Please watch the videos below to see our partner NGO’s in action.

Village Upliftment: Lokmitras Ensure Children in Village Are Cared For

Lokmitras often look out for village children like Anil and Vishnu, who are forced by circumstance to largely care for themselves and depend on the generosity of others for meals and income.

Women Empowerment: Project Launches to Empower Women in Kashmir

The “Saamartya – Power of Girls” project, supported by Share & Care, was launched in Kashmir to empower girls as community leaders. The project works to fight gender inequality and reaffirm the belief that girls can do anything.

Educate 2 Success: Supporting Highschool Students In Rural India

Share & Care empowers students in four state rural districts (Maharashtra, Madya Pradesh, Orissa & Rajasthan) by ensuring they have the supplies and support necessary to complete their education.

Healthcare 2 Unreached: Providing Medical Care in Rural Villages

Share & Care helps provide healthcare to underserved rural areas of the state of Manipur in India through mobile medical clinics, healthcare for mothers and children, and medical education within the community.

Nirmal Village Program: Lokmitras Reach Out to Communities

Lokmitras (“friends of the people”) offer relief, education, and mentorship in their villages in Gujarat. With the backing of Share & Care, they provide much-needed supplies and support.

Educate 2 Graduate: Making College Education a Reality

For some students like Manimegalai, in TamilNadu, the path to higher education is out of reach without the financial support of Share & Care. Through scholarship funding, she and students like her have a pathway to success.

The post Glimpses of Our Work in India appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

Every year we set goals to better serve those in need, and 2020 was no different. We started 2020 with a plan to help 94,920 people through our lifesaving signature programs. We knew it was a big challenge, but we were up for the task.

But then, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, and we had to shift many of our plans to focus on addressing the most urgent needs facing our beneficiaries in the U.S. and India. Although 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, we are proud of what we accomplished.

In 2020 our grants of 1.5 million dollars in cash and kind helped approximately 110,000 people in our Disaster Relief, Women Empowerment, Education, Healthcare, and Village Upliftment programs.

38th Annual Gala: Over Half a Million in Funds Raised

The theme of our 38th Annual Gala — “Rising Together” — recognized the changes and challenges presented by the pandemic and honored the bonds of humanity and hope that connect communities around the world. Due to COVID-19 this was our first-ever virtual gala in which all could participate.

The evening included a short film outlining our COVID-19 disaster relief efforts and our ongoing Signature Programs. There was an outpouring of support including warm wishes from Padma Shri Ashaji Parekh and from Congressman Frank Pallone, who recalled a trip to India and thanked Share & Care for the organization’s extensive COVID-19 disaster relief efforts.

“COVID has been a big issue in India. Lots of people have died, especially poor people, because all of them cannot afford to be in the hospital. I think Share & Care has picked up this issue and I am very happy that they are doing such good work for India at this time.” — Padma Shri Ashaji Parekh

“I’ve been associated with Share & Care over the years and like the fact that it also encourages a strong partnership in its mission to bring together India and the United States. One of the unique and particularly admirable aspects of Share & Care Foundation is the grassroots effort it supports in promoting development in India.” — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.

Our first-ever virtual gala, curated by global performer Parthiv Gohil (left), also featured entertainment from Manasi Parekh-Gohil, Sudesh Bhosle, Bhoomi Trivedi, and Jahnvi Shrimankar.

Sari Collection Drive Benefits More than 12,000 Families Per Year

In early 2020, we began collecting saris and matching blouses to create 10 sari banks in Gujarat for underprivileged women. Operating like libraries, these banks allow women to borrow garments at no cost for special occasions, then return the items after dry cleaning. In total, we received more than 4,800 items valued at over $320,900.

As humans, the way we look and the clothes we wear deeply influence our self-confidence. We are honored to provide this dignity for our beneficiaries in marginalized communities. Our special thanks to all the donors for this project.

