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

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

“I saw a girl, barely 7 or 8, being pushed into flesh trade. Her cries for help still echo in my ears. There were men as old as 60 r*ping the innocent child. That was the day I knew my mission in life was to get these children out of the hell-like conditions in red-light areas. They are nothing short of hell and no child deserves to grow up in this environment” says Vinay Vasta, founder of Social Activities Integration, an organisation committed to freeing children trapped in red-light areas.Vinay and his NGO have been able to provide education, medical care and nutrition to over 2,500 children. But his dream to provide safe shelter to children remains unrealized. “We do our best to keep these children safe during the day but sadly they are forced to go back to the red light areas at night as we don’t have a home for them. Your donation can help us build a safe home for children of sex workers and prevent them from being pulled into prostitution. Donate to make this dream a realityDonate 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).Life in red light areas“S*x workers use their homes which are barely 6 feet by 4 feet for their business. They invite customers in the presence of their children. Their children not only witness abuse but experience it too. Just imagine a child being told that all she can ever become in life is a pr*stitute”, Vinay shares as he explains the extent of abuse children face in red light areas.This is a life that thousands of children are forced to live behind closed doors where they suffer abuse and exploitation morning, noon and night.A ray of hopeVinay has been relentlessly trying to give children the care and education they deserve. He has provided quality English education to thousands of children, enabling them to secure a livelihood out of red-light areas. Several children taught by Vinay are today leading successful lives as professionals and Government employees. However the sad reality is that Vinay and his NGO, in the absence of a permanent shelter home, are unable to provide round the clock safety to these children, which is essential for their well-being.Your donations can enable SAI to build a shelter home for the children of sex workers and usher in a new tomorrow for them, away from the horrors of red-light areas.Donate to this fundraiser on Give.do, India’s largest and most trusted online donation platform, to provide safe shelter for children of sex workers and save them from abuse and second generation pr*stitution.NGO's 80G number: AACTS0408EF20216NGO's 12A number: AACTS0408EE20028

Help Vinay bring children facing abuse in red-light areas to safety and protect them

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Women Empowerment

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Livelihood

This is a sample description for Human Rights. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Human RightsHuman RightsHuman Rights.

Human Rights

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

Children

About YUVA Urban Initiatives: Set up in 2007 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, YUVA Urban Initiatives aims to address the growing challenges and inequalities arising out of the rapid and unplanned development of urban spaces. Given the rise in informal settlements (bastis) in cities coupled with inadequate living conditions, lack of livelihood opportunities, limited awareness of and access to health and nutrition facilities, YUVA Urban Initiatives adopts an integrated approach to drive change in each aspect.YUVA Urban Initiatives has two key missions:- To create cities that are just, equitable and sustainable; and- To make them a better place for the poor by enabling access to human rightsIn particular, YUVA Urban Initiatives aims to uphold the rights of the most vulnerable groups in large cities. Rooted in our belief in empowerment, we seek to build the capacities of urban poor communities to address issues related to the quality of their living conditions and livelihoods.

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

Satej Chinchalikar

Shweta Shalini

 Roshni Nuggehalli

YUVA Urban Initiatives

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.

