Opportunity to help 3 beautiful people and a possible new school

Project Help India October News

It's the end of October and I feel like there is so much to share with you. I returned from India 2 weeks ago, and I was so encouraged by the ongoing progress of our various projects. Our 'Annual Function' was certainly a highlight with so many children, parents and members of the community attending.

It was a very special moment when we blessed the children who attend our new Disability Centre. Each child received a certificate and small prize, just like at a school Speech Day. The smiles and tears were priceless, and the spontaneous standing ovation of the audience will be a memory that I treasure for life.

Following the event and reinforced by a piece in the local paper, we have had other parents come to our Centre to ask if their children can be enrolled in the Disability Centre. After interviews, we have taken three new enrolments. So meet Sia, Jayesh and Himmat. Moving forward I will be working with some friends of mine who are experts in Special Education, and we will be working to develop Individualised Learning Plans for each of the 6 children who attend our Centre. I am very grateful for this help, and I am confident that we will make a significant difference in these kid's life, which will also impact their parents, siblings and other family members. When a family lives in poverty the impact of a child with a disability is huge. It is very common for siblings to have to leave school to earn money, and/or remain at home to care for their family. Our social workers will support the families of these children to develop a holistic care plan for the entire family.

Sia is 12 years old and her name means ‘one who brings joy’. Sia cannot speak. She loves coming to school. We are working closely with Sia’s parents who have never received any help or guidance in how to best care and respond to her many needs.

Jayesh is 3 years old. When he first started to attend our Centre he was quite malnourished. He loves sitting on chairs, playing with toys and singing along with action songs. Jayesh means 'victory' and this is what we pray his life will be filled with.

Himmat is 17 years old. He has never been to school and as a result, he has so much to learn in all aspects of his growth and development. His name means ‘courage’. We see him as a courageous young man because he has never socialised before, nor has he had the opportunity to venture out of his house. His journey over the days ahead will be a huge challenge but we believe that with the love he gets from the Project Help India Team, he can have an optimistic and happy future.

A New School?

It's early days, but I was invited to visit a school located on the edge of the jungle outside of Kotdwara (a 15 minute drive). Project Help India has been asked to completely take over this school. It is registered with the government and we are very excited about the possibilities. We will have options for a either a long term lease or the purchase outright (for about $200 000). I would value your prayers as we make some decisions about this. In the mean time, we must look at the legal contracts and develop business plans to see if it's at all possible. Does anyone have a spare $200 000, or know anyone who does?

There is lots more that is happening for us. Please stay in touch. Thank you for your financial support. None of this would be possible without you. If you can make a further donation, please do so. AND please spread the word about PROJECT HELP INDIA and the many exciting things that we are achieving together.

Thank you for being part of this story - love Doug x

Our 2018 Annual Event - A huge success!

A huge crowd of close to 350 people last night (Sunday 7th October 2018) attended our ‘Annual Function’ last night in Kotdwara. It was a really exciting occasion filled with music, dancing, speeches, awards and opportunities to honour and recognise to efforts of many people in our projects and local community.

The girls from our Technology Centre performed a number of dances, as did the younger kids from our City Centre School. The boys once again, proved to be a huge hit with their military dance.

For me there were a number of significant highlights;

 -       I love it when we get to ‘honour’ many people, especially leaders from the local community. We thanked and blessed police inspectors, the anti-human trafficking team, politicians, doctors, social workers, teachers, a women’s rights lawyer and advocate, church pastors and even some of the local press.

-       I was crying when 5 kids with significant disabilities, parents by their side, came to the front to be appreciated and to be given a certificate and prize (a box of chocolates) for attending school…their first ever school! This has been a dream of mine, to start a Disability Centre, and the dream is coming alive right before my eyes. What I did not expect, was to have the entire auditorium stand to their feet, in spontaneous applause, as we cheered the students and their parents.

-  We were blessed to have a Bollywood singer and TV host, Sonia Anand as our special guest for the night. I have to say that I was a little star struck myself. She was beautiful in all ways, and she spoke with great passion for our work. Sonia has offered her ongoing support of Project Help and she says she will be back for SHINE 19. She closed the night with a song and it was fabulous.

