Project Director, Mr Amit Samuel visiting the slums this week - bringing food, soap, education awareness and emotional support
In Kotdwara, and across India, people are in complete lockdown for 21 days. For the people living in the slums, many are living on the brink of daily starvation. With no fixed salary they work from day-to-day and are paid accordingly. They have little savings and receive no social benefits. They are vulnerable not just because of COVID but highly at risk of malnutrition, malaria, typhoid, and other life-threatening diseases.
Yet, there is a glimmer of hope for some. The ‘Project Help’ team, has been given permission by the police to provide urgent relief. The police have shared that they were not informed about the lockdown and are not prepared in any way. 'Project Help' is the only NGO in Kotdwara that can help them. So we are out on the streets, delivering food, soap and education to desperate families and individuals ...not quite Uber Eats style but it comes with love ands compassion to their door. We are helping the homeless too.
We can only provide this help because of our Australian supporters who are making regular donations. We are incredibly appreciative of your generosity knowing that you too, are impacted by COVID. Thank you for your sacrificial giving. Wellbeing research tells us that we grow in resilience and personal coping skills when we are connected and giving to others. We are in this together on a global scale, and despite the distance, you are part of the story of these people's lives.
With love from Doug, Rowena, Amit and Daisy.
This article written by one of our team. It gives a sense of what it’s like in Kotdwara. This man’s tears of happiness are thanks to people like you.
“Today on 24 March, when India is still fighting with the pandemic Corona Virus Spred, with all lock downs, life has stopped all over. All shops are closed and no one can come out of their homes. Police on the patrolling found a very poor man on street near Devi Mandir who was appealing to the officials to give him some food. When the officials asked him that where he lived he showed them a plastic sheet on the road side that this is the place where he lived. He said he is a daily wage worker and due to complete lock-down he is not able to earn anything since last few days and hence he is hungry. The police made contact with Mr. Amit Samuel Sir from ‘Project Help India’, so that he could help him.
When he got the news Mr. Amit Samuel took 12 kgs of rice, a packet of bread and some biscuits to give him. By seeing the food supply the man broke into tears and thanked God and Mr. Amit Samuel a lot that at least now he can survive for some days by boiling rice.
But now we are worried that what will happen now when whole of India is going to get fully locked down for the next 21 days. How are the hundreds of families going to survive when they totally depend on their daily earnings but have no work?
With ‘Project Help’ these people may have a chance.
God please bless the humanity.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Donate - You can make your tax deductible by clicking any of the DONATE HERE buttons here on our website.
As you click the link ensure that you are donating to (WYG-IND-PHI-2020) and please let us know (by replying to this email) if you make a donation because we would love to thank you. Privacy legislation does not permit us to know that you've donated unless you tell us.
OR if tax deductibility is not required, your EFT donation can be made at
BSB: 062 230 (Commonwealth Bank Randwick)
Account: 1134 1909
Account Name: Project Help India
Please write your name in the reference section so we can thank you.
This is the man living on the street, mentioned in report above.
