Keeping kids from begging - Inclusive Education changes lives

Project Help India provides a powerful example of how grassroots initiatives and compassionate actions, creating a more inclusive and safer environment for vulnerable children, shielding them from the horrors of trafficking and exploitation.

When going to school keeps vulnerable kids safe from exploitation and trafficking…

​For over a decade Project Help India has provided a beacon of hope for children trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, drug abuse, and street begging. Through the unwavering dedication of our team, we have transformed the lives of countless 'Dalit' (also known as 'the untouchables') children, steering them towards education and better nutrition. 

Last week the children from Project Help India's Kotdwara Slum Center took a bold step by staging street dramas to raise awareness about 'Operation Mukti'. We are so proud of some of our senior students who bravely and most confidently handled the microphone to give speeches to the public. In doing this, their skills are growing exponentially and they provide a wonderful leadership example to the other students and to the many passers-by.

Operation Mukti, spearheaded by the Uttarakhand Police Department, aims to rescue children from the streets and provide them with the opportunity to receive an education. It's a collaborative effort involving various government departments and NGOs, with Project Help India playing a pivotal role. Over the years Project Help India has participated in Operation Mukti, and we have been delighted and encouraged by the large number of confirmed new school enrolments that we have seen across the state.

What is significant about this endeavour is the emphasis on changing mindsets about the value and importance of education. For many of the Dalits there is a belief and generational lived experience that school is not accessible to their children. Sadly due to entrenched prejudice still held by many in the community (coupled with hierarchies of power and control) it can be very difficult for the Dalit kids and their families to be accepted and included in a school community.

The primary objective of Operation Mukti is to eradicate child begging, promote education, and raise community awareness to prevent child exploitation. During these awareness programs, senior police officials and representatives from human trafficking departments were present, underlining the seriousness of the issue. 

Our Director, Mr. Amit Samuel, engaged with the community to discuss solutions and emphasise the importance of supporting children's education.

As Project Help India continues its mission, we stand as a shining example of how grassroots initiatives and compassionate actions, can bring about positive change and pave the way for a brighter future for the next generation. Through our collective efforts, we are striving to create a more inclusive and safer environment for vulnerable children, shielding them from the horrors of trafficking and exploitation.

Participation in Operation Mukti has been a collaborative effort

Our team presents.... SHINE 2024

What a thrill and delight to have the privilege of serving the women of Kotdwara. Approximately 500 delegates attended what was our seventh Women's SHINE Conference. This annual event coincided with International Women’s Day (IWD) which was celebrated on 8th March. The theme for IWD this year is ‘inspire inclusion’ something that has great relevance for the many marginalised and forgotten women who we walk alongside through our many projects across Northern India.

For our conference this year we had many esteemed presenters including local police, officials and community advocates for women’s empowerment. Topics included women’s legal rights and protections, children’s rights, health and safety. Our delegates were blessed with a gift of a carry bag, sanitary napkins, lipstick, a toothbrush and other items - most of these things are financially inaccessible to slum women. They love it!

Our delegates were incredibly grateful, and for many, the Project Help India SHINE Conference is a highlight for them, giving them skills and knowledge to endure the daily hardships that they face.

The cost of holding our conference this year was $9000AUS, which is about $18AUS per delegate. We value and appreciate the incredible generosity of our supporters, who make all of this possible. Might you consider supporting SHINE 2025? Please let us know.

A display of some of the garments created by the young women who attend our tailoring centre.

Our conference was acknowledged and celebrated in the local media.

Sapna - Empowered, courageous, fiercely resilient and smiling

With International Women’s Day next week, Sapna’s story is a testament to the transformative power of resilience and the unwavering spirit of women in the face of poverty and adversity. If there is just one woman on planet earth who we should honour this International Women’s Day 24, I think it should be Sapna.

Meet Sapna, an inspiring woman. Her story sums up why I (Doug) am so passionate about helping kids in poverty, why we do what we do, supporting these kids’ parents, and why my wife Rowena, began the Project Help India SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conferences in India about six years ago.

Sapna is the mother of children who attend one of our schools, located in one of the poorest slum areas in India. She and her family live displaced, under a makeshift tarpaulin on the roadside. In the tapestry of Sapna's life, there are mostly threads of adversity, made worse by the abject poverty of her circumstances …yet she still smiles.

Sapna sells cosmetics items, carrying her dreams in a basket atop her head. Every day, she walks the neighbourhood, door to door, rejected often by others and facing the challenges of daily wage labour – an existence marked by unpredictable income, job insecurity, and limited access to benefits. If she does not sell her cosmetics her family will go hungry.