 -       I was humbled to also have the crowd stand on their feet to thank me for my work in Kotdwara. I really was surrounded by many wonderful friends, many who are now like family to me. Kotdwara has become my second home and I will be very sad to be leaving at the end of the week.

We are expecting that our Annual Event will get some news attention in this week’s newspapers and television. This is really exciting as we keep promoting the work of Project Help India, as we generate support, and continue to build trust and earn the respect of the community. Last night reminded me that our influence is growing and impacting the lives of not just the poor. The leaders of this town are saying that they are blessed and supported in their work, they have been equipped and greatly encouraged. It is such a privilege to be part of this and to see God working in such a powerful way.

I have 4 days left in this part of the world, before I head back to Sydney. Today I am off the look at the site for a potential long-term, more permanent school location. Later this week I will be working with the police, visiting the slums and our school projects, doing some teacher training and visiting a large disability school in another town called Dehradun. It’s all amazing and incredibly satisfying work. Thank you for your prayers and support. Your donations are making all of this possible and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your generosity. If you could only meet these people, you would understand why I am so in love with them, and why I am so passionate for this cause, and determined to help their situation.

Together we are really making a difference. 

Three remarkable kids rescued from labour, off the streets and now going to school

Meet Adnan, Sunjay and Anaya

It comes with an incredible sense of satisfaction when I hear the news of children who have been rescued and whose lives have been powerfully changed. These kids did not go to school and were forced to work in child labour. However, thanks to Project help India they now have the opportunity to receive an education, to learn, be cared for, make friends and have a class full of other kids who they can laugh and play with. 

These precious kids now have a safe haven, a place of belonging and a kind teacher who keeps her watchful eye on them. 

 These children no longer are subjected to the cruelty of a harsh adult work, forced to do what no child should have to do. They are now safe from the dangers of exploitation and away from a dark world that no child should ever be forced into.

 Just this month, I have caught up with the story of 3 remarkable kids who attend our centres in either Kotdwara or Bijnor.

 Adnan is 9 years old and is in 3rd Grade. His father died and the family were forced to live on the streets. Poor little Adnan had to make a living by collecting and selling rubbish from off the streets. We have helped Adnan’s family and he now attends school 6 days a week.

 Sunjay is 14 years old. He stopped going to school and was forced into labour due to poverty, working hard for 2 years. He is back at school and thriving in his learning. He has big hopes for the future and he dreams to become a doctor

 Anaya is 11 years old and has spent most of her childhood working in the harsh conditions of domestic labour and making an earning from picking through garbage.  Read her story as reported last week by our Project Officer …

 Anaya is one of the students in our Kotdwara Slum Centre. When Anaya came to us she could not utter a word. Dirty hands, shabby clothes, sweaty brow and the look of misery and desolation were writ large on her face. This barely 11 year old child was the hardworking breadwinner of a poor family. The time that should have been spent in gaining basic education and in playing with friends was being devoted to pick garbage. The hands that could be used to build the future of the country were being taught to wash dirty floors and utensils. A valuable life was being severely ruined. After 6 months of being at the Slum Centre, Anaya has a spark in her eyes as she dreams of a future for herself. Now she is also going to School. She is in 6 class. If you ask her, she says she wants to be a doctor, to be able to cure her ailing mother. Anaya was freed from domestic labour with the help of dedicated efforts of organisation.

 This is what your donation to Project Help India is helping us do and achieve. You are connected with the story of these children and they send their love and thanks to you. Their lives have had a complete change of direction because of all our combined efforts.

I think you will see that their smile says it all.

It's Father's Day - and we are caring for orphans, widows, families and dads

It’s Father’s Day in Australia and we wish all the dads a wonderful day. We honour and salute all the men for the influence you have in the lives of your children and others. We hope that today is full of rich blessings and a sense of gratitude for all you have in your life.

Like many other places around the world, Father’s Day is celebrated in India on the 16th of June.

At Father’s Day, 'Project Help' reaches out to the orphans and widows

We count it our privilege to care for the poorest of the poor who don't have a father.

Meet a few of the kids and people we love and care for through our social work programs, schools and emergency support. 

Sheetal (age 14) and Tarun (age 10) live with their mum. They have two more brothers and 3 sisters. That’s a total of 7 kids in the family. Their father died when they were very little. Their Mum is Devi and she works to earn a monthly salary of $40AUS.  