COVID-19 Disaster Relief: Turning Compassion Into Action

When the pandemic took hold, our Disaster Relief Committee jumped to action. By July 30, 2020, we had already allocated $300,000 in disaster relief funding and partnered with 16 NGOs to reach thousands of people in the U.S and India — including more than 7,500 struggling families. We distributed grocery kits to families in need, served hot meals to families and daily wage earners, distributed healthcare items such as soap and masks, and served thousands of meals to local healthcare heroes. In December 2020, we also worked with Livingston Lions Club to provide more than 5,000 food boxes for local New Jersey citizens affected by food insecurity and economic instability. In 2021, we are remaining committed to providing relief and rehabilitation to those affected by the pandemic.

Creating Opportunities Through Women Empowerment

We exceeded a pledge, made during our 37th Annual Gala in 2019, to empower 20,200 women in 2020. By November, even during difficult times, we had empowered 24,192 women through our programs which provide safety and self-defense training, gender equality education, livelihood skills, character building, and leadership workshops for marginalized women. A donation of $500 to our Women Empowerment program empowers five marginalized female students with safe lodging, education, and training for personal growth.

Village Upliftment Proves that Real Change Comes From Within

Our Village Upliftment program is empowering about 50,000 people by placing trained Lok Mitras (“friends of the people”) in 12 villages throughout India. Living alongside the people they serve, Lok Mitras provide moral support while also applying their training to create sustainable, positive change within their villages.

In response to COVID-19, they have helped to educate villagers about the virus, organized efforts to implement social distancing, set up sanitation stations, and handed out “Grocery Kits of Gratitude” to more than 1,000 families when food became scarce. A donation of $5,000 empowers one village and up to 5,000 individual villagers.

Healthcare 2 Unreached Expands Access for Remote and Underserved Communities

Share & Care continues the fight toward reversing the healthcare challenges facing today’s marginalized poor.

Key achievements in 2020 include: delivering life-saving nutrients and raising awareness to benefit 5,000 women and children in Rajasthan; addressing a shortage of health professionals and poor local governance in Gujarat; bringing a comprehensive community health program to 25 villages in Maharashtra; and helping 100 women in Tamil Nadu through a program addressing the socio-demographic factors affecting pregnancy. Lastly, in five Manipur villages, we provided ongoing essential health services to children and women. A donation of $100 to our H2U program empowers one mother and her child with pre- and post-natal care.

Women “adopted” through our H2U Pregnancy and Maternal Care project receive medical and nutritional support.

With Educate 2 Success, Learning Is Not on Lockdown

As part of our 2020 goals, we aimed to reach 4,050 students across nine village schools in Gujarat through a program designed to create an educational pathway to current and future job markets for secondary and high school students. As the coronavirus took hold, we adjusted our support, enabling our partners to identify and act on solutions to fit with the world’s challenges. To accommodate social distancing and other safety guidelines, teachers shifted to a virtual learning model, incorporating conference calls with students and home “visits” via telephone or video. A donation of $130 empowers one at-risk child under age 13 with a secondary education.

In some regions, E2S sessions were conducted effectively in their respective villages while practicing all safety norms like social distancing, wearing masks, and using sanitizer.

Young Professional Committee

The Young Professional Committee (YPC) is a group with a mission to volunteer and fundraise for the causes Share & Care supports while fostering a community of young professionals to connect.

Kids4Kids

Kids4Kids (K4K) is a committee hosted for students by students (ages 13-18), with a vision to help underprivileged children in India receive the education they deserve. Before the pandemic started, each member recruited three new members, which increased the total funds raised. These funds provided an additional 23 students in India with tuition and school supplies and raised the total number of children educated to 255. They also raised $2,900 to benefit COVID-19 relief, and pivoted their events to be social-distance friendly, hosting activities such as a virtual yoga class and a walking challenge to raise funds for those in need.