A devoted mother of three children – Saloni, Kartik, and Ritik – Sapna's family relies on the educational support and daily meals provided by Project Help India’s Kotdwara Slum Centre. Her husband, Mr. Rakesh Kumar, recently has faced a sudden loss of vision, plunging the family into a world of uncertainty. Struggling with a hand-to-mouth existence, they could not afford medical attention, which may have helped him to get better.

In the wake of the 2023 monsoon floods, Sapna's challenges multiplied as her home was swept away, leaving her family of five displaced and homeless. They found solace under plastic sheets provided by Project Help India, living on the roadside – where they still live today.

Amidst these trials, Sapna discovered a beacon of hope – the ‘Project Help India’ SHINE Women's Conference. Attending this transformative event brought about a paradigm shift in her life. The conference offered empowerment, opportunities for learning, and a renewed sense of self-worth. Sapna, now the sole provider for her family, faces adversity not known to most women, yet fortified by newfound strength and resilience.

In a conversation about her journey, Sapna expressed gratitude for the positive changes instigated by attending the Shine Women's Conference over past years. The conference became a catalyst for heightened confidence, and a profound belief in herself. Undeterred by challenges, Sapna says she is determined to face whatever comes her way, embracing life with a newfound sense of value and purpose.

Sapna has vowed to make attending the Shine Women's Conference an annual tradition, something she says has become the main highlight of her year. She is incredibly excited about the conference next week.

Through this inspiring journey, Sapna has emerged not just as a breadwinner, and formidable mother, but as a beacon of empowerment, proving that a woman's strength knows no bounds.

With International Women’s Day next week, Sapna’s story is a testament to the transformative power of resilience and the unwavering spirit of women in the face of poverty and adversity.

Our seventh Women's SHINE Conference will be held next weekend. This annual event coincides with International Women’s Day 2024 which will be celebrated on 8th March. The theme for IWD this year is ‘inspire inclusion’ which is a theme that has great relevance for the many marginalised and forgotten women who we walk alongside through our many projects across Northern India.

This year SHINE will again be led by our local ‘Project Help India’ team. We are honoured and delighted to have over 500 delegates attending.

Like Sapna, nearly all our delegates are women who live in slums, in poverty. These women can't afford to pay, so we are not charging them. 'Project Help India' covers all costs thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters. This year SHINE Conference will cost us $9000 (which is about $15 per delegate). Might you be able to sponsor Sapna or more of our delegates? You can make your tax-deductible donation by clicking DONATE at the top of this page.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Love Doug and Rowena.

Ritu's Story - a poignant thread of resilience, hope and self-belief

Ritu's story weaves a poignant thread of resilience, hope and self-belief - all made possible by the transformative work of Project Help India.

Ritu, a once happy bride back in February 2023, found herself ensnared in the cruel hands of abandonment merely three months into her marriage. Grief stricken she had to return to her parent's home, as well as having to face inuendo, questioning and shameful taunts from some in the neighbourhood . Despite the challenges of her circumstances, Ritu, equipped with education and a quiet confidence has emerged as a beacon of strength.

Living in poverty, Ritu's father toils as a daily wage labourer and her mother provides domestic help in wealthier people’s homes for a meagre sum. It was in the midst of this adversity that Project Help India extended its compassionate hand, offering Ritu the opportunity to enrol in a six month tailoring course.

With newfound purpose, Ritu has immersed herself in the sewing course. The threads of resilience and determination intertwined as she mastered the art of designing and sewing clothes, envisioning a future where she could be the author of her destiny. As well as learning to sew, Ritu was counselled by her teacher and supported and energised by the newly formed friendships of her classmates.

Ritu is now armed with skill and ambition. No longer content to be a burden on her family, she yearns to carve a path of self-sufficiency by setting up her own business.

Filled with gratitude, Ritu extends her thanks to Project Help India. whose support has not only equipped her with the means to sew garments, but has helped her dreams to become a reality. Ritu's story, once marked by heartbreak, now stands as a testament to the transformative power of resilience, hope, purpose and value. The spirit of SHINE has changed her life.

Kindness changes lives - it's 'Random Acts of Kindness Day'

Kindness changes lives.

Did you know that today is Random Acts of Kindness Day? It's a day to celebrate kindness and embrace opportunities to spontaneously 'pay it forward'.

So with this, would you spontaneously consider throwing $20+ our way …right now. If fifty of our friends and supporters did this, the impact would be amazing.

Project Help India is all about love and kindness - it's at the very centre of what we are about - feeding and educating vulnerable kids - keeping them safe by getting them off the streets and into school. We help the kids' parents providing seminars and counselling and we support young women with small business tailoring courses. At the moment we are preparing for SHINE - our annual empowerment conference for very poor slum women, which will be held in just a few weeks time. 

So help yourself to feel great this Random Acts of Kindness Day by spontaneously sending a small tax deductible donation our way

AND could you kindly repost this story please?

