Have we got a Black Friday deal for you!

Our City Centre Kids enjoying their meal at last year's Christmas Party

This Black Friday, when the Western world is somewhat consumed and obsessed by the thought of grabbing online and instore bargains, often for stuff that we don't really need, spare a thought for those who have limited resources and opportunities. What never ceases to amaze and inspire me, are those who have next to nothing - yet they smile and show gratitude for the little that they have. So if you grab a great deal over the next few days, would you consider passing on just some of your savings to Project Help India?

We are currently trying to raise $6000 for our Annual Christmas Appeal which will give 600 of our students to receive a fabulous Christmas gift (which this year will be a school backpack - complete with our Project Help logo - we are very excited about this), as well as the food and goodies we need to hold a Christmas party at each of our 14 Centres. The kids are already busy making the decorations for the party, which is a very big deal for them - they perform for their parents, sing, dance and play lots of games. For most of these children, it really is the highlight of their year!

Here's the best deal ever

For most of these kids who live in poverty most days tend to be black (certainly bleak!) - but thanks to Project Help India - we are giving them much love, joy, hope and happiness. We are determined to give them the BEST Christmas ever! 

Every $5, $10, $20, $50+ tax deductible donation that we receive goes a really long way in making a significant difference in the lives of people and communities that will never have the privilege of being able to shop in the sales. Your Black Friday savings will be exponential in the impact and personal satisfaction you receive.

You can make your donation easily by clicking the DONATE box at the top of this page.

Thanks again, with love from the Project Help India team.

The kids are great

Over the past year the work of ‘Project Help India’ has expanded with us opening six centres in Punjab. All up, we now have 14 centres where we educate and feed about 600 children. At the heart of all we do, it’s about blessing the kids – helping them to thrive and flourish. We think these kids are amazing, resilient and very happy, despite living in such terrible poverty. To our generous supporters we could not do any of this without you!

Last Tuesday was National Children’s Day

Children’s day is celebrated across India annually on the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal. At each of our centres we surprised our students with games, drawing competitions, and a gift of school stationery and some chocolate. Some of the children became very emotional to also receive a beautiful flower garland, as it was very unexpected for them.

Great news about Adnan

Adnan first enrolled at our Disability Centre in 2019. He was a beggar and he did not talk. He was incredibly violent and he would throw anything he got when someone tried to talk to him. At age five, he fell from the terrace of his home and suffered a head injury causing cognitive impairment. His parents had no money to pay for medical help or rehabilitation. He was unable to speak properly and the local school would not enrol him. He became a very stubborn boy and he would run away to the market and beg. His mother says that he would return from the markets with wounds, caused by people hitting him. People would also hurt him because they believed that his disability was a curse or a punishment for sins committed by his ancestors. 

When we heard about Adnan, we approached his parents and asked if we could help. We believed nothing but the best for this young boy. Close to five years later you would not believe the difference in him. In October due he escaped a kidnapping attempt due to child safety lessons at school. Just this month his parents have told our staff that despite some serious ongoing medical needs, he has become a happy and well-adjusted child. Adnan enjoys dancing, singing and he is making progress with his academic studies as well. He dreams of one day becoming a policeman, and we just never know – his dreams just might come true.

He is a changed child - Adnan giving Rowena a huge hug when she arrived atthe Disability Centre in October.

Christmas Preparations

We are seeking your support, as we prepare for the Christmas season. Our plan is to buy a gift for each of our 600 students. This year they will receive a school back pack. Each of our centres will also celebrate Christmas with a party with special concert performances for the parents. This is always a very big highlight for the children, our staff and community members.

We need your help please

The total budget for all of our Christmas plans comes to $6000, and we would be grateful to receive your tax-deductible donation. We pray that all of our students live a blessed life, and the hand of God’s grace be always upon them. With your help we are really making a difference in their lives. Thank you!

Wishing you love, light and hope this Diwali

In our mission to empower marginalised children with skills and talent through education, 'Project Help India' this week launched a heartwarming Diwali initiative centred on spreading hope and kindness. Ahead of the Festival of Lights, our students from a number of our centres in Northern India have enthusiastically painted around 1000 earthen lamps (diyas). These vibrant creations have been packaged in sets of nine, and distributed to families living in poverty - those who otherwise are unable to celebrate Diwali, allowing them to decorate their homes and join the festive spirit.

Beyond the colourful diyas lies a deeper purpose - the joy and hope these children have experienced through Project Help India, they wish to share with others. This Diwali, simple materials, coupled with hard work and creativity are fostering love, unity and happiness across the community. 

Project Help India is grateful for the opportunity to fill young hearts with a sense of being loved, valued and belonging - and it has been a joy to share this with others. We thank our teachers for their passion in making this project possible, and we thank our supporters for your generosity. Love certainly makes the world go round, and our world certainly need lots of love.

This Diwali, we pray that the glow of these painted diyas symbolise not only the festival of lights but also the hearts and intentions of the many beautiful children we are blessed to have in the Project Help India family. 

May the light of Diwali fill your home with warmth, joy and happiness and may the coming year be filled with love, laughter and success.

Project Help India wishes you and your family a happy Diwali. May God’s blessing be with you.

Do small things with great love

Our Kotdwara and Bijnor team of teachers during a training day in late September.

Mother Teresa said...

“the task is not to do big things but to do small things with great love.” 

It was a great encouragement to read this and to be reminded that little things are significant when love is found at the centre of it all. I guess this is one of the reasons why we love to use the hashtag #smallstepsbigpurpose - time and time again, we see how a little goes a long, long way. 