Educate 2 Graduate Continues Blazing New Beginnings for Impoverished Families

Our Educate to Graduate program fosters secure futures for brilliant students from low-income families. Seventy-three students were enrolled in the 2019-2020 school year. Although there were some delays in college opening due to COVID-19, the admission process began smoothly with several colleges now operating on a digital platform.

We are putting increased emphasis on supplementary skill development to improve job prospects upon graduation. Of the 1,614 E2G beneficiaries so far, more than 850 graduates are already employed in well-paying jobs. A donation of $1,000 empowers one bright, low-income student with a college scholarship.

Your donation makes a brighter future possible for families who come from generational cycles of poverty. They can do it, and we can help!

There Are Far, Far Better Things Ahead Than Any We Leave Behind

2020 was tough, but Share & Care made a way. We served:

• The widow with no means or education to provide for her family.
• The young girl living with sexual abuse as part of a traditional and still-tolerated patriarchal structure.
• The teen hungry for knowledge but forced into manual labor because his family knows no other path.
• The newborn at high risk of dying before her fifth birthday because of who she is and where she was born.
• Entire villages living with cultural norms that promote inequality.
• Entire families at risk of disability or death from treatable diseases due to poverty, malnutrition, and poor sanitation.
• Migrant laborers who need economic relief and rehabilitation due to COVID-19.

Our wide-ranging programs continue to thrive thanks to the support of our generous Share & Care community. If you have been inspired by our efforts and would like to create positive, lasting change for marginalized people in the U.S. and India, we encourage you to make a contribution today. Every gift is appreciated, and every dollar makes a difference.

SEND A GIFT

The post Changes Amid Challenges: ‘Share & Care 2020 Year in Review’ Featured in News India Times appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

As we’ve previously written about, tackling India’s sanitation crisis is a complex issue, requiring not only the construction of toilets but also plenty of hands-on, village-wide education about proper sanitation and hygiene.

It is possible to create change, however, and we are making a difference — one community at a time. Below are four inspiring stories from beneficiaries living in Gujarat, India.

Before

Valmiki Rama Laxman Family

There are eight members of the Laxman family, all of whom survive on meager wages from seasonal farm labor. Due to poor financial conditions, they did not have their own toilet and were forced to practice open defecation.

This was problematic and dangerous for all members of the family, but particularly for the daughters Sitaben, who is blind, and Laxmiben, who is handicapped. Both of these young women have suffered immense harassment and discomfort when defecating in the open, especially when in poor health and during rainy seasons.

Gota Pasa Solanki

Last year, Gotabhai’s wife began experiencing severe gastrointestinal issues. Like many of India’s rural poor, she suffered from diarrhea and physical weakness, and eventually had no choice but to defecate at home — where there was no toilet.

In addition to posing additional health risks, this also made her feel ashamed. Gota, who himself is handicapped, found himself unable to help her or even assist her outside.

Vahari Ishwar Karsan Family

For generations, members of the Karsan family practiced open defecation due to a lack of sanitary facilities as well as a lack of hygiene education. However, just a couple years ago, the family’s youngest daughter was harassed while on her way to relieve herself. This caused her significant mental trauma and fear, and and she has since been forced to defecate in the courtyard of her family’s home.

Pasi Chatur Senva

Pasiben is a 60-year-old widow who suffers from physical weakness and severe joint pain. She lives in a tiny home by herself and relies almost entirely on the charity of kind-hearted villagers for her food, clothing, and medicines.

Because her home did not have a toilet — and because she is often unable to move about freely — she’s had no choice but to live in an unsanitary environment, and has suffered additional health issues because of it.

After

Thanks to Share & Care’s Nirmal Village Program and our partner NGO, all four of these families — and hundreds more — have received toilets and hygiene education, and are no longer forced to defecate in their homes or in the open.

The Karsan family, whose young daughter was harassed, have begun encouraging other people in their village to construct toilets, and say they believe their new sanitation facilities will even assist in their children’s education.