Shaila

How can homeless children access safe play and expression spaces in the time of a pandemic? How can they be supported so their access to these spaces remains over time? The YUVA Urban Initiatives Dadar Railway CHILDLINE team has worked to address this challenge in the past few months with select communities in Dadar and Matunga, Mumbai. Here’s how their efforts have unfolded on-ground.The team, operating from their jurisdiction of Dadar Railway Station, continued their work on-ground since June 2020 even as the pandemic raged on, as their work to rescue children from adverse circumstances and rehabilitate them is an emergency service. However, they realised soon that with long distance and local trains being restricted, they were unable to reach too many children in need. In the pre-pandemic time, the team on-average handled 50 cases per month — either of those who had run away from home, or were trafficked, forced into labour, and so on. Once the pandemic started, they were getting about 10–15 cases to handle formally monthly, although they were hearing about more child rights violation cases informally. To reach out to more children in need, the Dadar CHILDLINE and Railway Children India team members decided to expand their outreach by visiting vulnerable communities located near the station. They did this while following all safety and social distancing norms. Team members soon found two homeless groups of families staying near the Dadar station, who were not receiving any government support. Most of the family members were engaged in the informal sector as domestic workers, cleaners of cars, waste recyclers and so on. The families lived in makeshift shelters, and the pandemic had made them extremely vulnerable. The team provided the families with ration kits and essential items. They also collected socio-economic data of the community members and submitted this to Railway Children India so that the families could continue to be supported on their safety, sanitation and food requirements. The team also started visiting the communities regularly to better understand their needs. With these ongoing visits a rapport built with the community children. The team started conducting small activities with them, to help them better communicate about the situation they were experiencing and to help them relax and destress. Over time, this led to interactions with three groups of children, with 15–20 children in each group, who participated in the activities on a regular basis.A major challenge the team encountered, however, was the fact that since Dadar station is very crowded and many vendor stalls are located, it was difficult to find a safe and sustaining place for the children to congregate in. Thus the team members started thinking about this in more detail. They finally discovered that the space under Kavi Keshavsut Bridge at Dadar West, near the Dadar Police Station, may be a good space for these interactions. The team members approached the police for permission to use the space for children’s activities once a week. The police guided the team for the permission process from the Dadar Police Station and G/North MCGM Ward office. This was followed by a formal meeting with the Senior Police Inspector of Dadar Police Station. He was convinced about the necessity of allowing this, with all COVID-norms being followed. The G/North Maintenance Department also agreed to conduct the activities with children once or twice a week. This successful local advocacy with the local MCGM Ward office and the police helped claim a small local space for children in a rightful manner. It has also helped the children access a space which they know they can safely return to, and one where they can freely express themselves. Currently, 15–20 children and 10 women of the community use this space. The team faced many challenges early on to get the children to use this space. For instance, some parents were unsure about the children being taken to a nearby space to play. Homeless communities already face so many threats and hostility at a daily level, that the team took time to build their trust. Once they were comfortable, it was easier for the children to access the space. One of the children using the space currently is Rakesh (name changed), a 12-year-old staying near Dadar station. He sells vegetables with his grandmother near the station. Due to the pandemic, Rakesh missed his school. When the CHILDLINE team started engaging with them, they encouraged him to attend the group activities. Rakesh started coming for the sessions, and gradually started showing more interest to return to his studies. Rakesh belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, where the children are often engaged in waste-recycling and vegetable and flower selling, and drop out of education early. The team hopes that the activities conducted help the children gain more awareness, knowledge and skills, that not only helps them learn more about COVID protection measures but also develops their personality, and helps families adopt better health and food habits. The team also remains in touch to support the family with essential items, whenever possible.

Helping homeless children claim safe spaces for play, expression and more!

12-year-old Pooja could take Kiran’s support to keep up with her lessons. But the daughter of every domestic worker has not been so lucky! The pandemic has increased inequalities and children have been among its worst victims. Help us do more for children in need by committing to ‘Protect Every Child’.

Protect Children's Access to Education

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During the Pandemic, the women SHG have been at the forefront in the fight against COVID -19 from manufacturing masks, to distributing ration and cooked meals. But the longevity and severity of the crisis has resulted in severe economic, social and health shocks for them, too. 
 One important measure as a part of the build back is providing seed capital to the SHG to help them restart/expand their ventures. Implementation Plan :<ul><li>·        Interaction with the SHG’s</li><li>·        Training sessions with the SHG’s on entrepreneurship/marketing.</li><li>·        Supporting them in Preparing the Business plan for next quarter.</li><li>·        Procuring the Assets ( sewing machine/cooking utensils ) for the SHG</li><li>·        Disbursing the amount towards rent, variable costs</li><li>·        Providing support to the SHG’s</li><li>·        Monitoring and Evaluating their performance</li></ul> 
 Short-term impact <ul><li>SHGs will start their business with a crucial seed fund. These families have been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and their incomes have been lost. This would be a great support to the family income</li><li>Local goods/services are created and sold, at good quality and affordable rates</li><li>Their business is established and they can continue to explore it as an alternative livelihood option rather than lesser-earning but more physically intensive work like piece-rate work</li><li>The income generation capacity shows an improvement of 8-10 % at the end of the project</li></ul>Long term impact<ul><li>Women’s economic empowerment is achieved thereby giving her a greater say in decision-making</li><li>Women entrepreneurs as role-models in their community inspiring many others</li><li>Securing benefits for the SHG’s under various Government schemes</li></ul>

Self Help Group (SHG) strengthening

17 crimes are recorded against children every hour. One of three registered crimes are sexual offences. This analysis of the latest National Crime Records Bureau report by Child Rights and You paints a deeply distressing picture. India’s growth story is incomplete without the safety and welfare of its children. Especially those from marginalised families need all the care and support, and each one of us is responsible to make this happen.  
 For nearly 15 years, YUVA Urban Initiatives (https://www.yuiindia.org/) has worked to uphold child rights and protection. In select areas of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and at Dadar Railway Station we manage the 1098 Childline helpline, to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of children in distress. While child rescue and rehabilitation remains the core focus of the work, the teams are also invested in the holistic development of children—frequently organising sessions for their right to study, play, and enjoy a safe and violence-free environment. The teams also participate in and lead campaigns, and collaborate in networks to promote child rights and protection in every way. 
 With your support, we will be able to further child rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Our emergency support services include—preventing children from being trafficked, abused, married; reuniting runaway children with their parents, and seeking shelter/medical support for children as needed.This DaanUtsav, we invite you to participate in and help us strengthen child protection initiatives across the city. Your support will help us ensure ‘Every Child Matters’.

Self Help Group (SHG) strengthening

Every Child Matters

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

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

Help Vinay bring children facing abuse in red-light areas to safety and protect them

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