"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

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

“They insert a candle in the vagina, fingers are inserted (in the vagina) and tortured, and if children don’t relent even then, they 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 Society for Participatory Integrated Development (SPID), in course of talking about many heart-rending stories of trafficked children in red-light areas.In over three decades, the SPID led by Lalitha, has saved over 3000 children from the red-light areas, many from clutches of sex trafficking.Sadly, many more children need to be rescued and in need of a loving home. But Lalitha needs our support to carry on the mission, to move out of her small facility so that she can rescue more children, house them in a permanent location and give them all the love they deserve. Your support can help her give these children 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).A movement to protect vulnerable childrenAs a social worker, Lalitha has worked for decades in GB Road, the red-light area of Delhi and helped many women escape the clutches of being forced into sex. But it was the exploitation of children, many of them hardly ten or twelve or even less. The SPID has focused on rescuing such children and giving them a new life.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 generously.Donation to SPID’s fundraiser on Give.do“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 LalithaDonate 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

This Navratri, help Lalitha give kids rescued from abuse in red-light areas a safe and loving home. Donate now.

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

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

Women Empowerment

Sakshi (regd. NGO, 1992) is a capacity-building organisation, with Equality as our founding principle. We strive to make equality a reality for vulnerable groups by empowering youth, women, children, and marginalised groups, with a focus on diversity &amp; inclusiveness, gender &amp; sexual rights, water, sanitation &amp; hygiene, peaceful coexistence and leadership.Sakshi’s landmark PILs 'Vishaka Vs State of Rajasthan' and 'Sakshi Vs. Union of India' have led to the development of a Prevention of Workplace Sexual Harassment Law (POSH 2013), drafting of a Reformative Sexual Assault Law (Sexual Assault Bill 2010), design of Special Procedures for Women and Children in Sexual Violence Cases (Juvenile Justice Act 2010) and (POCSO 2012)Sakshi also led the Asia Pacific Advisory Forum on Judicial Education on Equality Issues, a Judicial education programme for the Judiciary of 5 Nations: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. The programme ran for 10 Years and was selected as a 'Best Practice Programme' by UN Women in 2001. In 2019, Sakshi was awarded the ASSOCHAM Award for 'Outstanding Contribution Towards Gender Equality'.Over the years, Sakshi’s expertise in Social Art Interventions and Communication for Development gave birth to SBOX in 2019. Empaneled with the National Film Development Corporation, SBOX is a communication for development vertical by Sakshi, focused on design and content for Social Impact. In just over a year, SBOX led national campaigns for various ministries. ‘Bhashasangam’ for the Ministry of Human Resources Development to promote diversity. ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ for the Ministry of Women &amp; Child Development to promote equality. ‘#YesToPOSH’ for the National Commission for Women to promote Prevention of Workplace Sexual Harassment and ‘#MakeHomeASafeSpace’ as part of The Rakshin Project to raise awareness on house-bound violence during the times of COVID-19. Sakshi is also a recepient of the National Laadli Media Award for the play 'Jug Jug Jiyo' .Launched in 2020, The Rakshin Project by Sakshi in partnership with the Directorate of NSS, Ministry of Youth Affairs, aims to Prevent, Prohibit and Redress Child Sexual Abuse through trainings, workshops and sustained engagement in 40,000 Colleges Pan-India with 40 Lakh NSS Youth. Sakshi's mission ultimately is to alter systemic responses to inequality through creative interventions that emphasise attitudinal change.

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

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Smita Bharti

Michelle Harry

Smran Bhullar

SAKSHI

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.

