over 5,000 elderly in urgent need of support. Setting aside their own struggles, Mitti Cafe’s team, led by Ayesha Alam has been relentlessly fighting to free elderly from hunger and malnutrition through its Karuna Meals initiative. The need for nutrition support is growing with each passing day and Mitti Cafe is struggling to fulfill this enormous need. With your support, the NGO and its team of persons with disability can put food on the plates of hundreds of more elderly parents. 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), &amp; 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (USA). Elderly deserve love, not neglect and hunger“There have been countless senior citizens, in extremely backward villages of the Sundarbans in West Bengal, who had not had a proper meal in days when we found them. We have seen people picking food from the garbage out of extreme hunger.”, recalls Ayesha of Mitti Cafe, while talking about the extent of hunger faced by senior citizens. According to Ayesha, there are thousands of elderly who have been either chucked out of their homes or have been left behind in villages by their children. “Our elderly don't deserve this life and it is our responsibility to come to their aid. If we come together we can ease the suffering of hundreds of people battling hunger and starvation. Donate now Our heroes’ war against hungerPersons with disability who were once discriminated against by society are today at the forefront of the fight to save abandoned elderly and children from hunger. The Karuna Meals team, comprising only of persons with disability has been able to cook and serve over 10 lakh meals. They have also distributed over 1 lakh packets of dry rations. ”They overlook their own struggles and suffering just to reach the elderly and provide them with the food they need,” says Ayesh. But their job is not yet done. “There are still many villages which have many malnourished and hungry seniors and we have not been able to reach them. But with your support, we can collectively end starvation,” she says. Donate now. Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform, to help the elderly fight hunger and malnutrition.

Support Mitti Cafe’s team of disabled heroes end hunger and malnutrition for thousands. 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

This is a sample description for Differently Abled. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Differently AbledDifferently AbledDifferently AbledDifferently Abled.

Differently Abled

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

Livelihood

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Education

This is a sample description for Environment For the purpose of testing I will use the word Hunger & HomelessnessHunger & HomelessnessHunger & Homelessness.

Hunger & Homelessness

Sristi Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Villupuram District rural Tamil Nadu, India that works towards improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At Sristi, we empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with training and skills that will enable them to lead a more independent and dignified life. Our methodology combines education, life skills training, and agriculture. On the 10-acre of land, we have created an inclusive and holistic environment that we lovingly call Sristi Village. Sristi Foundation runs three (3) pioneer projects: Sristi Village, Sristi Special School, and Sristi Farm Academy as well as a lot of community support and environmental projects.Through these projects, marginalized individuals are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and become independent whilst being provided with nutritious food, shelter, and a loving &amp; supportive environment.

