Thank you for helping us to SHINE

We quickly wanted to let you know that we are grateful.

'SHINE' Conference last weekend was just wonderful.

Thank you to the many people whose generous support made our conference possible.

Thank you to Daisy Samuel for hosting. You inspire us Daisy and we love you.

Thank you to the amazing Project Help team for your hard work, boundless energy, passion and commitment to serving women, their families and communities. You made this conference happen!

Thank you to our speakers and esteemed guests of honour. Thank you for sharing your expertise, stories and wisdom. Your vulnerability, love and kindness was a blessing to us all.

Thank you to our 600 delegates, some of whom travelled 500km to attend. We had over 100 women attend for the very first time. We are so glad that you had a fabulous time. Thank you for your friendship - we are in this together.

May the experience and what you learnt bring strength, a sense of purpose and a knowledge of your personal worth empower you in all you do. As you SHINE, may your beauty, your dignity and resolve -bring hope and change for the better, to your life and circumstances.

We believe in you. You are loved.

Let’s do this all again soon. We can't wait another year!

Empowered to SHINE - Asha's Inspiring Story

Asha is mother of seven children, four daughters and three sons whom she has raised alone after her husband passed away. Asha was married at the early age of 16. Not only was the loss of her husband emotionally devastating, it was magnified by the long term struggle for basic needs, their human rights, and dignity.  Single mothers who live in poverty have specific, urgent needs, and their voice and circumstances are often absent from policies that impact their survival.

Asha is 47 years old and she works as a cook and assistant at Project Help India’s City Slums Centre. She was struggling with severe depression and high blood pressure since losing her partner. It’s been 15 years now that she is a widow, overwhelmed at the prospect of providing for herself and her children on her own. She lived in a rented single small room and once described her life as miserable. 

Asha describes the importance of SHINE Conference and her job;

“not only has Project Help India enabled me to provide for my children, it has become my sanctuary. I am surrounded by children who are also overcoming similar situations. We become each other’s support system. I also hope other women find inspiration in my story, seeing how far I have come as a woman, despite the circumstances. SHINE Conference is one of the highlights of my life every year."

Before her job as a cook in Project Help India Asha had been a domestic worker, spending long hours at her employer’s home, caring for their children, and away from her own. This was not enough earnings to meet all the needs of her family. Now with her new job as a cook she makes enough of a handful of money (3500rupees = $70AUS) per month with which she can fill the basic needs of her family of 7 kids and she can spend time with them too.

Because of SHINE Conference and the things she learns as a Project Help team member Asha says that she can push through the barriers in pursuit of a life with dignity, joy and positive aspirations for the future. 

Savriti - Superwoman and loved by all

Savriti is loved by all. From fighting superstitions to helping other women become independent, Savitri represents the true strength of an empowered woman.

In a traditional patriarchal society, where the identity and value of a woman is determined through her husband, widowhood is about much more than losing a husband. From changing the way she dresses to being treated with contempt by family members, especially in her marital home, there is a lot that she has to bear, often without complaining. From humiliation, harassment, loneliness and abandonment, there is nothing that a widow in India does not have to encounter. However when the going gets tough, there are those who rise up to the challenges, whatever the odds.

Savitri's Story

Here is an inspiring story of Mrs Savitri Devi, who did not have the means but still fought against all the absolute traditions that she was expected to follow after the death of her husband. 

Savitri is 60 years old. She lost her husband late Mr Ram Kumar in the year 2009. Incidentally Savitri has no savings as she hails from a lower middle income family and was not employed when her husband was around. She currently works as a cook in our Parmawala Jungle Education Centre. She takes out time to specially counselling young girls and their family members to say no to early marriage/child marriage, Savitri basically belongs to Bihar peoples and she was one who faced the consequences of being married in her childhood.

Savitri was once a very different person. She used to have a strong mindset believing in superstitions and casting spells. But after being part of Project Help India and after the education she received from the Women's SHINE Conference, and asking for follow up counselling and guidance she is no longer superstitious. She says that she has a sense of purpose and worth, and she no longer listens to messages that tell her that she is helpless and cannot make decisions about her future.

