Lives Transformed and Changed

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Meet our Team in Kotdwara, the remote Jungle villages in Uttarakhand and in Bijnor

Directors - Mr Amit and Daisy Samuel

Administration Staff – Anosh and Simran (full time)

Sewing Centre - Our teacher is Chanda.

River Slum Centre - Our teacher is Susheela, and our cook is Usha Kashyap.

City Centre - Our teacher is Simran and our cook is Tulsi.

Disability Centre - Our teachers are Mehrab and Koshelya. Due to significant food allergies for many students we are not able to provide meals at this centre.

Village Bagnala - Our teacher is Neelam, and our cook is Vajyanti

Village Parmawala - Our teacher is Rakhi and our cook is Savitri Devi

Village Kadarganj - Our teacher is Sanjay and our cook is Masar Bibi

Village Pranwala - Our teacher is Santosh and our cook is Santosh Family

Taking it to the streets - International Day Against Drug Abuse

This week (June 26th) Project Help India proudly organised a significant rally in Zira City, Punjab, to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse. This event was a pivotal moment in our ongoing mission to combat drug addiction and foster community awareness about this pressing issue.

The rally, which saw the enthusiastic participation of over 120 youths and women, began at Moti Bagh Park and proceeded to Clock Tower House. For two and a half hours, participants chanted powerful slogans and distributed informative pamphlets detailing the severe impacts of drug addiction. Our aim was to shine a spotlight on the growing menace of drug abuse among the younger generation and the detrimental effects it has on individuals, families, and society at large.

Drug addiction is a grave concern that leads to a cascade of problems including mental health issues, broken relationships, social isolation, and even death. The rally served as a platform to spread awareness about these challenges and emphasise the importance of prevention and support for those affected.

We were honored to receive special permission from the SDM office (Subdivisional Magistrate) for this event, and we greatly appreciate the support and encouragement from local police officers, community leaders, and residents of Zira City. Their involvement was instrumental in the success of the rally and showcased a collective commitment to addressing drug addiction.

Looking ahead, Project Help India is determined to expand this initiative across every village, town, and city in Punjab. Our goal is to transform Punjab into a drug-free state through awareness programs, creative educational skits, and robust community engagement. We are assembling a skilled team equipped with the necessary resources, including costumes and educational materials, to make our outreach efforts more impactful.

We are just devastated to see the constant impact of drugs on innocent children (nearly all who attend our centres are directly impacted in one way or another) - with some of the littlest of kids who we care for, addicted to heroin or smack. Some kids are brain damaged by accidentally ingesting drugs that their parents leave in the house whilst high. 

We seek your support as we embark on this ambitious journey to help individuals break free from the chains of drug addiction and build a healthier, stronger community for the future. Someone has to do this. There is no one else in this community who is taking a stand ...so Project Help India is fighting this curse to our children, their families and community and taking it to the streets. Say no to drugs!

It got up to 52.9 degrees in the slum this week - this is how we helped

It’s often the little things that make the biggest difference. Northern India is presently experiencing an unprecedented heat wave. The temperature has been ridiculously hot, with no respite in sight. When you live in a slum, there’s certainly no western comforts , no AC, no cold fridge to keep your food fresh, just relentless heat made worse by corrugated iron sheeting and black plastic roofing. Add a sewer that flows by your door, you can probably imagine how bad it is.

I’m so proud of our team, who exemplified kindness and compassion in action … they couldn’t do much but they came up with the idea to deliver cold drinks - offering a friendly smile, a word of encouragement as well as checking in on the welfare of the elderly, mothers with babies, and with the parents of children who attend our centres. If you look closely at some of the images below, you will see that many families are still living on a busy roadside- still displaced from the monsoon floods from back in August last year.

Basically it sucks! Yet in the midst of the many desperate moments, there is friendship, resilience, some laughs, conversations, human connections and smiles to be found.

Jesus commands us to love our neighbour - for me this is what I think he was talking about. No matter where you are - can I encourage you to look out for your neighbour, what is the human need that you see in front of you? If you are serious in doing so, open your eyes, that need and the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life will not be hard to find.

Remember, It’s often the little things that make the biggest difference.

We can't do any of this without your help. Might you be able to pay for another round of cold drinks? $100 is all it costs and the impact is immeasurable. Click DONATE above. Thank you.

Yuvraj's Story - Inclusive Education changes lives

We are so proud of Yuvraj and believe that the sky is the limit for him. 

When a family's helplessness stops their son from going to school

…and when a teacher intervenes and brings hope.

