Happy Diwali from all of us at Project Help India! 🪔
As families across India and around the world celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful time together.
May the light of Diwali bring peace to your hearts, warmth and happiness to your homes, and renewed hope for the days ahead. And may we all be reminded of the difference a little kindness and compassion can make in someone else's life.
And now, here's your Sunday Good News Story!
This week, we're sharing a story that reminds us how compassion can touch lives in ways we don't always see.
It's about a young boy who's thriving in the safe, caring environment of one of our PHI Education Centres. But it's also about something just as important: the peace of mind this brings to his father, a hardworking man struggling with ill health, who wants nothing more than to see his two young sons grow up safely, make good choices and have opportunities for a better future.
Sometimes the difference we make in a child's life reaches much further than we realise.
“I am very proud of my son, Dev”
My name isn't important, but I would like to tell you about my son, Dev.
He is 12 years old, and I am very proud of him.
Dev loves going to school. He especially enjoys Mathematics and English, and he likes drawing and Art too.
Since he started attending the Project Help India Centre in July this year, he has hardly missed a day. He arrives on time, works hard and does everything his teacher asks him to do.
But what makes me particularly proud is that Dev is becoming a boy who looks out for others.
Shashila tells us that he helps her at the centre and takes care of the younger children.
As a father, that means a lot to me. Of course I want my son to do well in his studies, but I also want him to grow up to be a good person, someone who cares about others.
And I can already see that happening.
When you want to provide, but life gets difficult
Our family has lived in a rented home in Kashi Rampur Talla . This is a transient area, many families come and go. But we've been here for about 25 years. I have seen many changes in this community
I work as a mason. It's hard, physical work, but it's how I provide for my family.
Unfortunately, I've been suffering from a lung infection, and I'm receiving treatment.
It's made things very difficult.
When you're unwell and can't find regular work, you worry about how you're going to manage. There are the everyday costs of looking after your family, and then there are the medical expenses.
Like any father, I want my children to have opportunities in life. I want them to learn, to grow up with confidence and to have choices about their future.
But we simply cannot afford to pay for extra tuition.
So when we heard that Project Help India was providing free education for children in our community, we decided to enrol both our boys.
And I'm so glad we did.
Knowing my children are in good hands
One of the greatest comforts for me is knowing that Dev has somewhere good to go each day.
Somewhere he is welcomed.
Somewhere Shashila knows him, encourages him and takes an interest in how he's getting on.
Somewhere he can enjoy learning and be with other children.
When you're struggling with your own health and worrying about providing for your family, it means so much to know your children are being looked after.
I know Dev is learning his Mathematics and English and his grades are improving. I know he's enjoying his Art. And I know he's growing in confidence.
But it's more than that.
He's learning to be responsible. He's helping Shashila. He's looking after the little ones.
There's another thing that worries me as a father. Some of the boys in our neighbourhood are getting caught up in drugs and other trouble on the streets. I don't want that life for my sons.
Knowing Dev and his brother have somewhere safe to go, where they're learning, making friends and being encouraged by Shashila, is a huge relief to me. They're spending their time doing something positive, rather than being drawn into trouble, drugs and gangs.
And when I see how Dev is growing in confidence and helping the younger children, I feel even more proud of him.
I'm proud of the boy he is, and I'm excited about the young man he might become.
We are very grateful to Project Help India and to the teachers who give their time and care to our children.
I may not be able to give my boys everything I would like to give them.
But knowing they have this opportunity means more to me than I can say.
Our Slum Centre is where Project Help India began, back in 2010.
Over the years, we've come to know this community well, and they've come to know and trust us.
And that trust has been built through much more than education.
About 15 years ago, our Directors, Amit and Daisy, worked closely with local families to bring an end to a deeply troubling annual practice in which some children were deliberately injured as part of a traditional sacrificial ritual. Through patient conversations, counselling and education, they helped the community recognise the harm being done and move away from the practice. It was an important breakthrough for the safety and wellbeing of local children, and one that Amit and Daisy worked hard to achieve.
During the COVID lockdowns, when the community was effectively cut off from the rest of Kotdwara, PHI was their only source of food and medical support.
We've also stood alongside these families during devastating monsoon floods, when many homes were washed away.
And we've worked to help families secure recognised addresses, something most of us probably take for granted, but which can make such a difference when you're trying to access essential services.
So when Dev's parents heard that PHI could help their boys with their education, they were coming to an organisation that had been part of their community for many years.
A bright face and a caring heart
When I look at Dev's photograph, I see a bright, happy-looking 12-year-old boy.
But knowing a little of his family's circumstances makes that smile mean even more to me.
His father is unwell. Money is tight. Life isn't easy.
Yet here's a boy who loves learning, turns up on time, works hard and is already helping to care for younger children.
And behind him is Shashila, a teacher who takes an interest in him, encourages him and helps provide the safe, caring environment every child deserves. This is what I love about our PHI Education Centres. Of course, we want children to learn to read, write and do their Mathematics. We want them to pass exams and have opportunities for further education. But we also want them to feel safe, valued and encouraged.
We want them to discover what they're good at, grow in confidence and learn to care for others.
And for parents like Dev's father, who are carrying worries most of us will never fully understand, knowing their children are in good hands can bring a little peace of mind.
Thank you for caring
To our wonderful PHI teachers, thank you for the love, patience and encouragement you give these children every day.
And to our friends and supporters, thank you for making it possible for children like Dev and his brother to have a place where they can learn, grow and feel cared for.
Sometimes the difference we make isn't measured only by exam results or school grades.
Sometimes it's seen in the bright face of a 12-year-old boy who loves going to his PHI Centre, helps his teacher and looks after the younger kids.
And sometimes it's felt in the heart of a father who can say, with gratitude and pride:
“I am so proud of my son, Dev.”
#SmallStepsBigPurpose