"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.

Save abandoned, elderly widow mothers of Vrindavan from begging on streets

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, 250 of the children rescued from abuse and exploitation 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 Ahmednagar, 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 majority 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 HIV+ children, rescued from abuse in red-light areas a new life

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Universal versatile society is a non-political, non-communal and nonprofit making, non-governmental voluntary social organization registered under Societies Registration Act-XXI of 1860 with Registration No. Maha/514/05/Akola on dated 30/06/2005 by the authority of Govt. of Maharashtra’s Asstt. Registrar of Societies, Akola Region - India.

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

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Donations through GIVE, a registered charity in UK, are covered under Gift Aid

Narayan Solanke

Navednya

Universal Versatile Society

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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As per the recent research made by civic-run SevenHills Hospital on 17,676 covid recovered patients, almost 7% of them found to have mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder which need counselling and treatment. Thus to bring back our country to its feet, Post-Covid Psychiatric Rehabilitation of the community is crucial. Maharashtra is one of the largest agricultural states in India, farmers in this region play a very important role in the configuration and maintenance of the Indian economy. Given the conditions of poverty, insufficient state aid and climatic conditions have led to an increase in depression and mental health complications among farmers and in extreme cases has resulted in farmer suicide deaths.This has directly influenced the culture and the society adversely. Central to these issues, the lack of education, medical care, lack of quality resources, family problems, social awareness and the exploitation of farmers by crop distributors has negatively affected the mental health of farmers. The obstacle to alleviating farmers’ mental health issues is the stigma associated with mental health in Indian culture. Hence, it has prevented farmers from seeking help to alleviate their stress.UVS project is focused on public health activities for the detection, treatment, and monitoring of risk factors, and to carry real epidemiological data on mental health of the farmers. 
 The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Project aims to improve mental health conditions by providing care and rehabilitation services to the beneficiaries. The Program has been designed to spread awareness, make assessments, and to enable the adoption of interventions to promote mental health which arises post covid disease; and especially prevent suicidal tendencies among the farmers and induce resilience to economic, social, and cultural problems.The program with duration of four months to cover 30 villages (expected beneficiaries approximately 9528) in the Vidarbha region for the proposed Mental Health Program and these regions are badly affected during the second wave of Covid19. On an individual psychological level, the lack of education, medical care, lack of familial support, and accessibility to quality resources has deepened the farmer’s mental distress. This cycle has led to low morale and increased farmer suicide death rates in the region. This has directly impacted the degradation of the environment and social unrest, thereby creating a dwindling cycle.The challenge to mental health awareness and remedy to beneficiaries in distress are the stigma associated with mental health in Indian culture which prevents people from seeking help. This project is focused on public health activities for the detection, treatment and monitoring of risk factors, and to carry real epidemiological data to study mental health diseases due to Covid19. 
 The objective is to improve timely and effective access to comprehensive mental health care services for people affected during Covid19 or with a history of suicidal behaviour.With the aim to improve health, the program will target all relevant partners at the local level. Numerous health problems are too complex to be solved only by health services. Besides this, solutions for health problems could be found only at the places of their origins – local environments where people are working and living. Through the partnership with the local community influence changes of people behaviour, contribute to the development of community health through changes in the environment, minimization of health risks, and development of local initiatives foremployment, prevention of other, numerous problems influencing local health.Education will be organized through the engagement of villages through assemblies, talks, street shows, etc. to build awareness<ol><li>Health determinants and population health assessment and monitoring</li><li>Information and knowledge in public health </li><li>Health promotion and community actions</li><li>Therefore, participants in educative assemblies/talks will be physicians from primary health care centres, representatives of local governments (municipalities), representatives of educational sectors (teachers from primary and secondary schools), representatives of UVS team and representatives of local media.</li></ol>

Post Covid Psychiatric Rehabilitation of Beneficiaries in Need

This project aims to aid farmer's in depression, their relatives and others struggling with mental health problems in Vidarbha region. Initiating rehabilitation and counselling centre with face-to-face treatment for patients may help to reduce the farmer's suicide crisis in Vidarbha. This project may help to tackle several problems including; lack of treatment, lack of resources and facilities for the mentally ill and social discrimination against those suffering depression problems. 
 This project will help to improve the mental health of patients in Vidarbha to promote understanding, reduce stigma and help individuals lift themselves out of the impacts of poor mental health especially for those who don't have resources and enough knowledge. Treatment options, support groups, knowledge of mental health &amp; inclusion in society can be greatly achieved through rehabilitation center which will help our society to get rid of farmer suicide crisis in Vidarbha. 
 This project aims to rehabilitate hundreds and thousands of mentally retarded and depressed patients to gain good state of mental health and avail the opportunities to succeed in life.