Yuvraj, a 13-year-old from a small village called Phillaur in Western Punjab, has faced significant obstacles to his education due to familial dysfunction and financial constraints. Conflict and disturbances at home disrupted his studies, causing Yuvraj to pull out of school. His mother's mental health issues, and his father's despondency compounded the challenges, resulting in neglect and abuse towards their son. Without parental support and lacking financial resources, Yuvraj's future appeared bleak - both of his parents were in a state of helplessness and in no place to think about their son's education, so essentially he spent most of his days keeping out of harm’s way.

However, intervention from Anjali, a teacher from the local Project Help India Education Centre, offered a glimmer of hope. Anjali introduced Yuvraj and his family to the centre, highlighting the benefits of education. Encouraged by the potential opportunities that were presented by Anjali,  Yuvraj's father enthusiastically enrolled him.

With support and guidance Yuvraj has flourished academically, emerging as one of our brightest students. His renewed interest in learning prompted him to rejoin his local school. Once again, it was Anjali who assisted his enrolment, advocating for Yevraj's situation.

Through consistent attendance and application to his studies, Yuvraj's father talks proudly about his son's remarkable progress, bringing newfound happiness, and a sense of hope to their home. The transformation in Yuvraj's life underscores the vital role of the Project Help India Education Centres have in intervening for these marginalised kids and offering them a pathway to a brighter future - breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and bringing hope and purpose to their lives.

We are so proud of Yuvraj and believe that the sky’s the limit for him. 

www.projecthelpindia.co
Project Help India tackles the dire circumstances faced by India's marginalised Dalit community, offering education to children living in slums or remote villages, who would otherwise be vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. By providing education centres (with meals where possible), parenting programs, and counselling, we seek to change societal attitudes towards education, particularly for the most marginalised, especially targeting children with disabilities. Our holistic approach aims to break the cycle of inequality and poverty, advocating for, and bringing hope and opportunity to some of the world’s poorest children, who would otherwise be trapped in a life of hardship, deprivation, and limited opportunities.

Project Help India has 6 centres in the state of Punjab with 222 students (ages 4 to 17) at a recent count. All up we have 13 Education Centres across 3 states in Northern India with a little under 600 enrolments in total. 

Keeping kids from begging - Inclusive Education changes lives

Project Help India provides a powerful example of how grassroots initiatives and compassionate actions, creating a more inclusive and safer environment for vulnerable children, shielding them from the horrors of trafficking and exploitation.

When going to school keeps vulnerable kids safe from exploitation and trafficking…

​For over a decade Project Help India has provided a beacon of hope for children trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, drug abuse, and street begging. Through the unwavering dedication of our team, we have transformed the lives of countless 'Dalit' (also known as 'the untouchables') children, steering them towards education and better nutrition. 

Last week the children from Project Help India's Kotdwara Slum Center took a bold step by staging street dramas to raise awareness about 'Operation Mukti'. We are so proud of some of our senior students who bravely and most confidently handled the microphone to give speeches to the public. In doing this, their skills are growing exponentially and they provide a wonderful leadership example to the other students and to the many passers-by.

Operation Mukti, spearheaded by the Uttarakhand Police Department, aims to rescue children from the streets and provide them with the opportunity to receive an education. It's a collaborative effort involving various government departments and NGOs, with Project Help India playing a pivotal role. Over the years Project Help India has participated in Operation Mukti, and we have been delighted and encouraged by the large number of confirmed new school enrolments that we have seen across the state.

What is significant about this endeavour is the emphasis on changing mindsets about the value and importance of education. For many of the Dalits there is a belief and generational lived experience that school is not accessible to their children. Sadly due to entrenched prejudice still held by many in the community (coupled with hierarchies of power and control) it can be very difficult for the Dalit kids and their families to be accepted and included in a school community.

The primary objective of Operation Mukti is to eradicate child begging, promote education, and raise community awareness to prevent child exploitation. During these awareness programs, senior police officials and representatives from human trafficking departments were present, underlining the seriousness of the issue. 

Our Director, Mr. Amit Samuel, engaged with the community to discuss solutions and emphasise the importance of supporting children's education.

As Project Help India continues its mission, we stand as a shining example of how grassroots initiatives and compassionate actions, can bring about positive change and pave the way for a brighter future for the next generation. Through our collective efforts, we are striving to create a more inclusive and safer environment for vulnerable children, shielding them from the horrors of trafficking and exploitation.

