We Could Not Be Happier

‘Project Help India’ Director and General Secretary Daisy Samual - conference organiser and speaker with delegates

It’s funny don’t you think, that every day seems to be the ‘International Day of something’

Yesterday, Saturday 20th March, was the ‘UN International day of Happiness’ and today, Sunday 21st of March is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Personally, I love that both days are back-to-back surly if we focus on kindness and eliminating racial discrimination this world would be a much happier place hey!

The website for ‘UN International day of Happiness’ says;

With our world facing unprecedented challenges and wellbeing matters more than ever …in these difficult times, let’s take action to be happier and kinder, together.

According to the World happiness Report, Finland this year was ranked as the happiest country on earth for the fourth year in a row.  Australia was ranked 12th (yet why do we seem to complain so much?!). Not surprisingly, India does not make the list. Yet, this past week, in one of the most remote places on the planet, a jungle village in the foothills of the Himalayas, a group of one hundred women had the time of their lives.

Delegates arriving for SHINE-21

It was here that my Australian family visited back in 2012. We were honoured and incredibly privileged to be welcomed to this place, some of the first ever westerners to ever meet these people. We were impacted and changed as we heard their stories and learnt about their Muslim culture, traditions and the daily challenges due to poverty that they faced. As the work of Project help India expanded over the years that followed, the village elders asked if we could establish a school for their children. Here, close to 100% of the children (including their parents and the generations before) have never been able to access a school due to their isolation, the distance and dangers of travelling to school, and lack of resources. The school at Village Kadarganj in now one of three small village centres, all in close proximity to each other run by Project Help India. Through these schools we have expanded our delivery of education to include parent seminars on topics such as health and hygiene, anti- human trafficking of children and young women, responding to domestic violence, drug and alcohol awareness, and now our annual Women’s Empowerment SHINE Conference.

This is a significant ‘first’ and this is why we couldn’t be happier. All members of the Project Help team are locals. They have worked incredibly hard, and stretched themselves beyond their initial self-confidence to pull off three separate events over the past two weeks to so something remarkable. Through their up-skilling, personal awareness and knowledge of local matters, we are seeing the powerful generational community change and transformation that Project Help India seeks to make happen.  

Our SHINE conferences in 2018, 2019 and 2021 have brought a message that for the majority of these village women have never heard before. It is a message that girls and women have value, worth and purpose. For the first time in their lives, some women aged 40 (and even older) have also learned about their menstrual cycle and what is their period. They have learned about women’s legal rights, that girls should go to school and can study at university, and for nearly all of them, the conference gave them the opportunity to rise above their fears and to dance freely together. From our experience and all that we heard and observed, the beautiful marquee that we hired for the occasion was filled with inspired talks and learning, tears, laughter, joy and happiness.

These women daily endure the harshest of experiences brought about by living in poverty. SHINE Conference however, provided them with a day of happiness - far greater than any day in Finland, Australia or any where else for that matter. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, whose donations, financial support and prayers paid for this Conference, Village Kadarganj last week was the happiest place on Earth.

Click here to watch a YouTube slide show of photos taken at the Village Kadarganj SHINE Conference.

This is empowerment

Having the time of her life at SHINE 21

19 year old Anishka was one of 500 delegates who attended our SHINE conferences (across three locations) last week. Anishka’s smile reflects how much she has loved the experience, especially the get up and dance time at the end when she was free from all the cares in her life.

Anishka says that SHINE 21 inspired her to keep studying despite the teasing and ridicule she gets from others in her slum community. Anishka is blessed to have a mother who values her education, and because of this, she is enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in law. They live in a small rented room in a poor slum because all of her mother’s money is spent on Anishka’s education.

It’s Anishka’s dream to be a lawyer and to defend the rights of women and others in her community. Attending SHINE has given her the determination to believe in herself and to work hard for her future. She says

“One day I will be a lawyer and this achievement will be a tight slap on the face of those men who think that girls are not made to study."

