“I Learned That My World Could Be Bigger” – Kallo’s SHINE Story

Kallo is 19 years old and lives in a small village in rural Bengal, surrounded by the forests of Corbett National Park. She belongs to the Boksi tribe, and for most of her life, her world has been very small.

“Our village has no education facilities, no medical services, no markets, no transport,” Kallo explains. “I have spent all my 19 years like this.”

Even her name carries weight.

“My name is Kallo, which means black,” she says. “When people call me by my name, I sometimes feel defined by it.”

Everything changed when Kallo was invited to attend the SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference for the first time. It was her first journey to a city, and her first time leaving the forests she had always known.

“At SHINE, I saw a different world,” Kallo says. “I saw women who were confident, educated, and achieving great things. I realised there is a world beyond my village.”

One moment stayed with her. When speakers at the conference spoke about the beauty and value of a woman’s existence, something shifted inside her.

“I understood that my life has value,” “…….That even though my name means black, I am special.”

For Kallo, SHINE was not just a conference — it was an awakening. It planted a belief she had never been encouraged to hold before: that her future could be different.

Her story reflects the heart of SHINE and the spirit of International Women’s Day — creating spaces where young women can imagine more for themselves and begin to believe they belong in a bigger world.

Kallo hopes to attend SHINE again.

“I want to come again and again,” she says, smiling. “I am very thankful for this opportunity.”

When one young woman begins to believe in herself, the future opens — not just for her, but for generations to come.

Please help us to make SHINE happen for women like Kallo.

How you can help

• Sponsor a woman to attend SHINE
  A gift of $15 AUD sponsors one woman to attend the SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference — often her first experience of being encouraged, valued, and heard.

• Provide financial support
  Donations help cover conference costs including materials, meals, transport, and ongoing support for women from rural and marginalised communities.

• Partner with us
  We welcome partnerships with individuals, organisations, and businesses who share our commitment to women’s empowerment, education, and equality.

• Become a corporate sponsor for SHINE
  We are currently seeking a corporate sponsor aligned with International Women’s Day, offering meaningful social impact and alignment with real, grassroots change.

• Share Kallo’s story
  By sharing this blog, you help amplify the voices of young women who are discovering that their world can be bigger.

When a Woman Discovers Her Worth: Soniya’s SHINE Story

For many years, SHINE has been at the heart of Project Help India’s work with women. More than a conference, SHINE is a space where women are seen, heard, and encouraged to recognise their own worth. As we prepare for this year’s SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference in March—aligned with International Women’s Day—we want to share the stories of women whose lives have been quietly but profoundly changed.

Soniya is one of them.

“My name is Soniya. I’m 30 years old, married, and I live in rural Bengal. I belong to the Boksi tribe.”

Before SHINE, Soniya had never been educated. She was raised believing that women had little value beyond household chores and childcare. Confidence, choice, and identity were not part of her world.

That changed the first time she attended the SHINE Women’s Conference.

“For the first time, I felt like I had my own identity,” Soniya says. “I realised that I am special, and that my life has worth and value.”

Soniya has now attended SHINE three times. Through these gatherings—filled with learning, encouragement, shared stories, and community—she began to see herself differently. Today, she speaks of living her life “with full confidence,” something that once felt impossible.

Soniya’s story reflects the deeper purpose of SHINE and of International Women’s Day itself: when women are given opportunity, encouragement, and community, they rise—not just for themselves, but for their families and villages too.

Each woman who attends SHINE costs our charity around $15 AUD to sponsor. We anticipate 400 delegates will attend. For many, this conference is their first experience of being valued as an individual.

As we approach IWD, we are seeking individual sponsors and corporate partners who believe in women’s empowerment, education, and equality. Your support can help ensure more women like Soniya are given the chance to discover their worth—and to SHINE. All up, one SHINE Conference will cost us approximately $6000 - perhaps a little more.

Together, we can turn one woman’s confidence into a ripple of change, that impacts her family, her community and beyond.

 How you can help

• Sponsor a woman to attend SHINE
  A contribution of $15 AUD sponsors one woman to attend the SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference and experience learning, encouragement, and community.

• Make a financial donation
  Your donation helps cover conference costs, materials, meals, transport, and follow-up support for women in rural and marginalised communities.