Sheetal and Tarun

Lovely is 9 and her father also died when she was very small. He died from liver poisoning due to drinking. Lovely has 5 sisters and 3 brothers. Their mum is Jomati, and she too earns $40 a month.

Lovely 

We also care for Sharafat, who after being hit by a car a few years ago, and with no father to look after him, he is the “man of the house”. He is becoming more mobile in his wheelchair but his mother, sisters and extended family have also been significantly impacted by his terrible accident.

Sharafat and Doug

At Father’s Day, 'Project Help' reaches out to families impacted by broken fathers

We see first hand the impact that poverty has in the lives of many men. Men easily become broken, abusive and dangerous. When you reach a point of despair and helplessness you become desperate. Many end up in prison leaving their family to fend for themselves.

Project Help work alongside many children and women whose lives, each day are impacted in such terrible ways such as domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, drug and alcohol addictions and being forced to work in child labour or slavery. We work with the police to rescue young people, we provide counselling, food and friendship.

At Father’s Day, 'Project Help' reaches out to the fathers too

We also see the good in so many men, who despite the poverty of their circumstances, they work hard and never stop. They are determined to provide for their family and we see that stoic smile and pride that so often masks much pain and a lack of dignity because they cannot provide what the family needs. Imagine rebuilding your house, the day it gets washed away in a flood, and then doing it again and again throughout the monsoon season. These men do it tough, tougher than we can ever imagine.  They are dads who are fighters, heroes, they are courageous and remarkable. If only we could give them the medal that they deserve – but we can give them compassion, help, love and encouragement.

It’s your donation that helps these people. This Father’s Day, we pass on their thanks to you, for making a difference in their life.  

Justice please! Why we are so passionate about helping the poor.

Meet the gang and some new kids on the block.

It gives us great pleasure to introduce you to some new faces, as well as some updates about old friends who you’ve met before.

Our Project Officer in Kotdwara has been catching up with many of the kids who come to our school or other classes, and we share their stories with you.

All you need to do is click here to read some very remarkable. Click here...  kid's stories

The stories of these children will make you smile, cry and challenge you to keep the perspective that we all need to have in our lives and to count the blessings that we receive. It makes for better reading than the Sunday paper, that's for sure.

Our hope is that you would pray for these beautiful kids who display remarkable courage and resilience. Thanks to Project Help India their lives have been impacted and changed for the better. 

Poverty sucks

Poverty is cruel

Poverty is unfair

Thank you for being a part of their story, and for helping us to make a difference in their life. Your generous donation brings help, purpose, hope and the brightest of smiles.

Below: Aaushi, Adita, Bandita and Aarav

It's flooding in Kotdwara - please pray!

Dear friends and supporters,

Our friend Amit has contacted me this morning (Saturday 25th August) to ask if you could please pray for the people of Kotdwara. The town has been hit by rain and dangerous floods. They have asked if you could please pray...

- for the rain to stop

- for a woman and 2 children who were washed away just an hour ago. There is a search effort currently happening (1pm Sydney time)

- for the community leaders as they gather to form a combined response 

- the safety of people

The street where Amit lives (the meat market street, if you have been there), is like a raging river.

Thanks everyone. I'll keep you posted.

Love Doug

Might you be passionate in helping kids with special needs and disabilities?

In my role as an educator I cannot stress enough my belief and conviction that when it comes to kids with special needs, we have been doing some things terribly wrong.  

If a child can’t read at the pace of others, or if a child is struggling with their learning, perhaps they have a physical, behavioural or intellectual disability, what do we do? Generally, thinking that we can better cater for their needs, we remove them from their classroom and from their friends, and teach them somewhere else. The stigma can be painful. At times this is fair enough because maybe there are better resources, a better or more specific program with access to skilled, specialist staff. However, most of the time we have got this so very wrong. 

Keeping students who have disabilities with their friends, peers and other learners is what they need. Inclusion is not discriminatory and it is equitable. We must rethink school and classroom design to cater for the vast array of needs that all students bring. To take things further, in India where we are working, it’s wonderful just to get them out of their house. Here's what I mean; 

A couple of years ago, I visited one of our small school projects in Kotdwara. At a community meeting I asked;

“Where are the kids with special needs?” 

