Two more fathers. Two more families. And a reminder of why education matters.
Earlier this week, we introduced you to three fathers and grandfathers connected with Project Help India.
Men facing poverty, illness and circumstances few of us would choose—yet continuing to show up for their children.
Today, we want you to meet two more.
But first, some wonderful news.
Two generous supporters have already donated A$150 each. That means two of our six Father’s Day hampers are funded!
Thank you.
We are hoping to raise A$900 to provide a hamper for all six families, and with Father’s Day just days away, we would dearly love to get there.
Working through the pain
Ramesh* is 45 and a father of three.
He supports his family by collecting scrap and taking whatever daily-wage labour he can find. His wife also contributes by selling small items door-to-door.
Ramesh lives with diabetes and a painful condition affecting his legs. Despite his health, he continues to work because his family depends on the income.
But there is another part of Ramesh’s story we want to tell you.
His three children have all been connected with Project Help India’s education programs over the years.
Today, his eldest daughter is studying for a university degree.
That is a story worth pausing over…
A father who earns his living collecting scrap and taking daily-wage work has watched his daughter progress all the way to higher education.
And for Project Help India, there is something significant here too.
We have now been working in these communities long enough to see a new generation growing up.
Children we first met when they were young are becoming adults. Some are continuing their studies, some are beginning work, and families who have known Project Help India for years are now seeing what sustained access to education can make possible.
Our work is increasingly becoming a second-generation story.
We are not simply meeting a child for a year and moving on.
We are walking alongside families and communities over time—watching children grow, encouraging them through their education, and helping create opportunities their parents may never have had themselves.
Ramesh’s story captures that beautifully.
He may collect scrap to help put food on the table today.
But his daughter is studying at university.
That doesn’t erase the hardship her family still faces.
But it does remind us why we keep showing up.
Because when education is sustained over years, the possibilities for a family can begin to change.
A father’s hope for something different
Mohan* is another father who understands this hope.
He has lived with his family in a slum community for many years and is a father of five.
For years, Mohan has supported his family by selling utensils. But ongoing diabetes and liver problems have increasingly affected his health and his ability to work.
As his health has declined, some of his older sons have taken work as labourers to help support the family.
And his daughter?
She too is studying for her Bachelor of Arts.
Again, behind that achievement is a family that has lived with considerable hardship.
For families experiencing generational poverty, education isn't simply about passing an exam or getting better marks at school.
It can mean choices.
It can mean opportunity.
It can mean a young person beginning to imagine a future that looks different from the one their parents experienced.
That is the hope Mohan carries for his children.
And it is a hope we share.
Six fathers. Six families.
This week, we set ourselves a simple Father’s Day goal.
We want to honour six fathers and grandfathers whose children and grandchildren are connected with Project Help India by providing each family with an A$150 Father’s Day hamper.
Each hamper will contain approximately one month of non-perishable foodstuffs, together with some personal-care items for Dad.
Six families × A$150 = A$900.
So far, two generous supporters have given A$300—enough to provide hampers for two families.
Thank you. It is a wonderful start.
That leaves four families and A$600 to go.
Over these first two blogs, we've now shared the stories of five of these remarkable men.
There is one father you haven't met yet.
We're saving his story for Father’s Day.
His journey is quite different from the others—and it is a powerful reminder of what becoming a father can change.
For now, we're hoping our Project Help India community can help us make sure there is a hamper waiting for all six families.
If you can give A$150, you can provide one complete hamper.
If A$150 isn't possible, please give what you can. Several smaller gifts can provide the next hamper too.
And if you would like to make your gift more personal, send us a short Father’s Day message. We would be delighted to include it on a card delivered with the family’s hamper.
Perhaps simply:
“From one family in Australia to yours—we see how hard you work for your children. Happy Father’s Day.”
Four hampers. A$600 to go. Can you help us get there by Father’s Day?
Please donate by clicking the pink DONATE button at the top of this page.
You can share this story with a friend.
You can help another person discover the work Project Help India is doing alongside these families.
Because these fathers keep showing up for their children.
This Father’s Day, we're showing up for them.
Beyond Father’s Day
There are more than 600 children connected with Project Help India’s 14 Education Centres.
And behind every child is a family story.
The fathers we have introduced this week are just a handful of them.
Their circumstances are different, but we hear the same hope again and again:
I want something better for my child.
For A$55 a month, you can support a child to attend a Project Help India Education Centre—helping us provide education, encouragement and ongoing care while walking alongside their family and community.
A Father’s Day hamper helps a family today.
Education helps a father hope for tomorrow.
And on Sunday, we’ll introduce you to one final dad whose story reminds us that sometimes education doesn't only change the next generation.
Sometimes becoming a father can change a man, too.
Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the families. The stories and circumstances shared are true and are published with their permission.