• Partner with us
  We welcome partnerships with individuals, organisations, and businesses who share our commitment to women’s empowerment, education, and equality.

• Become a corporate sponsor for SHINE 2026
  We are currently seeking a corporate sponsor aligned with International Women’s Day 2026, offering meaningful impact, visibility, and alignment with real grassroots change.

• Share Soniya’s story
  Help amplify women’s voices by sharing this blog within your networks and starting conversations about empowerment and opportunity.

Urgent Appeal: Help Us Rebuild Our Destroyed Village Classroom

We urgently need your help to rebuild our village classroom — a project that any builder, educator, architect or home renovator would recognise as an incredibly low-cost way to restore a vital learning space. Might your school, business, or workplace consider supporting this powerful and life-changing work? Your generosity would bring safety, joy, and hope back into the lives of very poor and vulnerable children (and their community) who otherwise have nowhere else to go.

On Friday (23rd January) , a severe storm and heavy rain hit Kotdwara in Northern India, causing the collapse of the small traditional hut where children study at our Bagnala Village Education Centre. Built by local villagers, the classroom could not withstand the force of the weather. Thankfully, no children were inside at the time. Sadly, the entire structure has been destroyed, along with posters, books, and teaching resources that filled the space with colour, learning, and hope.

Around 48 tribal children rely on this centre as their only safe place to learn. There is no proper school in the village, and the surrounding Himalayan jungle makes travel to distant schools dangerous. For these children, Project Help India is not just a classroom – it is their place for education, nutritious meals, music, art, games, safety and protection, and a vision for a brighter future.

The centre also brings pride and joy to the whole village. Many elderly residents, who never had the chance to go to school themselves, find deep happiness in hearing the children sing, read, and laugh.

To rebuild the collapsed hut will cost approximately ₹25,000 (about $450 AUD), with a further ₹15,000 ($258 AUD) needed to replace learning materials.

Your tax-deductible donation can quite literally rebuild a school and restore hope. Could your school, workplace, business, or family help us bring these vulnerable children back to learning, safety, and joy?

Your gift will make an extraordinary difference within a very small time-frame.

End of Year News

As an organisation, we are filled with optimism and expectation for our hopes and plans for 2026. Rowena and I (Doug) will be heading to India in just six weeks to visit our centres, deliver training, strategic planning, and, most excitingly, to join our teams in Zira (Punjab) and Kotdwara (Uttarakhand) for two SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conferences coinciding with International Women’s Day 2026. It will be wonderful to be back with dear friends and our second family after postponing our trip last year due to my health.

December was a time of purposeful busyness and Christmas celebrations

We held our Annual Function on 14 December, providing an opportunity to showcase the talents of many of our students, to honour each member of our staff, and to invite local dignitaries to thank them for their support and to build trust, partnerships, and ongoing support. The event was a great success. A particular highlight was the variety of cultural dances performed by our students, including performances from our Disability Centre.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters across the year, we were able to budget funds for Christmas gifts for all of our staff and students. Each of our 14 Centres and Women’s Centre held Christmas parties, much to the delight of the kids -many of whom live in poverty and this is their only chance to experience Christmas and hear the message it brings.

December also gave us the opportunity to thank God for the full recovery and good health of baby Samuel (Saleem and Raman’s son in Punjab), who is now out of hospital and putting on weight. Thank you again to those who contributed to his medical bills (there is no free health care in India).

Finally, we are thrilled to share the exciting news about Amit’s award. On 31 December, our Director, Mr. Amit Samuel, was presented with a Human Rights Award for “Best Service to Humanity,” recognising our organisation’s tireless work. The award program was organised by the Indian International Human Rights Commission (IHRC). We are honoured to receive such national recognition for Amit and for the work we do. Here's a LINK to the full story

We start the new year with an enormous sense of gratitude

Thank you for reading and for supporting our work. Over the coming weeks we will share stories about our upcoming SHINE Conferences. One of our hopes (and dreams) is to partner with an Australian corporate, or school sponsor to help fund our SHINE Conferences, with a goal of securing a $12,000 AUD donation to cover expenses. Please share our emails with those who might like to align their corporate or workplace values with Project Help India and International Women’s Day 2026.