Participation in Operation Mukti has been a collaborative effort

Our team presents.... SHINE 2024

What a thrill and delight to have the privilege of serving the women of Kotdwara. Approximately 500 delegates attended what was our seventh Women's SHINE Conference. This annual event coincided with International Women’s Day (IWD) which was celebrated on 8th March. The theme for IWD this year is ‘inspire inclusion’ something that has great relevance for the many marginalised and forgotten women who we walk alongside through our many projects across Northern India.

For our conference this year we had many esteemed presenters including local police, officials and community advocates for women’s empowerment. Topics included women’s legal rights and protections, children’s rights, health and safety. Our delegates were blessed with a gift of a carry bag, sanitary napkins, lipstick, a toothbrush and other items - most of these things are financially inaccessible to slum women. They love it!

Our delegates were incredibly grateful, and for many, the Project Help India SHINE Conference is a highlight for them, giving them skills and knowledge to endure the daily hardships that they face.

The cost of holding our conference this year was $9000AUS, which is about $18AUS per delegate. We value and appreciate the incredible generosity of our supporters, who make all of this possible. Might you consider supporting SHINE 2025? Please let us know.

A display of some of the garments created by the young women who attend our tailoring centre.

Our conference was acknowledged and celebrated in the local media.

Sapna - Empowered, courageous, fiercely resilient and smiling

With International Women’s Day next week, Sapna’s story is a testament to the transformative power of resilience and the unwavering spirit of women in the face of poverty and adversity. If there is just one woman on planet earth who we should honour this International Women’s Day 24, I think it should be Sapna.

Meet Sapna, an inspiring woman. Her story sums up why I (Doug) am so passionate about helping kids in poverty, why we do what we do, supporting these kids’ parents, and why my wife Rowena, began the Project Help India SHINE Women’s Empowerment Conferences in India about six years ago.

Sapna is the mother of children who attend one of our schools, located in one of the poorest slum areas in India. She and her family live displaced, under a makeshift tarpaulin on the roadside. In the tapestry of Sapna's life, there are mostly threads of adversity, made worse by the abject poverty of her circumstances …yet she still smiles.

Sapna sells cosmetics items, carrying her dreams in a basket atop her head. Every day, she walks the neighbourhood, door to door, rejected often by others and facing the challenges of daily wage labour – an existence marked by unpredictable income, job insecurity, and limited access to benefits. If she does not sell her cosmetics her family will go hungry.

A devoted mother of three children – Saloni, Kartik, and Ritik – Sapna's family relies on the educational support and daily meals provided by Project Help India’s Kotdwara Slum Centre. Her husband, Mr. Rakesh Kumar, recently has faced a sudden loss of vision, plunging the family into a world of uncertainty. Struggling with a hand-to-mouth existence, they could not afford medical attention, which may have helped him to get better.

In the wake of the 2023 monsoon floods, Sapna's challenges multiplied as her home was swept away, leaving her family of five displaced and homeless. They found solace under plastic sheets provided by Project Help India, living on the roadside – where they still live today.

Amidst these trials, Sapna discovered a beacon of hope – the ‘Project Help India’ SHINE Women's Conference. Attending this transformative event brought about a paradigm shift in her life. The conference offered empowerment, opportunities for learning, and a renewed sense of self-worth. Sapna, now the sole provider for her family, faces adversity not known to most women, yet fortified by newfound strength and resilience.

In a conversation about her journey, Sapna expressed gratitude for the positive changes instigated by attending the Shine Women's Conference over past years. The conference became a catalyst for heightened confidence, and a profound belief in herself. Undeterred by challenges, Sapna says she is determined to face whatever comes her way, embracing life with a newfound sense of value and purpose.

Sapna has vowed to make attending the Shine Women's Conference an annual tradition, something she says has become the main highlight of her year. She is incredibly excited about the conference next week.

Through this inspiring journey, Sapna has emerged not just as a breadwinner, and formidable mother, but as a beacon of empowerment, proving that a woman's strength knows no bounds.

With International Women’s Day next week, Sapna’s story is a testament to the transformative power of resilience and the unwavering spirit of women in the face of poverty and adversity.

Our seventh Women's SHINE Conference will be held next weekend. This annual event coincides with International Women’s Day 2024 which will be celebrated on 8th March. The theme for IWD this year is ‘inspire inclusion’ which is a theme that has great relevance for the many marginalised and forgotten women who we 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 over 500 delegates attending.

Like Sapna, nearly all 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 $9000 (which is about $15 per delegate). Might you be able to sponsor Sapna or more of our delegates? You can make your tax-deductible donation by clicking DONATE at the top of this page.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Love Doug and Rowena.