Savriti says that she now loves and values her daughter in law, whom she once hated. Her family is so much stronger and happier because of this.

Over ten years ago, after seeing her family’s miserable condition ‘Project Help India’ had also offered her son Sanjay a job as a teacher in Kadarganj Jungle Centre. He is now a torch bearer for the whole community of the village. 

Savitri says that she loves to attend the Women's SHINE Conference every year and she is one of the most excited ladies of all who attend. She loves to learn new things and she cherishes being a woman. Savriti is now regarded and celebrated as a "superwoman" (this is what many others in her community call her). She manages her family, she has a job making delicious food for our students, and even for guests from different parts of India and from abroad as well. She is determined to change the next generation too.

Savriti is loved by all. From fighting superstitions to helping other women become independent, Savitri represents the true strength of an empowered woman.

Empowered to SHINE

Seema is a young mother of four children. Despite living in significant poverty she is standing proudly in her house, which is located in a slum community in Bijnor. Two of Seema’s children attend our Bijnor Education Centre. At the end of 2022 we helped Seema by making some repairs to her house and providing her with new beds, warm blankets and kitchen utensils. Many women with a similar story to Seema will be attending SHINE. We hope that Seema is able to attend as well. We count it a great privilege and responsibility to advocate for her needs and to bring love and fight for greater equity to her life circumstances and her children’s future.

#Embrace Equity

Our fifth Women's SHINE Conference will be held this coming Saturday, 11th February. This annual event coincides with International Women’s Day which will be celebrated on 8th March. The theme for IWD this year is ‘embrace equity’ which is a theme that has great relevance for the many women who we work with and walk alongside through our many projects across Northern India.

This year SHINE will again be led by our local ‘Project Help India’ team. We are honoured and delighted to have between 500-600 delegates registered to attend. We have an amazing lineup of guest speakers who include; Mrs Ritu Khanduri -President Legislative Assembly, Mrs. Shweta Choubey -Senior Superintendent of Police, Miss Evangeline -Gynecologist and Women’s Health Expert, and Anukriti Gunsai who was former Miss India Grand International, crowned Miss World (Asia Pacific India) 2014. Anukriti is now a politician, an active social worker and advocate for minority groups across Northern India.

There is certainly a sense of excitement as we meet and talk with women in the community. Preparations are in full swing with buses booked to transport 200 women from a number of towns, villages and slum communities.

Through our work at ‘Project Help India’ we are providing hope through education and opportunities that many girls and women living in poverty would never have thought possible. Many of the women are the mothers of the kids who attend our education centres

Our conference aims to educate and empower women and in doing so, raise a new generation of women whose dignity, individual strengths, talents and purpose will create a strong, happy and healthy India. Through this conference we want to give them an experience they will never forget. The women especially love the opportunity for singing and dancing together.

Most of our delegates are women who live in slums, in poverty. These women can't afford to pay, so we are not charging them. 'Project Help India' covers all costs thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters. This year SHINE Conference will cost us a minimum of $7500 (which is $12.50 to $15 per delegate). Might you be able to sponsor some of our delegates? Your donation

We thank you for your ongoing support, prayers, interest and belief in what we are doing and achieving, with love from the Project Help India team.

#womensday #women #internationalwomensday #internationalwomensday2023 #womenempowerment #EmbraceEquity #equity #womensupportingwomen #womenpower #womeninbusiness #girlpower #love #iwd #iwd2023 #strongwomen

One of Seema’s neighbours who has also been invited to attend SHINE Conference

Working with Women in Punjab

On the occasion of the new year, at our newly established Fatehgarh Centre on the border of Pakistan, we invited the mothers of our 100+ students and other women to learn about menstrual health. Based on questions raised by some of the mothers, the discussion also focussed on their concerns for their children’s wellbeing, and ways that we can assist them to help their children to make good life choices, to understand the difference between right and wrong, and to not fall pray to peer pressure and bad company in a community where drugs and alcohol are easily accessible.