Lata - changing the next generation because of her education

Lata Ran’s story is very similar to Anishka’s. Lata is the youngest of 6 siblings, and the only child who now lives at home. Her father Mr Jai Singh is a security guard and her mother Mrs. Munni is a home maker. Lata is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Science. She also has a diploma in beauty parlour training. Lata belongs to a locality where all the people tease the family for teaching a girl child. Lata wants to become a teacher one day. Her vision is to teach slum kids for free, so that everyone has access to education. 

Lata loved SHINE Conference, saying it was like a dream to hear a message that encourages her future …that’s because she gets a very different message from her community;

“I normally feel like an outcast for valuing education and working for a bright future. It’s like a torture to the girls who want to study further and have a dream of getting success. The people in this locality believe that girls are only made to get married and do house work.” 

Thank you to our many supporters for your generous donation. You have made all of this possible for Lata, Anishka and the 500 SHINE21 delegates. There has been powerful impact and inspiring change because your story has intersected with the lives and stories of these women. This is empowerment.

stronger women

stronger children

stronger families

stronger communities

a stronger India

Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Click the DONATE box on this page. With love and thanks from the team at Project Help India.

We need your help right now for some really great things

Some of our students, their parents - our wonderful friends.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

If you have been reading some of my recent blogs and emails, and following us on Instagram, you will know that our team in India has been thoroughly impressive in their efforts and work reaching and helping poor and needy communities in Northern India. So far in 2021 some of the things we have achieved include;

* providing food and ration packs to the elderly, unemployed and some very destitute people who are suffering due to the ongoing impact of COVID,

* teaching and feeding 500 children five days a week in our 9 small school centres in the cities of Kotdwara, Bijnor and Chandigarh

* holding information sessions for the parents of our school children

* collaborating with local police

* delivering individualised programs for our students who have significant disabilities,

* distributing lots of warm blankets to village and slum dwellers who have been suffering from the winter cold.

Presently we are busy as we prepare for our SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference (in three locations) in mid March. We have 500 women registered delegates! How exciting is this!

This all takes money and resources. We pay rent for each of our school centres, and we pay salaries to all staff in India (more than 20 team members now). Right now, we are stretched a little more than usual, tracking below our budget for this time of the year. Some reasons for this are a payment for the unanticipated medical expenses for one of our team members, our SHINE conferences were not originally budgeted for, and we must transfer our quarterly payment to India one month earlier than usual to comply with some new mandatory banking structures.

So, if you have been following what we are doing and achieving, and if you are happy and willing to help and support us … we really need your help right now.

Our next quarterly transfer, to cover our April, May, and June expenses will be approximately $24 000 and we are currently $5500 short.

Can you help us to reach this target?

Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Click the DONATE box on our website

With love and thanks from the ‘Project Help India’ Team.

Thank you for your generous help and support

The girls are ready to SHINE in 21

“Behind every smile, is an inspiring story, which we look forward to sharing with you soon.”

stronger women

stronger families

stronger communities

and a stronger India.

This time last year the COVID lockdown stopped us in our tracks.

This year, unfortunately we are still unable to travel to India.

However, our third Women's SHINE Conference will go ahead no matter what! We are so thankful that our Indian team will be holding a conference in town in Kotdwara as well as travelling to a number of small villages and communities to meet and speak with local women.

A little about SHINE

This conference is an important aspect of the 'Project Help India' vision. Over the past three years we have had over one thousand delegates. Many of our delegates are women who live in slums or jungle villages in terrible poverty. These women can't afford to pay so we do not charge them. Our goal is to bless them and give them an experience they will never forget. Teenage girls, mothers, grandmothers, our teachers and community leaders attend. Our aim is to empower all women in all spheres of life, sharing a message of dignity, strength, purpose and value. We talk about health and hygiene, safety and women’s legal issues. We share inspirational stories about remarkable women …not to mention dance, sing, laugh, cheer, cry and share precious moments together.

Both of our conferences in 2018 and 2019 became the talk of Northern India, with local media doing press releases, billboard advertising, and even politicians and Bollywood celebrities wanting to both attend and be seen supporting and advocating for this important cause.

