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

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

“The abusers insert a candle or fingers in the vagina of children torture them. If the children don’t relent even then, the abusers 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 the Society for Participatory Integrated Development (SPID), while talking about many heart-rending stories of trafficked children in red-light areas. In over three decades, the team of SPID led by Lalitha, has saved over 3000 children from the red-light areas in Delhi, such as GB Road, and many from clutches of sex trafficking. While Lalitha has also helped many women escape the clutches of being forced into sex work, the SPID is focused on rescuing children and giving them a better life.Sadly, many more children need to be rescued and need a loving home. SPID needs your support to carry on the mission, to move out of the small shelters that are subject to arbitrary rental increases or landlords’ whims, to permanent locations where she can rescue more children and give them all the love they deserve. Your support will give these children the care and upbringing they need. 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).“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 Lalitha. 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 to this fundraiser for permanent premises through Give, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform. Help Lalitha give hundreds of children rescued from brothels a life away from violence and abuse. Donate 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 to protect vulnerable children from trafficking by moving them to a safe and loving home

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

Healthcare

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

Livelihood

This is a sample description for Disaster Relief. For the purpose of testing I will use the wordDisaster ReliefDisaster ReliefDisaster Relief.

Disaster Relief

This is a sample description for Women Empowerment. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Women EmpowermentWomen EmpowermentWomen Empowerment.

Women Empowerment

The Desai Foundation Trust began its journey by providing services to communities in India and the United States over 20 years ago in 1997. We have positively impacted over 600,000 lives with over 20 programs such as health and hygiene camps, menstrual health programs, vocational training programs, science and entrepreneurship, and more. Our work focuses on empowering women and children through community programming to elevate health and livelihood in over 568 villages in India. These communities lack basic facilities such as healthcare services, education systems and livelihood opportunities. Through our projects on health camps, skill development (skill and business training) and education, we ensure that the members of the communities, especially girls and women have access to opportunities leading to better health and livelihood opportunities. The Desai Foundation believes that the only way to elevate a community is to employ a holistic approach to community development with an emphasis on cultivating dignity for those we serve.

Mittal Vinodbhai Gohil

Manoj

Divyesh Markana

The Desai Foundation Trust

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The Times of India, in their July 2018 edition chronicled that only 18% of women in India have access to sanitary hygiene. Menstruating women and girls in rural India cannot afford or access sanitary napkins and resort to homemade alternatives such as old cloth, rags, hay, sand or ash. These alternatives, are not only harmful, leading to increased vulnerability to infections and serious illness, but are ineffective and prevent girls and women from going to school, college or work. The stigma surrounding menstruation, and girls and women’s sexual and reproductive health has resulted in low levels of knowledge and awareness regarding menstrual hygiene. Over 70% of girls in India report having no knowledge of menstruation before their first period, leading to preventable feelings of anxiety, guilt, and fear. Stigma also prevents women and girls who can afford to purchase available sanitary napkin products from doing so at traditionally male run markets where they often face judgment and shaming. The stigma and lack of access surrounding menstruation are related to larger societal norms that devalue women and girls, norms that must be changed in order for any program to be truly successful. 
 The Desai Foundation Trust (DFT) is implementing a transformative, women-led, community-based program to shift ingrained stigma around menstruation and reduce structural and cultural barriers to menstrual hygiene in rural areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. At the same time, the project aims at providing livelihood and education opportunities for women and girls. In partnership with local CBO’s, this program currently trains women in rural Gujarat, India to produce and sell retail quality, low-cost sanitary napkins (a DF-created brand Asani, or “with ease” in Gujarati &amp;Hindi) and provides menstrual hygiene management (MHM) education in their communities. In addition to empowering girls and women to take control of their own health and livelihood, the project aims at removing the key barrier to education for girls and women’s participation in the workforce through increasing the access to menstrual hygiene education and products. At present, the program is being implemented in our three centers in Untdi, Bardoli, and Baruch catering to the needs of women and girls in over 250 villages. After our successful implementation in Gujarat, we are expanding the project to Rajasthan and Maharashtra in 2019. 
 We have positively impacted more than 13000 women and girls in our target regions. Currently, 19 (11+8) women are participating in our production unit and over 60 women are working as regular distributors. In addition to this, we have 130 women distributors who have the flexibility to participate in the program as per their needs. Women and girls in the targeted communities are aware of their rights as women, have a heightened sense of dignity, and are financially independent. At the same time, our project has also contributed towards decreasing the number of girl dropouts from schools in the target area. Through our expansion plan, we want to serve other women and girls who are victims of stringent cultural norms that further hinder their development.