At the meeting we also blessed the women with a small gift which they were delighted to receive.

Madhu is changing for the better

Madhu is a daughter of a poor Hindu family. She is 7 years old and studies in class 3. Her father's name is Dhyan Singh and her mother's name is Jayavanti Devi. Madhu has two younger sisters and a younger brother.

Both of Madhu's parents work as labours. They both leave for work in the morning, after that Madhu takes care of her sisters and brother, as well as getting herself to and from school each day. Madhu is a very playful girl.

Madhu's living condition is not very good as her father drinks alcohol every day and is addicted to gambling. Madhu's father sometimes fights with her mother in his drunken state. Her mother is also addicted to gambling. When her parents fight with each other, Madhu and her siblings have to starve that night. Her father wastes his earnings in either alcohol or in gambling. He does not seem to care for his children.

Madhu has been attending one of the Project Help Jungle Village centres for the last 3 to 4 years. In the beginning she used to fight with the other students, use bad words and rarely attend. She would mostly be very rude and ignore her teacher. But now she has changed. She attends the centre regularly and whenever she is ill she informs the teacher about it. She don't use bad words anymore and now doesn't fight with anyone. She is doing well in her studies and tries her hard to learn new things. She takes part in the extra curricular programs held in the centre specially dancing. She is now friends with everyone.

Madhu's mother is very thankful to Project Help and says that the whole village community is changing because all of the children can now access a good education in their locality. This education is changing the future of the children from one where there is no hope, to one filled with possibility and promise. Many kids like Madhu and working hard because they want a better life, than what they now have. While it’s slow and gradual, this is evidence of a community transformed by education and a sense of purpose.

Meet Iccha

Ichha’s Story

Ichha is a daughter of a very poor family. She also has two older brothers. Her father, Manoj, works as a junk dealer and her mother, Aarti, works as a utensils hawker. The condition of her family is not well as her father is a drunkard. Due to which, there are many fights in the house. And sometimes he would beat his wife and children in drunken state. Ichha's mother is also not well. And they live in a rented cottage near their Grandmother's house.

Ichha has been attending one of the Project Help centres regularly for the past six months. She is very good in studies and also very punctual. She also has a habit of helping others. Iccha is 7 years old and she also attends studying in class 2 at the local Government Primary School. Her favourite subjects are maths and Hindi. She also likes to sing. 

Ichha loves to attend the Project Help Centre. She learns a lot of new things here. What she learns certainly extends the poor quality of education received at her local school where she does not learn English. One of the things that she now learned is to greet everyone with a "good morning" which is very delightful to hear.

Iccha’s parents are greatly indebted to Project Help, saying that they teach such good habits and given her greater confidence. They are very thankful to Project Help India and they say they pray for the directors and teacher’s family that they may always be happy.

Thanks for keeping us warm and safe this winter

Check out the smiles! These gifts we very well received by the children.

All of our Projects are situated in Northern India, with many at the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. Not surprisingly it gets very cold in winter (often below zero degrees) in the city of Kotdwara, and especially in the higher altitude areas where our jungle centres are located. Houses in the slums and villages generally have no access to heating, only a primitive small fire that is also used for cooking. The smoke and fumes from these fires can be toxic and dangerous because of the fuel and rubbish (plastics and refuse) that are used to fuel the fire. Deadly house fires in winter are also common.

The children who we educate come from very poor families, most of whom have the most basis of belongings. As well as limited access to adequate heating, it is not uncommon for many children to not even have a change of clothes. If they are lucky their clothes are replaced as they outgrow grow them. Some children do not have shoes. At Project Help, our staff keep an eye on the children’s health and wellbeing, making sure that they have adequate warm clothes in winter.

This year, we made the decision to provide each of our students with a warm blanket. We have no doubt, that these blankets would be used by most of the family - as many siblings and other family members would share the same (again, very primitive) beds. There are generally no mattresses - just a knotted rope bed base, or they sleep on the floor because their homes might be too small.

We thank our supporters for your kind donations - because you have made this possible. The kids were delighted and they have definitely been more comfortable during the recent cold winter nights.