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

We work to ensure equitable access to quality education for marginalized children and youth. Through community-based learning spaces, we bridge social, economic, and systemic barriers to education.

Education

We nurture the holistic development of children from marginalized communities by creating safe, engaging, and inclusive learning environments. Our programs support their academic growth, emotional well-being, and life skills.

Children

We engage with rural and marginalized communities to strengthen local leadership, livelihoods, and access to essential services. Our initiatives build community resilience through education, health, and social empowerment.

Community & Rural Development

We empower women from underserved communities through education, skill-building, and entrepreneurship support. Our programs promote financial independence, leadership, and dignity for every woman.

Women Empowerment

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

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

This is a sample description for Community & Rural Development. For the purpose of testing I will use the word Community & Rural DevelopmentCommunity & Rural DevelopmentCommunity & Rural Development.

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

Livelihood

Since its inception in 2010, Diksha Foundation has been committed to providing holistic education to children and youth from socially and economically marginalized communities across India. Our vision is to create transformative learning spaces where education goes beyond literacy, nurturing each learner’s social, emotional, creative, and moral development.At Diksha, we believe that education is a journey of self-discovery, self-esteem, and self-love—a transformative process that reshapes one's habits, worldviews, relationships, and responsibilities within the community. Our pedagogy is grounded in the principles of holistic education, emphasizing not only academic proficiency but also emotional intelligence, civic understanding, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and personality development. Central to our approach are the three fundamental R’s: Relationships, Responsibility, and Reverence for all life.We operate across Patna, Bihta, Samastipur, and Sarairanjan to advance holistic education and community empowerment. Through our KHEL program, we support 490+ children across 3 after-school learning hubs and mentor over 900 students in 10 government schools. The curriculum includes academics, life skills, digital literacy, SEE learning, and creative arts. Our Poonji project has supported 80+ women from sanitation and informal worker communities through 6 self-help groups, providing micro-grants and entrepreneurship training. We also offer 4 higher education scholarships annually to first-generation learners, with current scholars at Azim Premji University, Shiv Nadar University, and Amity University. Together, these programs aim to build dignity, resilience, and long-term impact across generations.Our Response to the COVID-19 Crisis:The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented global challenge, disrupting lives and livelihoods, particularly within the unorganized sector. In Bihar, the families of many of our students were severely impacted, facing prolonged income loss during extended lockdowns.In response, Diksha Foundation mobilized rapidly to support our community. We provided telephonic counseling to students to address emotional distress during isolation and initiated the Annapurna Campaign to deliver essential food supplies. Each ration kit included staple items sufficient to support a family for one month.Recognizing the evolving nature of the crisis, the campaign expanded into Aushadhi – The Annapurna Campaign, which now includes medical essentials such as basic medicines, oxygen support, and hygiene kits, in addition to food supplies. Through this initiative, we have reached over 1,500 families across Patna and Hilsa.

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

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Diksha Foundation

This nonprofit is registered as a charitable trust under section 12A of India's Income Tax Act, 1961.

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The 2014 Education Report shows that only 66.6% of students studying in Grades 3 to 5 could read Grade 1 texts, ﻿while only 58.7% have basic computational skills in government schools. There is also a lack of opportunities for students belonging to socially and economically deprived communities. These children face widespread discrimination on lines of caste, religion, gender, and class identities in general. This stunts their social, emotional and educational growth. 
 Having identified the weakest link, Diksha, through its Knowledge Hub for Education and Learning, works primarily with displaced children between the ages of 5 - 18. These are primarily first generation learners whose parents are primarily daily-wage earners unable to provide access to steady or quality education to their children. In addition to addressing the gap of numeracy and literacy, the children are given access to tech tools; taught how to use computer programmes and use the internet. 
 <ol><li>A)round 300 marginalized children get direct benefits from this activity. These children are better placed to access opportunities that will allow them to contribute better to their society. Primarily, focusing on the girls' education and their access to technology , confidence and builds their creativity so that they are able to voice their aspirations meaningfully alongside their male peers. In the long run, this results in an overall community transformation.</li><li>Partnered with the American Embassy for English Access MicroScholarship programme for 50 students in Patna </li><li>4 children from Diksha participated in an event organized by UNICEF and CSEI in order to raise the voice against all the odds a youth has to go through also become a part of Patna Youth Forum.</li><li>Sonu Kumar got selected for Bachelors in Economics in Banaras Hindu University.</li><li>Vishal Kumar cleared the 6 round of test and interview and got selected for 1 year course of computer sciences at NavGurukul</li><li>Two of our students Khushi Rani and Khushboo Rani were able to perform well and clear their polytechnic examinations.</li><li>Priyanka Kumari an alumna of Diksha KHEL center recently joined Bihar Police. </li><li>Prince Kumar and Aryan Sahu, two of our students got selected as 75 creative minds of tomorrow at 52nd international film festival of India held in Goa.</li></ol>