A practical ask to keep us thriving in 2026: consider making a regular monthly donation. Regular gifts help us with planning and budgeting, ensuring we can reliably fund SHINE Conferences, staff support, essential programs across all 14 Centres, and provision for emergency and crisis help. Your ongoing commitment makes a real difference. Please reach out to us if you can help or like further information.

‘Best Service to Humanity’ Award - what a great way to end 2025!

Project Help India Director receiving a ‘Best Service to Humanity’ Award at the Indian International Human Rights Commission of India ceremony on December 31st.

We are proud to share, in a heartening recognition of our efforts, that the Director of Project Help India, Mr. Amit Samuel, was presented with a Human Rights Award ‘Best Service to Humanity’, honouring our organisation’s tireless work. The award program was organised by the Indian International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) on 31st December at the Government Hospital auditorium in Kotdwara, with the event gathering social workers, police, officials, and medical professionals from across the state who share a steadfast commitment to human dignity and justice.

The Indian International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), an autonomous non-governmental organisation dedicated to protecting, promoting, and advocating for fundamental rights across India, plays a pivotal role in strengthening human rights at the grassroots and national levels. IHRC advances its mission through a comprehensive portfolio: providing accessible legal aid, conducting independent investigations into rights violations, and supporting marginalised communities with education, research, and social justice initiatives. It also runs awareness campaigns, trains community advocates, and collaborates with civil society, law enforcement, and judicial bodies to improve accountability and access to justice.

Across India, IHRC supports vulnerable groups, from women and children to persons with disabilities and marginalised communities -through legal clinics, helplines, and targeted outreach. Its policy advocacy work seeks to influence legislative reform and strengthen enforcement mechanisms, ensuring that rights are not merely theoretical but practically protected for all citizens.

As an organisation, we are thrilled to be commended by an institution whose national mission aligns so closely with our own vision and mission to serve the vulnerable with compassion and effectiveness.

We take this opportunity to also honour and commend the tireless efforts, passion, and vision of our Director, Amit Samuel, and his wife Daisy, who are both well deserving of this recognition. Thank you, Amit and Daisy, for all you do to help the poor and needy, and for being our inspiring leaders.

This award is indeed significant news for the Project Help India team, our supporters and community. This acknowledgement certainly wrapped up a very successful 2025 for us all, spurring us on with God's great guidance, to expand our work to reach and impact more lives in need, over the new year ahead.

Thank you for your generous financial support and prayers - none of this would be possible without you.

See the local news item below.

Amit (third from right with some of the other award recipients.

A Slum Kid Radio Adventure

Some of the children from the Aaj Ladpura slum in Bijnor recently had an unforgettable experience when they were invited as special guests to FM 89.6 Radio. For many of them, it was the first time stepping inside a real recording studio -bright lights, big microphones, and the thrill of being “on air”! Their excitement was contagious as they shared their stories with the station’s anchor in a warm and lively conversation.

During the interview, the children spoke proudly about the education they receive through Project Help India. They described the learning centre as a place where they feel inspired, encouraged, and genuinely happy. “We enjoy going to the centre,” one child said with a beaming smile. “We learn so many things, and we get gifts and snacks too!”

What stood out most was how confidently they expressed the ways their intellectual development is flourishing. The children talked about being challenged in their studies, discovering new ideas, and growing in confidence -a testament not only to their hard work but also to the dedication of their teachers and the credibility of Project Help India. In Ladpura and across the wider city of Bijnor, our organisation is known for its reliable, compassionate presence and its commitment to transforming young lives through quality education.

For these children, the radio visit was more than just a fun outing -it was a celebration of how far they’ve come, and a reminder to the community of the bright potential waiting to be unlocked in every child. We pray that for these kids, the experience helps them to have a personal vision for a bright future and to have high aspirations for their achievements in life. Over the years we have seen many slum kids exceed way beyond everything they could have expected, and to use their challenging circumstances to build grit, determination and resilience.

Protecting Children Together: Our Partnership with Police

In this blog, we reflect on Project Help India’s trusted, action‑oriented partnerships with the police and government agencies that protect and empower vulnerable children across Kotdwar, Bijnor, and beyond. Our collaborations are grounded in shared purpose: safeguarding children from trafficking, abuse, labour, street begging, drug gang influence, and early marriage, while relentlessly promoting every child’s right to education. By working hand‑in‑hand with the local police, Juvenile Justice Board, Child Welfare Committee, and anti‑trafficking units, we identify at‑risk children early, coordinate targeted services, and monitor outcomes -ensuring interventions are timely, appropriate, and respectful of families’ dignity. This high level collaboration is also supported at the grassroots though our Child Safeguarding lessons that are taught in all of our centre - keeping in mind that the kids we teach are extremely vulnerable at many levels.