Promoting menstrual health resources and employment in rural India

The national lockdown in India has had a disproportionately negative effect on the underserved communities in rural India. The Indian Express on 14th May 2020, reported that 50% of surveyed households in rural India are eating less as they are out of work and have no regular income. People living in our target areas do not have access to health care supplies, let alone to face masks that are a necessity to protect oneself from COVID-19. Since April, we have been making and freely distributing face masks, and are now launching the Masks of HOPE campaign in order to be able to continue to help, aid and serve the vulnerable and underserved rural communities in India. 
 With this new reality set to last another 12-18 months, we thought it was essential to pivot from our regular programs, and find ways to support the immediate, COVID-19 related needs of underserved communities in rural India. We began employing women who were part of our sewing program, digitally training them on how to produce hand-sewn face masks using cotton fabrics. Since the beginning, our aim has been  not only to distribute these face masks in villages for free but also to create a source of income for women in rural India. So far, 120 women are working on this project, who now have a regular income. We have distributed over 100,000 face masks in villages located in Vasda, Bharuch, Navsari, Bardoli and Valsad who are benefiting from these face masks in this time of crisis. 
 We are continuing to recruit and employ more women across villages in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Our target is not only to create employment opportunities for 200 women, but to produce and freely distribute 100,000 masks per month to the families living in these villages.

Masks of HOPE - Health - Opportunity - Perseverance - Empowerment

We are heartbroken by the current situation in India, which we have been following closely. We are working with our team, organizations on the ground and larger institutions to implement what is needed locally on the ground. We are also ramping up for the support that will be needed in the future. We are working hard to support the 1,000 rural communities we serve in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh &amp; Rajasthan. We have identified the ways for the Desai Foundation to be of most service immediately, and for what will be needed in the future. Outlined below is our focus.The US government has begun the process to provide aid to India. We encourage you all to contact your local representatives to ensure that pressure leads to action. The US has vaccines, raw materials, pop-up hospitals, emergency supplies of O2 and other materials, etc that are urgently needed in India.All donations made to the Desai Foundation for our efforts on the ground for COVID relief will be matched 100%.The need is urgent and dire. And your support to join these efforts is crucial. We are also welcoming partners to join us at this table to make a swift and immediate impact. Our goal is to raise $250,000 in 2 weeks. 
 COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH INTERVENTIONS:<ul><li>COVID Relief &amp; Isolation Centers - for testing, screening, hospital triage, medicine distribution, and space for people to isolate outside their homes.</li><li>Masks - Continue our Masks of HOPE campaign, making and distributing masks.</li><li>ASHA worker resource center help line - a place for ASHA workers in remote places to call and get support.</li><li>Food Packages for relatives waiting outside hospitals</li></ul>URGENT MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS:<ul><li>Cover costs for Vaccination Shots for the communities we serve</li><li>Expand Private Hospitals Capacity (6 hospitals) - Beds, tents, etc. </li><li>Therapeutics - working with Pharma companies on delivering pharmaceuticals </li><li>Oxygen and Other supplies</li><li>Transportation to and from medical care</li><li>Provide PPE Kits to hospitals and other care facilities</li></ul>WOMEN’S SUPPORT: <ul><li>Help Desk for those that lost family members and need to understand gov’t schemes</li><li>Help Desk for medical advice and supplies</li><li>Creating a pipeline for jobs and training</li><li>Creating work from home opportunities</li></ul>NEXT STEPS FOR RECOVERY:<ul><li>Health &amp; Hygiene courses for children to live healthier more protected lives - expand programming</li><li>Health Camps for COVID screening, medical screening, vision, gynec camp, children's health camps and other training</li></ul> 
 HOW YOU CAN HELP RIGHT NOW:<ol><li>Donate to the Desai Foundation efforts</li><li>Access to Oxygen &amp; Therapeutics - We are working with some, but always great to have more connections in this area</li><li>As our efforts are focused in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh - if there are partner organizations on the ground we can work with to mobile our COVID relief centers, please connect us.</li></ol>Tax ID#: 04-3433749 // 80(G) Registration Number: E-31940(M) // PAN Number: AACTT7301H

Desai Foundation's COVID Emergency Relief

The national lockdown in India has significantly affected the underserved communities in rural India. The Indian Express reported that 50% of surveyed households in rural India are eating less as they are out of work and have no regular income. People living in our target areas do not have access to health care supplies, let alone to face masks that are a necessity to protect oneself from COVID-19. With your support, we are launching the Desai Foundation Trust Resiliency Fund campaign to help, aid and serve vulnerable and underserved rural communities in India. 
 With this new reality set to last another 12-18 months, we thought it was essential for us to pivot from our regular programs, and support communities in rural India. We began employing women who were part of our sewing program, digitally trained them on how to produce hand-sewn face masks using cotton fabrics. Our aim is not only to distribute these face masks in villages for free but create a source of income for women in rural India. So far, 120 women are working in this project, who now have a regular income. We have distributed over 100,000 face masks in villages located in Vasda, Bharuch, Navsari, Bardoli and Valsad who are benefiting from these face masks in this time of crisis. 
 We are continuing to recruit and employ more women across villages in Rajasthan, Maharashrtra and Gujarat. Our target is not only to create employment opportunities for these women, but to produce and freely distribute 100,000 masks per month to the families living in these villages.