Educate 300 marginalized children in Bihar

The pandemic has affected the mental growth and education of children, especially the girl child. Diksha Foundation seeks to reestablish the connection between students and their education by supporting 300 students in Patna and Nalanda. ₹500 is the cost of providing books to 5 children. More importantly, the organisation is giving these 300 students access to online classes and video recordings by providing them with internet packs at the total cost of ₹2,500.Many children have lost their connections with schools for various reasons especially due to prolonged closure of schools and lack of knowledge to use ICT as a medium of education. In a recent ASER Report (2020), less than 50% teachers admitted to receiving training or brief on student engagement during school closures. This furthered the issues of school dropouts and early child marriages of girls. Online learning, as indicated by the numbers, is not becoming a reality due to infrastructural problems such as lack of access to an electronic gadget or internet connectivity. Apart from this, children have also lost their interests due to lack of access to resource materials such as books, stationery etc.Girl children are being forced to marry because of financial constraints on their parents as many of them lost their livelihoods during the lockdown. The reason for early child marriages have been varied including return of male family members from their work, societal pressure etc. According to the National Family Health Survey, Bihar accounts for 11% of all child marriages in India for girls. These girl children are now struggling with pregnancy, low levels of education and nutrition. 
 Diksha Foundation, through this project, seeks to reestablish the connection between students and learning of 300 students directly by taking the following measures:-<ul><li>Strengthen Access to Study Material -  We are planning to ensure door step delivery of library books, work books, stationery etc to our students in order to ensure their accessibility to resource materials</li><li>Online Teaching -  We plan to introduce conference line teaching with our students with provisions of video as well as audio lectures</li><li>Video Recordings - These video recording of classes of different topics will be made available to our students in order to ensure their learning </li><li>Mobile/Data Plan - This will allow students  with smartphones to join the classes as many students come from marginalised sections of the society</li><li>Blended Learning -  Further, as the COVID cases take a downward direction and the government eases out on the lockdown rules, we plan on introducing blended learning through which the students will be able to join classes through ICT as well as in the traditional method. </li><li>Teacher Resources- Tablets and smartphones to teachers with data plans</li><li>Sessions beyond academic courses- Mental health, meditation and decision making skills to reduce early child marriage .</li></ul>We will design our course content by including core subjects such as Math, English, Hindi and Computer along with life skills content such as mental health, meditation and decision making skills as provided in the module of My Life, Mere Faisley developed by Pravah. 
 <ul><li>Reduction in school drop out rates</li><li>Reduction in child marriages</li><li>Continued access to learning material will help in retaining knowledge</li><li>Better mental growth of children </li></ul>

KHEL Digital Resource Hub

Bharat Education Foundation has partnered with Diksha Foundation to roll-out Bharat Education Scholarship for economically underprivileged high school students in Bihar, who aspire to attend college. Bharat Education Foundation has a mission to unlock the potential of underprivileged students in India by providing comprehensive scholarships that cover higher education, living expenses &amp; subsidy to the families of such students.To learn more about Bharat Education Foundation, please visit BharatEducation.info/ and to learn more about Diksha Foundation please visit <a href="http://dikshafoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">dikshafoundation.org/</a> THE PROBLEM- Many high school (senior secondary school) students from underprivileged backgrounds in India do not pursue undergraduate (college) education because their parents cannot afford it, or worse still, the family needs to rely on wages from its children’s labor to run the household. This forces the children to seek pre-mature employment in the informal economy (eg. daily wage laborers in construction, rickshaw pullers, drivers and household help).These children, once employed in the informal economy, can rarely exit, and decades later, they in turn cannot afford higher education for their own kids. Thus begins a vicious cycle that is hard to break, and keeps generations of such families in abject poverty. While myriad scholarships for underprivileged students are available in various forms, students are still reluctant to attend college, as they know that their families need financial support from their labor, leaving them with no choice but to join the informal economy. Such decision making is forced also by lack of role models and career guidance. Sample field research interview snapshots, conducted in conjunction with Diksha Foundation at their center in Patna, Bihar.<ul><li>Education ongoing but not sure if they can make it to college</li><li>Lack of role models in extended family and social circle</li><li>Low visibility into professional careers</li><li>Aspirational but despair setting in</li><li>Expect most likely outcome to do something similar as parents – joining the informal economy</li><li>Family living under Rs. 15,000 per month income</li><li>Precedent already or expectation by family to support financially now (part time) or soon (leaving education)</li><li>Parents would like their children to study but don’t think they will be able to support.</li></ul> 
 THE SOLUTION- We hope to fix the route cause of the problem – the lifetime value of the student attending college should be greater than providing a source of income to the family in the short term. We will unlock this by providing the family a financial subsidy, in addition to paying for the college education, room &amp; board, travel expenses for the student. We will fund the family &amp; the student for the entirety of the college education time frame typically 3 – 4 years.Our endeavor is also to ensure that the student can find suitable employment opportunities in the organized sector, in a professional setting so that she has a path towards sustainable employment and a shot at bringing her family out of poverty. 
 SCHOLARSHIP-Our program has been kicked off in Bihar (one of the poorest states of India) with a dismal record of education continuity. The enrollment rates for Bihar start lagging versus rest of the country by senior secondary school and drops quite significantly by college, especially compared to urban states such as Delhi (14% versus 45%) but even versus the India average (25%). We plan to expand this program to other states over the next few years.Bharat Education Scholarship (and family financial support) grant details:<ul><li>Scholarship for up to Rs. 6 Lakhs per year, will cover full costs for attending a nationally reputed college that would culminate in a Bachelors degree in 3 – 4 years:</li><li>College fees, cost of boarding or lodging for the student</li><li>Other student college attendance expenses including travel costs</li><li>Up to Rs. 1,20,000 per year grant for the family</li><li>Active mentoring of the student to ensure retention &amp; launch professional career post-graduation</li></ul>THE ASK-We are targeting to fund at least 2 students &amp; their families in the next academic year for 3-4 years, to be able to attend a top 100 university / college / engineering institute in India, as part of this pilot and need to raise INR 50,00,000 (US $60,000). Any excess funds will be used to sponsor more students. Your help in achieving our goal will help families break the vicious cycle of poverty through education. The urgency of the problem calls for immediate action.

Educate 300 marginalized children in Bihar

KHEL Digital Resource Hub

Bharat Education Fellowship 2023 - An Initiative by Bharat Education Foundation and Diksha Foundation

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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