Psychiatric rehabilitation of farmers in distress

During the COVID pandemic, since March, community from the slum area of Washim city is passing through an awful situation. Due to lock-down most of them have lost their jobs, rested their businesses, source of incomes, or wages with no hopes and threatening future. This community is based in Alada Plot, Bagwan Pura, Bhangi Pura of Washim city. Most of them are drivers, laborers, porters, scrap pickers, etc. having nothing in their hands for their livelihood. The provision of grocery kits and short term aid can no more work as people are losing their hopes. 
 Through our project, we are intending to make 250 families self-sustained in growing their food at their backyard. We will provide them with the kit of plant growing beds and seedlings. 25% will be given Rhinovermi beds and worms so that they can produce vermicompost at their home and exchange it with the one with vegetable growers in their community. They can also sell the excess amounts of fertilizer to the market and generate income. 
 Following are the expected outcomes of our project-<ul><li>To make the habit of growing their food during and post-pandemic.</li><li>To grow nutritious and organic food at their backyard and contribute to a better environment and ecology.</li><li>To contribute to the family by minimizing the expenditures during this economic crisis.</li><li>To nurture the feeling of self-sufficiency (Atmanirbhar) and happiness amongst the community.</li><li>Generate income by producing vermicomposting which further contributes to regenerative gardening.</li><li>Managing the waste at home and turn it into income generation practice.</li><li>To get rid of poisonous food and have healthy nutritious food.</li><li>Gardening is a natural stress reliever, which will benefit the beneficiaries in this unprecedented time.</li></ul>

Growing Own Organic Food

The effect of COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting impact on the education of the marginalised students in Nagthana. Before children can start returning to school it is important to develop the school premises and ensure digitalisation to empower and overtake the setbacks of the past years. Your donation of ₹5,500 can help a child return to school safely.The Zillah Parishad Prathamik Shala, Nagthana school has always been constrained by the absence of resources and burdened by the administrative tasks handled by a small staff of 5 teachers and a headmaster. Absence of a amenities like playground, books, organised interactive activities and a well maintained infrastructure have always deprived students of basic learning means. This has been resulting in poor education, reduced attendance, shift to schools in the city, consequently leading to a stagnation of overall development of Nagthana due to brain drain.In the pre-COVID phase, several children from the village travelled to the cities to study in schools that offered English medium-education. This led to new challenges like an increase in accidents when children travel to the city schools every day, exorbitant fee charged by the school and yet not delivering quality educations.The pandemic has only pushed back the learning process of many of these students and has also laid emphasis on digital technologies and its basic knowledge. Through this program, Universal Versatile Society would like to ensure that children can safely come back to schools. By offering to them a better and safe infrastructure, powered by digitisation and technology, students and their parents will see merit in sending their children to Zillah Parishad Prathamik Shala. 
 At Universal Versatile Society our vision is to improve the quality of education imparted by the public school of Nagthana through re-development of the school infrastructure, practises and resources with particular considerations of sustainability and current trends. The three main focus areas of the project are –•      Introduce Digital Learning and Resources•      Establish Necessary Infrastructure Developments•      Introducing Project Based LearningThe objectives will be implemented parallel to continuous training of the teachers and stakeholder meetings within the village communities. The youth of the village are actively involved in carrying out project activities enthusiastically with guidance from the founder of the organisation and project team members. A Project Based Learning guide has been formulated for the teachers of the school for reference in Marathi, Hindi and English. School supplies for the students are being collected through a community initiative on social media.The village of Nagthana has additional ongoing projects in areas of farmer’s mental health, regenerative agriculture and renewable energy that will positively influence the school rejuvenation project. Ultimately, the development of the local educational institution is the crux of sustaining these projects in the long run. 
 The key beneficiaries of the project are the students and teachers who will have access to modern resources to make learning a fun and enriching experience. The local communities will benefit as the next generation is introduced to a holistic education. This will also add to the community pride as a model school in the village.The project will provide a holistic learning experience to the underprivileged students at Nagthana and help develop a self-driving force of young minds. Digital literacy will be one of the biggest impact of the project through the introduction of wifi and digital equipment. The procurement of funds will enable the school to repair and refurbish the infrastructure creating an attracting environment for learning along with the introduction of a playground.