Our Involvement and Impact just this Month

First, a child protection meeting chaired by the Additional Superintendent of Police brought together key partners to address rising threats to children and to map concrete prevention and rehabilitation pathways. Amrit Samuel, Project In‑Charge, presented field insights and collaborative needs from Kotdwar and Bijnor.

Second, our senior slum‑center students joined railway police for an anti‑drug awareness street play, reaching travelers with a powerful message and demonstrating the effectiveness of community‑driven policing.

Third, Uttarakhand Police featured Project Help India on their official page, significantly boosting our visibility and credibility with officers and government officials statewide.

Last year, in 2024, we launched Child Advocacy Summits in Punjab and Uttarakhand. These multi‑stakeholder forums brought together police, educators, social workers, and community leaders to brainstorm, share data, and co‑create protective strategies for at‑risk children. Each summit featured presentations from local police, further cementing trust and shared responsibility. We’re already planning the next Summit in March next year, expanding our collaborative reach and impact.

Beyond immediate protection, we invest heavily in prevention and education. We work closely with parents, especially mothers, highlighting the importance of schooling for girls and offering information on scholarships, safe transportation, and school‑ready routines. This proactive outreach has begun shifting attitudes in communities where schooling had been undervalued or viewed as less essential than early work or marriage.

During the COVID‑19 lockdown, our partnership certainly deepened. Police and government teams helped us distribute essential resources, food, and support to affected families, while we leveraged council channels to maintain schooling continuity where possible.

Our lasting message remains clear: protecting children requires coordinated, compassionate action and unwavering community trust.As we continue to broaden our impact through Child Advocacy Summits and sustained government partnerships, we invite corporate partners to join us through CSR programs that align with our values. Your support can fund advocacy, education, and protective services for vulnerable children, while also showcasing your commitment to ethical governance and community resilience.

If your organisation seeks meaningful, measurable social impact, we would love to explore a tailored partnership—funding programs, events, or scholarships, and co-branding opportunities. Please contact us to discuss how your CSR initiative can make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families across Kotdwar, Bijnor, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.

Your support matters, and we are most grateful to those whose generosity makes so much of this possible.

Your Urgent Gift Can Restore Tanya’s Health and Hopeful Journey

We’re writing with a hopeful heart to share the story of Tanya, whom many of you know as part of the Project Help India family for 12 wonderful years. At 18, Tanya has grown from a bright, curious child at our Kotdwara Slum Centre into a resilient young woman who loves this organisation as much as we love her. She has faced every challenge with grace, dedication to her studies, humility and warmth that touches everyone she meets.

For four years, Tanya has endured extremely painful gallbladder stones. The toll on her daily life and education has been heavy, and despite her family’s unwavering determination, their finances due to living in extreme poverty and being daily wage earners, have been a barrier to the treatment she needs. Doctors now recommend surgery to remove the stones. The government hospital in Kotdwara has referred her to a specialist, with an estimated cost of around ₹40,000 ($750AUD in nearby Bijnor.

We kindly ask for your prayers and, if you can, heartfelt support to cover Tanya’s surgery and post-operative care. Any contribution, large or small, will lift a heavy burden from her family and help safeguard her education and bright future within our Project Help India family.

Key facts:

• Tanya, 18, long-time Project Help India student

• Gallbladder stones for 4 years

• Family financially strained

• Surgery required; estimated ₹40,000

If you’d like to help, please contact us [Amit in Kotdwara or Doug in Sydney], and we’ll ensure your donation reaches Tanya promptly. Thank you for standing with Tanya and with all the children we serve.

Postscript… Friday 17th November

Thank you to those who were able to help Tanya. Her surgery was very successful. There was one complication at the time, with the hospital not having enough blood. However a member of our team donated blood - and all went well. Tanya and her family are incredibly grateful. They certainly were not expecting this outcome, as things were looking very dire.