Gotabhai, whose wife suffered health issues, says he now feels proud and safe, and insists, “There can’t be a better gift than a toilet!”

With your help, it is possible for us to reach our goal of bringing even more toilets and hygiene education to rural India’s most underprivileged individuals. Click below to contribute now.

DONATE TODAY

The post Meet the Beneficiaries of Share & Care’s Nirmal Village Program appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.

There is, and has been for generations, a dire sanitation situation in India. Per the 2011 census, nearly 70% of rural Indian households and 13% of urban Indian households defecate in the open — a practice that poses a huge health hazard for all members of the population.

According to a 2016 article in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, open defecation is a major cause of fatal diarrhea in children under age five and a contributor to stunted growth and malnutrition. The problem goes beyond health issues as authorities “have admitted that 95% of all rapes in India occur when girls go out alone in secluded places to urinate or defecate” — and thus, “a direct correlation between crime and open defecation seems to exist.”

The obvious solution, or so it seems, is to provide more toilets to more families in more villages. Yet, it’s not that simple. As the Washington Post reported in 2015: “Building toilets is the easy part. Getting people to use them is the real challenge.”

That’s because in India, many people actually prefer open defecation and are reluctant (or flat-out refuse) to use toilets. Many believe “going” out in the open is healthier for the mind and body. Some men believe using a toilet is an effeminate activity, and still others fear the eventual task of emptying a pit latrine — an act long-associated with lowly or “untouchable” members of society.

Because of these persisting (and erroneous) mindsets, the real challenge of eliminating open defecation hinges on the ability to change people’s attitudes. This is the driving philosophy behind our Nirmal Village Program, which was created to provide people in rural India not just with toilets, but also with comprehensive education about sanitation and hygiene.

To accomplish this, we’ve been working with an incredible NGO, the Environmental Sanitation Institute, in several villages in the state of Gujarat. ESI operates with a holistic, ground-up approach — meaning that its workers (known as trainers) collaborate with local residents to emphasize interactive, practical learning. ESI’s teaching methodology is based on the Gandhian values of sustainable development and eliminating the caste-based concept of untouchability.

Providing Rural Villages With Tailored Sanitation Solutions

The trainers begin by building relationships with villagers and tailoring educational programs to children, men, and women individually. These programs may take place at schools, healthcare centers, or at other local gatherings, depending on the village’s distinct customs. ESI also utilizes the Nandini Van, or as they refer to it, “Sanitation on Wheels,” which travels to each village and contains resources to drive awareness about hand-washing and other sanitary practices.

Above: Pasi ben was unable to walk properly due to physical weakness and severe joint pain, so when she couldn’t get help from her neighbors, she was forced to live in unsanitary conditions. Below: ESI works with the poorest of the poor, and Pasi ben was selected to receive an indoor toilet and sanitation and hygiene education, as well as follow-ups on her progress. Today, Pasi ben is able to live in a clean environment.

And of course, they build toilets too! Families are provided with two-pit pour-flush toilets, which are sustainable latrines that use minimal water and are easy to maintain, and are no-odor. Local residents are included in the construction process and are also taught how to properly maintain the toilets. The goal? To cultivate throughout the community a true sense of ownership and pride in their new sanitation equipment.

Each toilet costs $330 per family, and there’s a $130 gap (or nearly two months of earnings for most rural villagers) between the available funds per toilet provided through the Indian government, and the total cost. Working with ESI, we’re able to locate the most dire cases of poverty and isolation and bring toilets — and sanitation & hygiene education — to the most marginalized members of rural India’s villages.

In 2016 we successfully built toilets for 770 families. Our goal for 2017 is to provide 1,000 families with toilets, targeted education, and community awareness programs.

With your help, it is possible for us to reach our goal of bringing more toilets and life-saving education to rural India. Click below to contribute now.

YES! I WANT TO HELP

The post How We’re Tackling the Complexities of India’s Sanitation Crisis appeared first on Share & Care Foundation.