"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 education. For the purpose of testing I will use the word EducationEducationEducationEducation.

Education

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Women Empowerment

Vanavil is an alternative residential school working closely with two of the most marginalized communities in Tamil Nadu. Boom Boom Mattukarars and Narikuravars are ancient nomadic tribes who have been forced to make a living through begging and selling minor wares. Vanavil was started in 2005 in the aftermath of the Tsunami by a handful of youngsters and has grown with the help of individual donors and foundations who are committed to the cause of education of marginalized and underprivileged children.Vanavil is a Childline partner in Nagapattinam

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Devishree

Revathi R

Hrishi Jain

Vanavil Trust

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Kasthuri came to Vanavil as a 2 year old along with her elder siblings. She is bright eyed and curious. She wins over everyone with her smile. Kasthuri is now in LKG, she has 2 brothers and a sister who are all students of Vanavil. Her family doesn’t have a home due to debt problems and are nomadic. Her mother begs on road and father is physically challenged and does not work. Being the youngest, if not in school, Kasthuri often accompanies her mom while she begs. Vanavil School works towards taking nomadic tribal children out of begging and provides them a safe space to stay and quality education.  
 Vanavil is a critical crucial step for children as none of their parents have ever been to a school and are still semi-nomadic. The children come from an extremely malnourished context. We provide them breakfast, Lunch, Healthy snack and Milk to pull them out of acute malnutrition.Vanavil School is a state of the art activity based special school for marginalised children. We have 100 children from KG to Fifth standard.Classes LKG, UKG and grade 1 are in a Montessori environment. For classes 2-5, we follow a thematic learning process with students doing a project around a chosen theme every term. They do field visits, interviews, watch videos, do online research and put up their learning as Maps, models, skits, songs and booklets. We follow the Jodo Gyan program of inculcating number sense as our Math module and kids learn through games and real-life incidents to connect them to mathematical problems.Vanavil follows up on the children in order to wean them back from begging, feed them thrice, provided them a safe space to stay and takes care of their health needs apart from educating them through child-centred innovative methods. Also, as most crucial skills are learnt in the ECE and primary classes Vanavil school equips the children from extreme backgrounds in a way that they can compete equally with the rest of the children from middle school onwards. 
 <ul><li>We have so far supported 520+ nomadic tribal children through our School</li><li>We have created a safe, happy and child friendly space for nomadic tribal children in Nagapattinam</li><li>We have curbed child begging and child marriages in the community</li><li>The school enrolment rate has increased from 0% to 100% among the nomadic tribal population</li><li>We have sent 64 nomadic tribal students to higher education so far</li><li>Our students are now working as IT Professional, News Channel Reporter and as Teacher</li></ul>

Kasthuri should be in School

Meet Yelumalai, a young boy from a nomadic Boom Boom Maatukarar family in Nagapattinam, India. His father's kidney ailment has left him bedridden, and they live in a makeshift roadside tent. Yelumalai's mother earns a living by collecting rags and plastics. Malnutrition took a toll on Yelumalai's health and hindered his learning.Yelumalai's life took a turn when he joined Vanavil School, dedicated to empowering nomadic tribal children. Here, he receives education, nutritious meals, clothing, and security. Vanavil Trust's unique approach allowed Yelumalai to be himself. He explored the campus freely, nurtured his talent for clay sculptures, and engaged in activities he loved. With proper care, his health improved, and he is thriving in Montessori activities, and gaining confidence. Supporting Nomadic Tribal ChildrenNomadic Tribes make up 10% of India's population, approximately 14 crore people, with a literacy rate of only 40-50%, compared to the national average of 77.7% and Tamil Nadu's 80.1%. In Tamil Nadu alone, there are 71 Nomadic Tribes, and many children face challenges similar to Yelumalai's.Vanavil Trust runs multiple projects to ensure the education and well-being of children from nomadic tribal communities:- Vanavil Nursery &amp; Primary School: An alternative primary school educating 105 children using Montessori and Jodo Gyan learning methods.- Vanavil After School Centres: Operating in 15 villages where nomadic tribes live, serving around 915 children.- Vanavil Children’s Home: Providing a safe space for over 50 girl children.- Nomads Higher Education Project: Supporting 149 students from Nomadic Communities pursuing college education.At Vanavil, we believe that every child deserves a chance at a better future. Impact- We've supported over 520 nomadic tribal children through our school.- We've created safe, happy, and child-friendly spaces for nomadic tribal children in Nagapattinam.- We've curbed child begging and child marriages in the community.- The school enrollment rate has increased from 0% to 100% among the nomadic tribal population.- We've sent over 150 nomadic tribal students to higher education, with graduates now working as IT professionals, news channel reporters, and teachers. Your Support MattersYelumalai's journey showcases the power of support. Your contribution will:1. Educate: Ensure quality education for nomadic tribal children.2. Nourish: Provide nutritious meals for improved health.3. Shelter: Create safe learning environments.4. Empower: Encourage creativity and individuality.Join us in making a meaningful change in the lives of these deserving children. Your donation, big or small, will have a lasting impact and help us transform their futures. Donate today and be a part of this transformative journey!Rs. 1,500 - will help us in providing 3 nutritious meals for one child for one monthRs. 4,000 - Will help us in providing education and nutrition for one child for a year in our after-school centresRs. 6,000 - will help us in supporting tuition, hostel and mess fees for a first-generation college student from nomadic tribal communitiesTogether, we can empower dreams and transform lives!