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Karthikeyan Ganesan

Sristi Foundation

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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The contributions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not valued. Their talents, skills, and potential remain largely untapped, under-utilized, and under-developed. While their employment rate is very low, they have higher than-normal living expenses; hence, they are one of the most impoverished groups in India. PWDs face several barriers in getting employment. They also face social and psychological barriers – ignorance, myths, criticism, stereotyping and misconceptions about their capacities, non- acceptance by the peer groups, fear and low self- esteem. Unfair access to education and training program is a major challenge that needs to be resolved. To overcome the crisis and to understand the requirement and condition of a person with disability we provide support by which individuals make and sustain a living. PWDs participation in economic activity is necessary not only for sustenance but also for the basic survival and to contribute to one’s self- esteem and enhancing self- fulfilment. PWDs need to be able to learn about life skills and obtain employment which they can physically access and work at despite their ability. Also, Sristi Foundation’s own experience made us realize that we have to create opportunities to facilitate their social and economic inclusion, for that Sristi is initiating various farm based livelihood projects and programs to enhance the life of our community members. The main aim of creating opportunities is to manifest their potential and thereby to find fulfilment of life through socio- economic rehabilitation to be achieved by them on their own merit and to live independent and meaningful life. 
 At Sristi, we empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with training and skills that will enable them to lead a more independent and dignified life. Our methodology combines education, life skills training, and agriculture. On the 10-acre of land, we have created an inclusive and holistic environment that we lovingly call Sristi Village. Sristi Foundation runs three (3) pioneer projects: Sristi Village, Sristi Special School, and Sristi Farm Academy as well as a lot of community support and environmental projects.Through these projects, marginalized individuals are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and become independent whilst being provided with nutritious food, shelter, and a loving &amp; supportive environment.Through experience, we learnt that agriculture provides a perfect education with great potential for employment. In a supportive and loving environment, our Sristi Village members learn how to manage and work in an eco-farm. Farming is not only a therapeutic method to boost their confidence, but also has the potential to create self-reliant income opportunities for them. Through our eco-friendly projects, marginalized individuals are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and become independent whilst being provided with nutritious food, shelter, and a loving and supportive environment.  
 1.    To develop livelihood activities which the people with disabilities can themselves effectively manage and which can augment income and provide employment in the area to live independently.2.    To create an individual self-identity and recognition for people with disabilities in our community. Livelihood is critical to combat poverty and is closely linked to the basic human rights. It is essential for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities - not only because it gives degrees of freedom to take control of life but also because it helps improve one’s self esteem, so very essential for leading a life of dignity and respect.3.    To ensure person with disability voice to be heard and to gain control of their own lives and to reduce vulnerability and to increase their self-resilience.4.    To provide equal opportunity, empowerment and social security to participate in all aspects of life.

Building opportunities beyond disabilities through organic farming

Sristi village is an inclusive residential community which offers people with intellectual disabilities the chance to live, learn, work and generate income allowing them to reach their full potential to live independently. The village currently consists of 100 peoples which includes children and young adult with disabilities, staff, parents and volunteers. We bought 9 acres of land and we produce our own organic food by farming. With the generous support of donors we built an accessible kitchen and for that we need kitchen equipment which can be accessible by the members. We aim to give food in a safe and hygienic environment with good quality vessels.  
 To provide quality food for our members in a safe and hygienic environment we constructed accessible kitchen now we need proper equipment and vessels to provide healthy food. Our aim is to make the member to be independent and to learn the basic life skills. Cooking is one of the basic skills an intellectual disabled need to learn. With proper equipment food can be served at specified time and it will not be time consuming if proper vessels are used. In the kitchen we teach the members life skill so we require quality equipment for easy to access. 
 Food is a wonderful way to share and celebrate the diversity of culture and traditions. Our aim is to cook food in quality vessels and to serve on real dishes to bring a modelling sustainability. We are connecting the eating experience to a set of values that leads members naturally toward a healthier future. Through our progress we ensure to provide hygienic, safe and healthy food for our members. Kitchen cum dining hall is a beautiful place to sit and share the food with love. The quality atmosphere helps the members to have happy healthy meal. The atmosphere of the common dining room can bring 100 people together every day.