Again this year we are positive and confident that women's lives will be changed and empowered.

‘Project help India’ is pioneering this cause in this remote part of the world, so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. If you could make a tax-deductible donation to support our work, we would really appreciate this. And please spread the word if you might know people who might be passionate about human rights, human justice, anti-human trafficking, and who might be stirred to make a donation to this worthwhile cause. We need your help as the cost all adds up, costing approximately $1500AUS.

Please forward this email/blog to people you know whose business or company might like to support this wonderful cause…it’s tax deductible for them too. And please share this blog on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Eleven times wonderful

As we head into February, I want to share just some of the wonderful things that the Project Help team did in January. We are so delighted and feel incredibly privileged to be able to help, educate and feed the poor as we seek to bring love, hope and dignity to their challenging lives and circumstances.

A huge shout-out to our remarkable staff team(s) in India for everything you have achieved in just one month.

And importantly, a shout-out to our Australian and international donors for your generous support and donation …you have made these eleven wonderful things possible. Thank you.

1. 

Our school in Bijnor was relocated to new premises within the same community (Ladpura Village) we help and serve. Our new classroom now has a wonderful extra space for outdoor activities and games for the children.

2. 

We love and celebrate our kids. Like little Faizal who attends our Disability Centre. Faizal is unable to speak very well and has many cognitive challenges but he is a talented artist. We nurture his skills and delight in seeing the pleasure he gets from his drawing.

3. 

On 15th January our Director Amit Samuel officiated an inaugural mountain village cricket tournament. The young men thanked Amit for the inspiration that he brings to them. Our team hoped to visit them again bringing counselling, life skills training …and definitely more cricket!

4. 

On 19th January the students of our Kotdwara campuses participated in a campaign led by the Uttarakhand Traffic Police Force, for Traffic Safety Campaign week. The students had lessons on road and traffic safety. They also created awareness among people by holding boards in their hands in the city. The Uttarakhand Traffic Police department expressed thanks to Project Help India for always supporting and helping them whenever they are in need.

5. 

Rations continue to be distributed to many people who are suffering the impact of COVID. Due to having no daily wage these people are suffering because they do not have access to food and essential necessities. We helped an elderly housebound couple whose circumstances were heartbreaking, literally saving them from starvation.

6. 

On 24th January we held a special seminar for 30 girls and young women to celebrate ‘National Girl Child Day’. Each of the girls received a special gift and listened to inspiring talks from our team and local community leaders about women’s empowerment.

“After the inspiring messages, girls asked few questions from the guests about their rights and laws, for their knowledge. They loved this session the most. On this occasion Mrs. Daisy Samuel said” The world will be a better place to live, on the day the girl child is as happy as the other gender. The best thing that anyone can do for a girl child is to give her a safe environment to grow, study and do things she likes. Let us work in synergy to make this dream come true.”

7. 

On 26th January we celebrated India’s 72nd Republic Day. We held a special rally with songs, dancing, prayers, speeches and a cultural program. Long live India!

8. 

This is really special … on 27th January we were honoured to have a guest Aanan Lama, a Buddist monk and priest from Dehradun. Our friend and brother brought a gift of warm blankets and shawls for all of the children and staff at our City Centre. Aanan Lama follows us with great interest on Facebook. He praises “our work for humanity” and said that we inspire him in his own community work.

9. 

In Chandigarh, Punjab on 29th January our team from ‘The Hope’ distributed 100 blankets to the most needy of families in the local slums villages of Malluwala and Singa Devi. Here there are many families who do not have enough proper cover for sleeping through the cold winter nights. The smiles on their faces “were immensely beautiful.” They were thankful saying they “now had hope to survive.”

10. 

Parent-Teacher meetings were held across all of our education centres. These helped us to better understand our student’s needs and to build a harmonious relationship between Project Help and the community. At Village Kadarganj we learnt that they have no access to emergency medical help. It is very hard for them to take the pregnant ladies with labour pain on motorcycles and tractors. They requested that if Project Help can serve them with an ambulance for them to visit the nearby hospital in case of an emergency. If this was to happen then near about 2000 people will benefit. In the village we met a lady of about 150kg who has blisters on her leg. Her son and husband said it’s impossible to take her on a motorcycle and to call a doctor it is very expensive. To date, this lady has received no medical treatment.