You can DONATE by clicking the pink DONATE button above, or click HERE

Thank you. We love you and have a great day!

From the Project Help India Team

Extending a Healing Hand to Ladpura Village

In an exciting initiative, Project Help India recently hosted a free medical camp in the slum village of Ladpura, Bijnor, which is the location of our education centre. Under the supervision of the dedicated Dr. Robbin Thomas who kindly volunteered his service, the camp focused on diagnosing and addressing various health concerns prevalent in this very poor community.

A wide spectrum of health issues, ranging from blood pressure and weakness to common ailments like cough, cold, and fever, were treated. The medical team also addressed skin disorders and intestinal worm infestations.

The camp showcased our commitment to inclusivity and helping the marginalised, with 50 women and 40 children benefiting from this invaluable service. This initiative aimed to bridge the gap in access to quality healthcare for those who cannot afford it.

The gratitude of the slum-dwellers resonated throughout Ladpura, expressing their heartfelt appreciation for the Project Help India team. Many residents were previously unaware of many potential health issues, often neglecting symptoms due to a lack of awareness. In charge of the project was Amrit Samuel and his wife Mrs Mansa Samuel both playing a pivotal role in ensuring the success and impact of this much-needed medical camp. The event not only treated immediate health concerns but also laid the foundation for increased health awareness in the community, fostering healthier and happier families and the ongoing building of trust with Project Help.

We believe that it is a great privilege to care for the poor and needy in this way, and we look forward to continuing this service on a regular basis.

We acknowledge that this initiative would not be possible without the generous donations of many people who support our work. If you are able to give, your donation is tax deductible, and can be made following the DONATE HERE button at the top of this page.

A girl is unstoppable once she discovers her value

‘National Girl Child Day’ is observed annually on January 24 in India, and serves as a powerful platform to address the inequalities faced by girls. On this important day, Project Help India, delivered an impactful awareness campaign which was attended by a  number of our teenage students and their friends.

Advocates Avneesh Agnihotri and Amit Samuel delivered inspiring messages, urging girls to embrace education, face challenges head-on, and utilise legal avenues for their benefit. The girls who attended were also provided with health and nutrition guidance, and also individual guidance regarding some of their personal situations. After these talks, the girls asked questions about their rights and laws. They loved this Q&A session the most which was run by Daisy Samuel who concluded the campaign by saying 

“The world will be a better place to live, on the day when every girl is as happy as the other gender. The best thing that anyone can do for a girl child is to give her a safe environment to grow, study and do things she likes. Let us work in synergy to make this dream come true.”

Our event emphasised the importance of empowering girls with knowledge about their basic rights found within the Indian Constitution and encouraged them to seek our help whenever they need it.

Through initiatives such as this, we are striving to break barriers and traditional mindsets about the lesser value of girls and women, by equipping our students to confidently pursue their dreams with self-belief, confidence, resilience and knowledge.

We thank our team for making this wonderful opportunity possible AND we especially thank the supporters of Project Help India, whose generosity, prayers and compassion make what we do possible. 

Go girls! You are loved and we adore you.

Chandra's Story

Meet Chandra, a 19-year-old student at the Sewing Centre by Project Help India. Life took an unexpected turn for her when her house was washed away by floods, forcing her to adapt to a new reality. Married to Jeetu Singh, Chandra found herself in a simple rented house in the Kotdwara slums, facing significant financial challenges. She was frightened and lonely.

In October 2023, Chandra joined the Project Help Sewing Centre, seeking solace, new skills and a chance at a better life. Despite her struggles with Hindi and the local dialect, languages unfamiliar to her Nepali roots, she immersed herself in learning the basics of stitching. Initially she was shy and very reserved due to the language barrier, but she soon found herself breaking out of her shell, thanks to the supportive community at the centre.

Chandra expresses her gratitude to Project Help India, especially to Director Mr. Amit Samuel and General Secretary Mrs. Daisy Samuel. She acknowledges the transformative impact of the sewing lessons on her life. Before, she had never ventured outside her home, lacked friends, and struggled to communicate. Learning tailoring not only equipped her with valuable skills for setting up a small business but also gave her the confidence to interact with those around her.

Now, Chandra not only has a newfound skill in sewing but also a circle of supportive friends and colleagues. Her journey from isolation to community engagement reflects the positive impact of Project Help India in changing lives.

Chandra's story is one of hope, resilience, and the transformative power of education and community support.

Every six months we have a new intake of about eight women at our Kotdwara City Sewing Centre. Our students attend free of charge. One of our goals for 2024 is to open a new centre in one of the jungle villages.

Project Help India is incredibly grateful to the supporters of our Sewing Centre. Your generosity is bringing hope to the future, changing many lives and having a great impact in the community.