“What do you mean?” was the reply.

“Well, where are the kids who might have a disability” I asked.

“A disability? What do you mean?

“Like a child who is blind, or a boy or girl who can’t learn like the other children”

“Oh yes, we have lots of kids like that”, was the reply.

“Well where are they?” I asked.

“They are at home”

“Why aren’t they here at school?”

“They can’t go to school because they have a disability” was the standard reply.

The conversation would have gone in circles until I realised that the common place mindset was that school and a children with a disability were seen as being mutually exclusive. I have since learnt that many children with disabilities in India (and also in other third world communities) live at home for their entire life. These children whose families live in poverty really are the “poorest of the poor”.  These kids are never educated because their parents have no money and no one has have ever offered them a vision for how a school might cater for their needs, and how learning might actually change the course and trajectory of their life. So often these parents live in shame for having such a child, rather than being helped, equipped and supported in the challenges they face. To have a child with a disability is a significant liability. 

Last week I visited a remarkable place - the Gem Foundation in Kampala. http://thegemfoundation.com/

Rowena and I were incredibly inspired.  Children with ‘significant’ needs were loved, cared for, and given a quality education, not to mention meeting their developmental needs through individual health plans. Kids with Downs Syndrome for example, were seen as being valuable and important individuals. 

I’m proud that in June we started a small project at Kotdwara. Naomi, who is one of our amazing teachers holds a class 3 mornings a week, for three children, each with a disability. These kids are from families who live in terrible poverty. Their parents would otherwise never imagine that their children could be educated in any way - let alone loved, valued and embraced by others. The children are given a healthy snack, they play with toys that they never see at home, have stories read to them, and an educational program is being implemented as we determine how we can best meet their individual needs.

It’s early days and we love these remarkable kids as if they were our own. Each has their own beautiful personality and we are enjoying getting to know them better. They make our lives brighter and richer simply by knowing and doing life with them. 

Rabiya is from a Muslim family. He was impacted by neonatal drug taking, was born premature and although “he understands everything” (not sure what this means) he cannot speak or walk. He loves coming to our centre where he is learning to read. His smile lights up the place when he arrives. 

Farah is 18 years old. Both of her parents have polio and they cannot walk. Farah loves coming to our centre and she cries when she has to go home. 

Ayush is ten years old and he is from a Hindu family. He has never been to school. When at age 5, his parents realised that he had a mental disability, relatives advised his parents to “throw him out or send him to an orphanage”. Ayush’s mother was determined to keep him and now she is finally receiving some help and support from Project Help.

So what’s the vision? Perhaps you can help? We would love of course, to receive your generous donation but even more valuable than this, we are reaching out to ask for specialist help and guidance. Some of the questions we are asking include;

• What should we be seeking to achieve? (we can't afford to make mistakes)
• What early intervention programs are realistic? (this is key)
• What parent support programs are available? (they need support)
• How far can we grow this? We are willing and happy to go as far as God takes us, but we have to bee realistic in not promising the world. We expect that the sky is the limit.  ....I heard a story of a man in North India who set up a small school for his son who has cerebral palsy. He was told that his son could not go to school so he built his own school. Within a year he had 200 children with cognitive and developmental disabilities enrolled. These children all came from his town and community. (this could get big and we are willing to go the distance).

The need is great, our resource is minimal. Our love is huge and we are confident that we have friends and networks who would like to share their love too. 

Our starting point is to gather some like-minded, passionate educators or people involved in helping children with disabilities to meet with me to get things rolling, and to help me get a clearer sense of direction. Perhaps you can’t help, but maybe you know someone who might be interested, if so please forward this email to them. 

As with all things we have experienced with Project Help, we know this to be true;

• small steps make a big difference in people’s lives
• God takes us places and equips us to achieve outcomes beyond expectation
• this is really satisfying stuff
• “To him who has received much, much will be expected” - this is an opportunity to give and to be blessed in a way that words cannot express. 

Please reply and let me know if we can chat further.

Thanks as always,

Love Doug :-)

...and the rest of the gang here in Australia and India.

For your kind donation:

BSB: 062-230

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1134 1900 

ACCOUNT NAME: PROJECT HELP INDIA

arrar, Ayush and Rabiya at Kotdwara