Essential Kitchen equipment for Sristi Village

Over 1.6 million people in India are registered disabled according to the 2011 Census and approximately 75% of them live in rural areas. Unfortunately, education and training provisions for disabled people are minimal, and concentrated in cities. This means that disabled people in India have little access to appropriate education and training opportunities and often face financial hardship and a lack of work opportunities. Additionally, the disabled people are often ostracized from communities and their families. The India: Social Development Report 2016 – Disability Rights Perspectives states that there is a ‘disproportionate disadvantage, exclusion, and stigmatization suffered by persons with disabilities’ which is ‘caused by cultural, social and physical barriers' that obstruct their effective participation in social and political life’. We aim to help the disabled people we work with to overcome these barriers, and to give them the skills and confidence needed to achieve their goals. By providing PwDs with training in agriculture, especially profitable forms of farming, we are both providing them with the skills needed to live independently and generate their own income, whilst also mending social perceptions about disabled people. 
 Sristi Foundation is a farm and agro-based entrepreneurial residential training academy for the intellectually disabled and marginalized people. The Farm Academy will run a programme every 2 years for a group of 30 new trainees, giving them the opportunity to experience the self-sustained, organic lifestyle of Sristi Village while learning valuable skills from our experts. The main objective of our project is to empower intellectually disabled and marginalized people so that they attain a state of self-employment.Through our 2-year training programme, they will have the opportunity to develop their self-confidence and leadership capabilities, while they are trained for farm and agro-based activities (mushroom cultivation, organic gardening, herbal gardening, dairy farming, bee keeping, poultry rearing, goat rearing, vermi compost). This know-how and professional experience will allow them to sustain themselves and their families through self-employment and thus, fulfil their dream of independence. To achieve this goal, we will also facilitate the launch of their own ventures as a group enterprise through guidance and support such as strategic partnership development, loan acquisition and marketing. 
 1.	Creation of job opportunities to end the cycle of poverty and disability. 2.	Participants to gain self-confidence and knowledge of their own rights. 3.	Every 2 years, train 30 new individuals in the skills of: farm operations, milk animal rearing, setting up and running a profitable plant nursery and seed bank, honey bee farming, mushroom cultivation and the importance of organic and sustainable farming methods.4.	Individuals to gain the skills and expertise to financially support themselves and their family.5.	Overall quality of life will improve for participants and their families.6.	New sources of revenue generated by the launch of self-employment ventures in the local community.7.	Development of positive attitudes towards the disabled in the surrounding communities

Creating the opportunity for disabled persons to become self-reliant through integrated farm

In India, the contributions of people with intellectual disabilities are not adequately valued. Their talents, skills, and potentials remain largely untapped, under-utilised, and under-developed. While their employment rate is very low, they have higher-than-average living expenses; making them one of the most impoverished groups in India. To end the cycle of poverty and disability, access to employment opportunities is vital. However, UNESCO data reveals that a majority of people with disabilities are unable to earn a livelihood, citing reasons such as the lack of adequate education and training. This highlights an urgent need for employment opportunities for people with disabilities. 
 Sristi Foundation runs a special school for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering education and training that aims to develop them into self-reliant individuals. The curriculum focuses on managing basic individual needs such as self-hygiene, eating and reading, along with behaviour and speech therapy to help them become independent enough to become a part of mainstream society. We take the advantage of being a school on a farm and optimise our students’ motor skills by involving them in basic activities on the farm, such as playing with the soil, working on the nursery and interacting with animals. Here, children are taught to take responsibility for themselves as well as being considerate towards the needs of others.Our teachers approach every child as an individual and conduct a thorough assessment of their respective background and needs, before devising a suitable curriculum. We consider the curriculum as a preparatory stage in their pursuit of further studies or choice of occupation. We try and source external trainers to teach them basic communication and social skills that aid them to interact better with members outside of their community. This streamlines their readiness to be a part of mainstream society. 
 Meet Banu Priya:Banu Priya is a student in our Sristi Special School. When the government school refused to admit Banu Priya because of her disability, her family got worried about her future. Luckily, they came to hear about Sristi Foundation and were able to enrol their daughter into our school. Banu Priya has many developmental delays. She is unable to walk without support and speech is difficult for her. She requires a lot of support while at school. Right now, we are focusing on providing her with the speech and physical therapy she needs. In addition, we are giving her special education, focusing on rudimentary lessons (such as the alphabet, colours and shapes), and daily living skills (dressing, bathing, and eating independently). Banu Priya is a bright student. Despite her disability, she shows strong determination. All of her teachers agree that she is a joy to have at school. She is very sweet and loving and always showing affection. We are confident that with the right therapy and education, we can give this amazing child a good life. Please consider making a small monthly or annual contribution to sponsor Banu Priya. With your financial gift, Banu Priya will be able to continue her therapy and education. This warm and loving girl deserves a full life.