For those who have been following our recent trip to India, thank you for your interest and support. In a few short weeks we managed to see a lot, achieve a lot and explore ideas, make plans and develop an exciting vision for the year ahead.

While we (Doug and Rowena) were in India we: 

• purchased quite a lot of valuable teaching resources for our centres. 

• purchased a fabulous brand new laptop for our office

• directed some urgent funds to trade in our jeep (which will be of little value in 24 months because the state government bans all diesel vehicles once they our 10 years old)

• blessed each one of our staff with some greatly appreciated gifts

• we provided further funds to some families who completely lost everything they owned in the recent monsoon floods

• assessed learning needs for our students

We are also thrilled to be able to commence paying our five teachers, director and administrative officer in Punjab with a small monthly salary (up to this present time, they have kindly volunteered their time and energy).

Next we hope to purchase:

• further stationary and workbooks for our students

• school backpacks for our 600 students to give as a Christmas gift

• an electric sewing machine for our Women’s Centre in Kotdwara

And in 2024 we hope to:

• provide daily meals for the students in the five Punjab Centres

• start a Community Centre (with a focus on tailoring) in one of the jungle villages

• start a Technology Centre in another of the jungle villages

• start a Disability Centre in Punjab 

• explore how we can develop and deliver a drug awareness program for our students in Punjab

• explore the possibility of a pop-up medical clinic to support our centres in Punjab.

Each one of the things that I have mentioned above, while small steps in themselves, definitely come wrapped in great love. We are confident that these things will have a significant impact in the lives of the children, their families and community. 

We are so grateful to our supporters whose kindness, compassion and generosity make all of this possible. Thank you again for helping us to bring love, hope and purpose to some very special people.

Grateful for friends, places, purpose, special moments and memories

The opportunity to do the Hokey Pokey with students at each of our centres is always a fabulous moment - so much fun and joy. Here we are at the Firozpur Border Village Centre.

Doug and Rowena have been in India, visiting 10 of our 13 centres and working alongside our teams in Kotdwara, Bijnor and new centres in Punjab. Some of the highlights for us were;

• our first ever SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conference in Punjab with 250 delegates

• meeting new students and seeing kids who we have watched grow up over the years

• speaking with parents about the importance of education - which were important opportunities for listening to their concerns and hopes for their children

• delivering staff meetings and hearing what is important to our team and with this, having the opportunity to buy much needed resources

• we saw the devastation of recent floods in a number of locations and heard stories from children and parents about their fearful experiences and the impact of the floods. They are incredibly grateful for the immediate helps provided by Project Help India, with many saying they lost everything, with no income they were hungry and feared for their lives, Many families are now homeless but their resilience and big smiles are inspiring.

• the trip gave us the opportunity to evaluate projects, discuss strategy and to make plans for the future

There is so much to tell you about and we look forward to sharing stories and our vision over the coming weeks.

Urgent help needed for 230 vulnerable children

This is Aaniya (7 yrs) and Aarush (10 yrs), their father is Shaalu and Mum is Jyoti - she is pregnant. Everything they own was washed away. The children are suffering from fever and boils. Dad currently has no work. We continue to give them rations to cook meals and the kids need clothes.

Here’s a quick shout out seeking your help to purchase 230 sets of desperately needed clothes for mostly children – whose families have lost everything in the recent floods.

The current state of living conditions for these kids and is miserable. The families have basically nothing, and many are facing opposition from local authorities for setting up makeshift shelters along the city streets. According to many people, the mindset is that the Dalits (the untouchables) deserve this. Many people see them as victims of their own choices and circumstances – they are scorned and pitied – there is little compassion or sympathy. Project Help India is their only source of kindness and assistance.

As you might know, our team is particularly keeping a very close eye on the children who attend our education centres (and their families). There are many more vulnerable people, some of whom we have given emergency rations – but sadly we cannot help everyone.

Our students are mostly back at school, and many of the parents are getting back to their daily means of income. But very day they must make ends meet to survive.

Our urgent need is for $1200 to buy clothes for kids

We are asking many local people for donations of used clothing we must still buy some new items. All up, the total donations required is approximately $1200AUD. Your donation is tax deductible.

This is Pooja (below), mother of a 4 month baby with fever and Priyanshu (3 yrs) who is so malnourished he cannot walk because of weakness. This family is in such a bad way that we have given them mattresses, sheets, clothes, nappies and baby products. Having lost everything, they now live in a rented tin shed room with a mud roof that leaks in the rain.

Below is Priyanshu - a student of our city Centre. His family lost their house and everything in the floods. Priyanshu tells us that at 5am he woke to find a raging river flowing through his house. He could only save himself.  He is one of nine children in the family who all miraculously were found. Now they are refugees, displaced and living on the street. When our team found the family they were huddled together, crying, grief stricken, wet, cold and hungry. Immediately, we gave them milk, bread and simple food items. Dad is a vegetable seller is he is thankfully back at work. We hope to give the children new clothes and we will continue to monitor their needs.

Our Director, Amit Samuel with Priyanshu and his mother 2 weeks ago just after the floods.

Where there is love, there is hope and we know that love always prevails.

10 days since the floods began

It is estimated that makeshift shelters line 2 kilometres of Kotdwara streets. Our team is checking in with these people to determine how we can best meet their needs. Wherever there is shelter, people have piled whatever belongings they have, hoping to keep things dry and safe.

We are lobbying government officials to do a better job to help. With more rain forecast we cannot foresee how things might improve.

Love and Help with Mattresses and Bedding

Thanks to our supporters, emergency funds have been used to purchase bedding, blankets and tarps for makeshift housing.