…and 11. 

After being closed for many months due to COVID, we re-opened our Computer Centre in Kotdwara. Twelve young women and men from the slums attend technology classes to be up-skilled and prepared for applying for jobs and starting a career (no image)

If we could write more I would, because January has certainly been filled more than eleven wonderful things. We have celebrated birthdays, had meetings galore, we have danced, laughed, cried …and worked incredibly hard! We are filled with anticipation for the month ahead. Across February we will be focussing on the preparations for our annual SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference.

COVID can’t stop us and nothing will slow us down. We look forward to sharing more news and stories with you soon.

Wishing you a very happy birthday

Abhishek, your birthday gives us a precious opportunity to say - you are loved, valued and appreciated. We honour and celebrate who you are.

What does a birthday celebration mean to you? Is it something you look forward to? Has it become something like for me, is mostly an annual reminder that you are getting older …something you would perhaps rather forget?

Over these past few weeks we have had the privilege of bringing tears of joy and happiness to some special people who have celebrated their birthday.  The birthday stories of Tamanna and Abhishek give us a beautiful and powerful glimpse into the very heart of what it means to be human… you are loved, valued, appreciated and your identity – ‘who you are’ is honoured and celebrated. There is dignity in this, something that we can very much take for granted in the midst of our many western comforts.

At Project Help India, our cause is simple and powerful. It is love in action.

Our mission is to bring love, hope, dignity and purpose to the poor.

Abhishek’s first ever birthday cake

Abhishek, a student at our City Centre School celebrating his twelfth birthday on the 14th January.

Abhishek is a student of our city centre. He caught polio as a child and lost the use of his right hand. Abhishek’s mother and father have no work or income due to COVID. The family lives in a dirty rented single room in the slum, with no electricity. To make matters worse, due to their son’s disability the family is treated by many like Abhishek is a curse. Abhishek’s father is an alcoholic and he is violent at home. He spends any income on liquor. Domestic violence and an empty stomach are Abhishek’s constant companions. Through the ongoing lockdown, Project Help has regularly given the mother counselling, and regular food supplies so that they have something to eat.

One day at our Project Help school the children were asked to give their birthday. Abhishek was quiet, saying he did not know his birthday. When we checked with his mother, she said this was true. She also did not know the date and the family had never celebrated a day. So, on 14th January, when our Director Amit had his birthday, all attention was turned to Abhishek. He cried when we surprised him for his twelfth birthday and he cut a cake for the very first time. You can see this beautiful moment captured on video here. (skip to the two-minute mark for English).

Yesterday was Tamanna’s birthday

Her first ever birthday cake ever. We honour and celebrate our teacher Tamanna. Thank you for the amazing work you do with our disability students.

Tamanna is one of our dedicated teachers who works in our Slum Disability Centre. Tamanna is from a very poor Muslim family, and like Abhishek, she has never celebrated her birthday. The priority for her family has always been to pay for the children’s school fees, so there has never been any money left for gifts or a cake.

Just yesterday (30th January) we celebrated Tamanna’s 24th birthday with a special party for the whole staff team. There were lovely speeches, prayers, gifts, a delicious meal and of course, a birthday cake. As Tamanna cut a birthday cake for the very first time in her life, she burst into tears of joy and happiness. Gipsa, our Administration Officer writes:

It always fills every staff member with pride and blessed feelings to be a part of an organisation who always thinks about their employees in the best way, bestowing the best of their love, care and affection on each one of us. Project Help is not an organisation but a real family. It always fulfils the dreams of happiness of their staff members. May God bless Project Help abundantly, and we pray for Tamanna’s better future.