Sangram Bhandari

Shashwat Chaurasia

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We are trapped in a loop when we respond to accounts of Rapes and Sexual Violence. There is outrage, protests, polarizations, a surge of media frenzy, a call for reform and resignations, and honest, real, despair from individual citizens. And then? Nothing.This COVID-19 period has seen a surge in demand for violent child pornography by 200% as per ICPF, sexual violence has spiked by 7.3% since 2018 as per the NCRB report, we have seen an emergence of an unprecedented rise in domestic violence and child sexual abuse. 53% Children in India are Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse and 90% are abused by known &amp; trusted people within their families and communities.We recognise that while the medical crisis resulting from the pandemic has subsided in most parts of India, there is still a need for mammoth efforts focussed on humanitarian relief that can help to safeguard the people of our country from the overlooked and shadowed effects that the pandemic has had. One of these is the alarming increase in domestic violence and child sexual abuse.This year, we are calling for your help #EndTheShadowPandemic by supporting our efforts towards recognising, reporting, and resolving such violence in India.  
 Through a Systemic Intervention with the NSS (National Service Scheme) Volunteers, across 40,000 Colleges Pan-India, the project is working to build the capacity of 4 Million 18-22 year olds to interrupt the cycle of violence against children within their family and community.Each Rakshin will be skill-built with the RAIDRR skill-set to Recognise, Address, Identify, De-Escalate, Report and Resolve instances of home and community-bound violence. By dismantling Patriarchy and Misogyny at a large scale, the aim is to raise a generation of responsible and accountable adults who can prevent harm and are equipped to create a Constitutional Rights-Based Enabled Environment. Launched in 2019, the on-ground programme has been adapted to an online program to tackle the issues of the Shadow Pandemic. The project, complete with an online campaign to #EndTheShadowPandemic aims at equipping the message receivers to become the message carriers within the community. 
 Sakshi in 29 years of its existence has always worked on Systemic Interventions to ensure sustainability. The Rakshin Project has so far already trained and equipped 18000+ students and continues to Make Homes a Safe Space, one at a time. The goal is to scale the outreach to 40,000 Colleges and 4 Million Youth with a sustained intervention every 2 years to create a Social Tipping Point to #EndViolence.NSS Volunteers will be capacity built to recognise and prevent sexual violence with a focus on child sexual abuse. They will be guided towards mechanisms to resolve their personal experiences if any, and access Systems of Redress in order to strengthen prohibition. The Five Levels of Rakshin Fellows offered over the Two-Year Sustained Engagement, will prepare students for a work culture with a focus on Gender Equality, Diversity And Inclusion.The Expected Impact:<ol><li>A Generation of Equals empowered with Gender Equality Education &amp; Rights based Language</li><li>A Generation that is Mentally Healthy and Sexually Responsible.</li><li>A Secure Environment that Prevents Sexual Violence</li></ol>

The Rakshin Project by Sakshi

The pandemic has led to a surge in sexual violence, exploitation and abuse against children. #MakeHomeASafeSpace is SAKSHI's effort towards creating sustainable engagement and making children feel safe in their own homes. NSS volunteers are trained as Rakshins Pan-India to protect, prevent and create awareness in the local communities to make home a safe space for children to grow. SAKSHI aims to reach 4 million youth every two years in various geographies through their virtual campaigns. a donation of ₹1,000 will build the capacities of 1 youth in the fight to end violence against children.This COVID-19 period has seen an emergence of a Shadow Pandemic including a surge in demand for violent child pornography by 200% as per ICPF, sexual violence has spiked by 7.3% since 2018 as per the NCRB report. There has been an unprecedented rise in domestic violence, child sexual abuse and online sexual exploitation. Statistics before the pandemic say that 53% Children in India are Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse and 90% of these cases happen within known and trusted circles, mostly within the family. Unaddressed Trauma leads to Behavioural Problems &amp; 40% Loss in Productivity. Child Sexual Abuse alone, has a 2-8% Impact on Global GDP.While we say "Stay at Home and Stay Safe", it is critical to note that home is not a safe space for nearly half the children in our country. 
 Through a Systemic Intervention with the NSS (National Service Scheme) Volunteers, across 40,000 Colleges Pan-India, the project is working to build the capacity of 18-22 year olds in various geographies across India, to interrupt the cycle of violence against children within their family and community.Designed with a 360º Communication for Development Strategy and a Human-Rights Based Approach. The project, complete with an online campaign to #MakeHomeASafeSpace aims at equipping the message receivers to become the message carriers within the community.The 3 Pillars of the Programme Include:<ol><li>Foundation Workshop: An awareness session on Rights &amp; Responsibilities for Gender Equality. The Workshop covers 5 Critical Messages : Equality, Consent, The Law, Barriers &amp; Creating Safe Spaces</li><li>Resolution Mechanisms: If any of the students have been subjected personally, they will be offered free-of-cost tools to resolve the deep-seated trauma through Creative Expressions, Online Counselling and Legal Aid - so that they can process and resolve their own trauma before helping others.</li><li>Fellowship Programme: A 5 Level, 18 Module &amp; 12 Certificate Fellowship Programme - including critical skills like Dialogue, Conflict Resolution and Negotiation has been designed to ensure Sustained Capacity Building for 2 Years. The Student will be skill-built to become the message carrier and further educate their peers and community.</li></ol> 
 With workshops and sustained engagement in 40,000 Colleges with 4 Million Youth every two years, the idea is to create a scalable and sustainable intervention capable of creating a Social Tipping Point in the country.NSS Volunteers will be capacity built to recognise and prevent sexual violence with a focus on child sexual abuse. They will be guided towards mechanisms to resolve their personal experiences if any, and access Systems of Redress in order to strengthen prohibition. The Five Levels of Rakshin Fellows offered over the Two-Year Sustained Engagement, will prepare students for a work culture with a focus on Gender Equality, Diversity And Inclusion.The expected outcome is :<ol><li>A Generation of Equals empowered with Gender Equality Education &amp; Rights based Language</li><li>A Generation that is Mentally Healthy and Sexually Responsible.</li><li>A Secure Environment that Prevents Sexual Violence</li></ol>

The Rakshin Project by Sakshi

#MakeHomeASafeSpace

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

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

This Navratri, help Lalitha give kids rescued from abuse in red-light areas a safe and loving home. Donate now.

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