Manju is a nurse at Sree Balaji Medical College and hospital in Channai who works tirelessly to help vulnerable patients get the care they need. Her father is an agricultural farmer, earning just Rs. 6,000 per month, so growing up, Manju struggled to afford books and other items required for school. There was little hope that she would be able to pursue higher education until she learned of the Educate 2 Graduate scholarships, funded by Share & Care and administered by Kalanjiyam. The kindness and support she received later inspired her during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manju was part of the first line of defense when the pandemic struck, caring for children in the pediatric ward. She felt helpless when she saw children dying because their parents could not afford to send them elsewhere for more advanced treatment. Manju reflected on the training and support she received through the E2G program, and she decided to apply that model and do her best to help these families. She found various financial trusts and connected them with the parents of sick children. Her work saved many young lives. The scholarship Manju received not only financially supported her throughout nursing school, but also gave her the motivation and skills to create an impact in her community.

Upasi Devi, currently living in the Singhpur village of Uttar Pradesh, wanted to attend school when she was younger. However, due to family circumstances, she was unable to and was married at 12 years old to Akhileshwar Mahto. She worked with Akhileshwar in agriculture, but after they had four children, their financial situation became strained. She became involved with PRADAN, an organization supported by Share & Care, that offers programs dedicated to training local agriculturalists about integrated natural resource and watershed management.

Through these trainings, Upasi learned the best practices for managing her farm and beginning her own fishery to increase her family’s income. After implementing the recommendations, Upasi’s farm and fishery now generate an additional Rs. 15,000 to 20,000 annually. This income growth has helped Upasi become financially independent and support her children and grandchildren with their educational expenses, enriching the lives of the entire family.

Mr. Santosh Telawade is a teacher at the ZP school located in Pune in Maharashtra, where the Y4D Foundation has established a digital lab with the support of Share & Care. Initially, like many of the teachers, Mr. Telawade was unfamiliar with the digital resources and online teaching practices. Through teacher trainings at the digital lab, Mr. Telawade now feels much more confident using the computer, and is planning to incorporate software and other online resources into his teaching. He expressed deep gratitude for these new resources and is excited to use technology to connect with his students, help them learn more effectively, and continue to grow his digital skill set to better himself and his students.

Mercy Kom, 58, resides in Kharam Thadoi, a remote village in Manipur. She suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and due to the lack of healthcare infrastructure in her village, she had received no treatment for these issues. The Rural Health Organization Mobile Medical Clinic, funded by Share & Care, began helping Mercy in December 2019. She began attending regular clinic visits and taking medication, provided to her free of cost. She also benefited from nutritional, exercise, and stress management advice, helping her bring her blood glucose and blood pressure levels back into a healthy range. Her daughter-in-law, Jangneirose, has also received vital care from this project during her pregnancy. She benefited from free prenatal checkups and immunizations, helping her deliver a healthy baby. Mercy, Jagneirose, and the newest member of the family continue to receive preventative care to help them live whole, healthy lives.

One mother gave birth in the SEWA Rural Hospital in the Aanjoli village of Gujarat, which receives support from Share & Care. The child was underweight, so she was admitted to the Sick Newborn Care Unit. Once she had begun growing more normally, the baby and mother were sent home. Hospital staff checked in regularly with them, but when the baby was 16 months old, they became unable to get in contact with the mother. Worrying for their safety, hospital staff tried for three months to locate the mother and child. When they found them, the child’s condition was severe. The child was suffering from severe anemia and malnutrition, pneumonia, and convulsions, and the mother was suffering from depression due to her husband’s alcoholism, abuse, and neglect. Hospital staffers were able to transfer the mother and child to a healthcare facility, provide treatment, and monitor them both until they were stable. The mother and child are both safe and healthy now, and through their compassion and dedication, the hospital staff members were able to save their lives.

After Kiran Chavan’s younger brother was wrongly imprisoned, he began to feel himself slipping into a place of hopelessness, wondering why bad things happen to good people. He lost his confidence and eventually succumbed to depression. During this difficult time, he learned about Chetana’s virtual webinars about mental health, and he decided to attend one. There, he learned about cognitive behavioral skills to help him learn to accept his feelings and overcome his depression. He is now practicing these skills, working to live an intentionally stress-free life.

Mayuri Kaushik Kumar Rawal is a bright, ambitious 8th-grade student in Mumbai. Her father is the sole earner for her family of six, and as a florist making just Rs. 36,000 per year, he struggles to cover basic living expenses, leaving no room in the family’s budget for school fees. As an SPRJ Kanyashala Trust student, Mayuri received a scholarship from Share & Care, allowing her to not only stay in school but to have access to all the resources she needs to thrive. Her scholarship covers her fees, books, shoes, uniforms, stationery, sports equipment, and computer fees. Mayuri is doing exceptionally well in school, and she is active in all of her school’s competitions and activities. Share & Care’s support allows her to concentrate on her studies and continue working toward her goal of becoming a doctor.

Dipa Ruparel knew from an early age that she wanted to become a doctor. She excelled throughout her school years, and her performance on her 12th grade exams earned her admission to medical school. However, her family’s difficult financial situation presented a barrier to her attendance. Her father, the only wage earner in the family, owns a small shop in Junagadh in Gujarat, but his salary of Rs. 75,000 per year just covered the basic expenses for their household of five. When looking for a way to make her dreams a reality, Dipa found the Sister Nivedita Foundation and learned about the opportunity to apply for an Educate 2 Graduate scholarship. She was delighted, and Share & Care’s support allowed her to attend. She earned a place at the top of her class each year, and Dr. Dipa Ruparel and her husband now operate their own clinic in Ahmedabad and have opened a new hospital as well. The support Dipa received throughout medical school ensured her bright future, and she alone now earns ten times her family’s original income each year. She is so grateful to Share & Care to be able to live out her dream of working as a doctor.

Saroj Gurjar is a 21-year-old woman from a rural area of Rajasthan. Her family of seven is supported only by her father’s farm work, and their financial needs often go unmet. Saroj has been interested in creative activities since childhood, and she learned about the Grameen Vikas Shodh Evam Takniki Kendra (GVSTK) program, supported by Share & Care, in November of 2021. There, she participated in various workshops and learned about many of the issues facing her community, particularly the lack of access to menstrual products among women and girls in her village. These products were unavailable in her village, and women had to travel 5-7 kilometers to purchase them at a great expense.

Inspired to get involved, Saroj participated in a two-day training and learned to make sanitary napkins, as well as how to source the raw materials, operate the necessary machines and tools, and market her products. Working with other women who participated in the training, she has produced 250 packets of sanitary napkins, earning an income of Rs. 8,750. Saroj’s entrepreneurial spirit has helped her grow and become more independent, allowed her to support her family, and helped provide much-needed goods for other women in her community.

Recently, 25 women received life-changing vocational training from Bhupat Bhai, a Lokmitra serving with ESI, supported by Share & Care, in the village of Lilapur in Gujarat. A total of 12 women received training in the jewelry trade, while 13 received training in stitching. Bhupat received support both from Share & Care and the Government of  India to conduct this training, and the skills the women learned during the process helped them to increase their confidence, become financially independent, and gain enough stability to pursue their dreams and uplift their communities. Many of the women are now working for businesses within India, operating their own businesses from their homes, or continuing to hone their skills through training.