We need your help to keep the cakes and tears coming

We really need your help to keep some of our projects going this year. Due to the additional resources that we are directing towards our COVID response, we are very much aware that many of our ongoing projects are financially challenged. Could you consider joining our story by giving a small weekly donation? A donation $10 or $20 a week makes a significant difference to the lives of the poor…and will definitely contribute to keeping the birthday cakes and happy tears coming across the year.

Please give generously, by clicking the DONATE button on this page.

A game of cricket brings hope and connects us to each other

In Pokri, North India, it’s not quite the SCG or the GABBA - but it’s cricket and anywhere for a game is possible

Cricket in India, is a national obsession. The first cricket match in India was recorded in 1721 when a group of British sailors gathered to play in Western India. Today, cricket is the most popular sport in the country and celebrity cricketers are amongst the wealthiest and most idolised members of Indian society.

Cricket in India is played in the largest of arenas across the country, on the streets and sidewalks, on open fields and empty building blocks. When you travel through India, you see children and adults alike playing cricket on every street - in the scorching summer heat and during the heavy monsoon rains. The poor will use sticks as cricket stumps and a fence paling for a bat. It is no different in the most remote of places …like the mountain village of Pokri for instance, located in the lower foothills of the Indian Himalayas, 50 kilometres from Kotdwara where ‘Project Help’ is based.

This week it was a game of cricket that connected Pokri with our Project Help story

Pokri is arid and quite barren. It is very hot in summer and absolutely freezing in winter. The people here have limited access to life’s most basic of needs and opportunities. They rely on the fruits and vegetables grown in their gardens. Some rice, wheat and basic supplies can be bought at a price from the local government grocery store. The people in Pokri have no access to medical care and the standard of a child’s education is very poor. Their lives are at the mercy of the seasons and the vicious impact of poverty.

Yet, there is a strong sense of community in Pokri. Life’s pleasures are few and simple. It is the shared experience of cricket that brings youth and young people together. The game also brings joy and happiness. Here in Pokri a cricket match on the side of the road is no less important for the young people, as is watching the current India vs Australia test match on an old television or from a mobile phone.

So, this week, our Director, Mr Amit Samuel was invited to Pokri to officiate a cricket competition. Gipsa, our Administrative Officer writes;

The young boys of this village and nearby places are blessed with good games and athletic skills, so this year they have organised a cricket tournament, in which a lot of local teams have taken part. These boys choose Mr. Amit Samuel (Founder and President of Project Help India) as their chief guest to inaugurate their cricket tournament, as they think that Mr. Amit Samuel is an inspiration for the youth because of his dedication towards the underprivileged people of the society. Today (15th January) Mr. Amit Samuel did the inauguration for the cricket tournament by ribbon cutting ceremony. These youth club members have honoured Mr. Amit Sir with flower garlands, a shoulder cloth and a small memento.

Amit delivered an inspiring message for the people and assured the youth that in the coming days he will do something to help them. Amit Samuel noticed that these young boys have really brilliant skills of playing cricket and they have amazing athletic skills.

We count this as a big day when the young boys and girls are getting inspiration from Mr. Amit Samuel. These young people, the next generation of community leaders are wanting to learn from Amit and Project Help. We see this as a powerful and authentic way for our work to continue to expand.

We want to continue our work in Pokri and other similar small mountain villages. We plan to provide programs for youth educating them about the dangers of alcohol and drugs, anti-human trafficking awareness, hygiene, women’s health, along with the many other things that contribute to empowering people and growing a healthy and hopeful community.

And of course, we look forward to the second annual cricket tournament. Before then we will explore the possibility of sponsoring a team of these young athletes to participate in a cricket tournament in one of the large regional cities.

Can you help us to make all of this possible? Your donation goes a long way. Click the DONATE button on this page. Thank you

Happy New Year - it's 2021

Happy New Year from the team at ‘Project Help India’. We are excited and somewhat apprehensive about 2021 and we are thankful for your interest, help and support. Our prayers are with you for all that you hope to do and achieve this year.

2021 is shaping up to be another big year in the life of 'Project Help India'. We have many goals and we are ambitious about all we are seeking to achieve. Our resources were certainly stretched in 2020, due to the impact of COVID. BUT …thanks to you and our amazing supporters we were able to achieve some incredible things last year (see images below).