Empowering Nomadic Dreams: A Fundraiser for Tribal Education

Vennila loves to Dance and recite Rhymes! Vennila's mother is a hawker and at times resorts to begging to keep her family fed. Vennila would be accompanying her mother if not for Vanavil School. You can support Vennila's education and make her reach her dreams. There are so many Vennila's at Vanavil. Vanavil School was started in 2005 when we realised the need for a special school for the children from the nomadic communities who were into begging as almost a traditional occupation. When we tried to enrol them in the nearby government schools the disparities were wide and deep-rooted antipathies amongst children came to the fore. Vanavil was started as a bridge school and later converted into a long-term residential school as our work with the community, made us realise that the gap is too wide to bridge in a few years. Vanavil is a critical crucial step for children as none of their parents have ever been to a school and are still semi-nomadic. The children come from an extremely malnourished context and are prone to ailments and we work on that front also. 
 Vanavil Nursery and Primary School runs classes from LKG to 5th standard. We run the KG classes and first standard in a mixed age group class with a Montessori environment. Our Montessori section is supported by Ramcharan Trust and other donors. Our Montessori Training and regular supervision are done by the Centre for Montessori Training – Chennai. For classes 1-5, we follow a thematic learning process with students doing a project around a chosen theme every term. They do field visits, interviews, watch videos, do online research and put up their learning as Maps, models, skits, songs and booklets. We follow the Jodo Gyan program of inculcating number sense as our Math module and kids learn through games and real-life incidents to connect them to mathematical problems.Vanavil follows up on the children in order to wean them back from begging, feed them thrice and take care of their health needs apart from educating them through child-centred innovative methods. Also, as most crucial skills are learnt in the ECE and primary classes Vanavil school equips the children from extreme backgrounds in a way that they can compete equally with the rest of the children from middle school onwards. 
 <ul><li>We have successfully produced first graduates from a most marginalized community that was forced into begging and other sundry jobs.</li><li>We have created a safe and happy space for extremely marginalized children in Nagapattinam.</li><li>We are reaching higher education to a set of children who otherwise end up as dropouts.</li><li>Our Nursery and Primary school play a key role in this project of educating the nomadic tribal children as it produces results through our happy children who excel in their studies and extra-curricular activities which motivates the community to send their children to school and to follow them through higher education.</li><li>We have eradicated child marriages in the community.</li><li>The school enrolment ratio of the children in the community has increased from 0% to 100% in the last 15 years.</li></ul>

Educate Children from Nomadic Tribal Communities (Vanavil Nursery & Primary School)

Children joining Vanavil belong to some of the most under-nourished groups due to their nomadic living. One of the main focuses of Vanavil has been to feed them a healthy and nutritious meal so that they grow up as strong and healthy individuals capable of gaining an education. 
 What started as a relief effort during the Asian Tsunami of 2004 has blossomed into a place where these children thrive and have an opportunity at a better future.Vanavil is an alternative residential school for children of these marginalized communities. Our mission is to educate the children, provide livelihood and empower the communities.Young children are provided education on site from LKG to Std. V. From Std. VI onwards, children are sent to the nearby Government schools. Older children are shepherded through school and college. Children are provided three nutritious meals a day. We provide personalized care for every student and provide assistance with college or diploma or vocational training and ensure they are prepared to stand on their own.Currently, Vanavil houses about 180 kids of ages 3 - 18. 
 Direct impact:• Children pulled out of begging.• Prevention of exposure to abuse on the streets.• Children get nutritious food and proper health care.• Children are educated and prepared to earn a living on their own.• No child marriages.• Children are getting requisite identifications, bank accounts and necessary documents to avail government benefits that they are eligible for.Indirect impact:• Lower infant mortality.• Community awareness. While it was difficult initially to get parents to send their kids to school, nowadays they bring their children to school voluntarily.