Some 2020 highlights (from top to bottom) - serving meals in slum community during the lockdown, Nikhil’s smile after receiving successful emergency surgery, a street beggar getting a meal, delivering ration packs to a barricaded slum in lockdown, receiving a Government commendation for our community COVID projects, our new school community at Village Singha Devi, Chandigarh, Punjab, in July we celebrated the purchase of our new property(we now have a fixed address!), rescued trafficked boys back in February.

COVID Uncertainty

This year we will continue to step into the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic. India currently remains significantly impacted by COVID and there are fears of further outbreaks due to many travellers from England arriving daily to India. We note that media attention is presently focussed on other countries and India seems to have been forgotten about. A quick google search indicates that India is currently ranked second in the world rankings of COVID impact (behind USA). USA has approximately 20 million cases, and India has approximately 10 million (to keep things in perspective, India has a population of 1 billion more people than USA). Yet, sadly in the event of such a catastrophe, poverty creates greater poverty resulting in more people now living below the threshold of being able to earn enough to meet their most basic living needs. This is why our work in the Kotdwara slums has been critical. We are very mindful that the people we work alongside are marginalised and vulnerable, the poorest of the poor. Our schools are still in lockdown and our teachers continue to deliver work to their students, plus some social distanced gatherings from time to time. The parents of most of our students are doing it very tough because people avoid the daily wage labourers, rickshaw and auto drivers. Many parents are still out of work and we provide them with weekly food ration packs. 

On our agenda for 2021

This year, our goals continue to focus on community development through education at our 7 centres and at our disability centre. We will focus on health, hygiene and drug awareness, women’s empowerment including starting a women’s skill centre, anti-human trafficking, environmental initiatives, supporting individuals who need urgent help, as well as being prepared and responsive to natural disasters (monsoons especially), and of course, responding to the ongoing impact of COVID (however this might look).

With the backing of any increased financial support we will explore opportunities for our work to expand beyond our current reach. Both the Uttarakhand State Government and police frequently request our assistance in other locations. We have been asked to set up projects in other large cities but at the end of the day it’s really only money that is stopping us from doing this.

Greater Compliance in 2021

Further to our 2021 goals, this year will see the introduction of additional Indian Federal Government compliance requirements under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. FCRA is the legislation that regulates how non-profits in India can receive foreign funding. The documentation, record keeping and auditing are rigorous and add further demands to our team in India. Ultimately, this legislation is demanding greater transparency around finances for all non-profits, and we have thus far received a 5 star ‘gold’ rating for the quality of our records…well done to Amit and the team, as this is a significant achievement in itself!

Our financial target for 2021

To achieve our goals for the year we are setting an ambitious (and somewhat audacious) target of raising $100 000 (AUS) for 2021. This will equate to approximately a 25% increase in our 2020 expenditure. This might be unrealistic, but our heart and hopes are big, and this is why we are reaching out to you for help. We could achieve this amount if 100 people each give $20 a week across the full year …so please spread the world. Can you ask friends or work colleagues to help us? …share the story.

What is your New Year Resolution for 2021?

Whether you like to have new year’s resolutions or not, might you resolve to be committed to supporting ‘Project Help India’ in 2021? We are an organisation that really is committed to making a difference in the lives of people. Your donation goes directly to our projects with 100% of donations going directly to people and projects. Your tax-deductible donation can be made following the DONATE link at the top of this page.

People and relationships

Ultimately people and relationships are at the heart of everything that we do. ‘Project Help India’ is all about friendship, learning and growing from each other. This is our privilege and God given responsibility. The stories of the impact of our projects are nothing short of inspiring, rewarding and satisfying. It is important to us that you feel connected to our story, so that the stories of lives of the people we help intersect with your story too. As we bring love, hope, dignity and purpose to these beautiful people, your life will be changed too.

Once again, happy new year! May your hopes and dreams for whatever the new normal might look like in 2021 be blessed.

With love from the ‘Project help India’ Team.