Thank you for gifting a year of meals to Akshav.

12-year old Akshay’s mother is a widow who struggles to feed her children after she took out a loan to pay for her eldest daughter’s marriage.  Most months, all of her earnings go toward paying off the interest on the loan to keep the slumlord moneylenders at bay, leaving nothing for rent or food for her children.  Several times in the past year, the family has been evicted and has had to relocate.  Akshay and his two younger siblings receive educational, medical, and nutritional support services through the Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC)’s Education Outreach Program.   These meals include breakfast, a packed lunch hand-delivered to the children’s school, and a healthy after-school snack.  Furthermore, due to the food insecurity faced by Akshay’s family, Akshay and his siblings take home a packed parcel of food leftover from the day’s lunch – chapati (flatbread), bhaji (cooked vegetables), fruit and milk – so that they do not go to bed hungry and their mother doesn’t send them to beg on the streets.  Akshay has a medical condition that requires him to take daily medication for his liver, and without the meals he eats at the AIC Education Outreach Centre, he becomes very ill taking his medication on an empty stomach.  The meals are truly a lifeline for Akshay!

Thank you for coming together to provide a year of meals to Suraj.

Suraj is a 12-year old boy who has been living in an orphanage for the past 4 years.  His mother died seven years ago and his father remarried and abandoned him and his two older siblings.  An aunt and uncle took in Suraj and his siblings for a brief period, but decided to only keep Suraj’s sister, for whom they were secretly planning a child marriage with another one of Suraj’s uncles. Suraj and his older brother were abandoned, again, to a government-run orphanage four years ago.

Suraj and his sister, however, have been receiving educational support services through the Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC) since shortly after their mother died, and Suraj goes to the AIC Education Outreach Centre every day.  There, in addition to a myriad of social, personal, medical and educational support services, he also receives daily meals.  Suraj leaves the orphanage and arrives at the AIC Education Outreach Centre early in the morning before school, where he eats breakfast and gets ready before leaving for school by 7 am. After leaving school at noon, he returns to the Education Outreach Centre, where he eats a hearty, nutritious lunch, before settling in for his afternoon studies and homework help.  Although most children only stay for two hours of extra tutoring time after school, Suraj prefers to stay at the Centre all day, as his only other option is the orphanage, where he is bullied and treated badly.  Instead, Suraj eats a healthy snack in the middle of the afternoon and continues his studies until late evening when the Centre closes.

Suraj is very thankful for the meals that he eats at the AIC Education Outreach Centre, because he knows that the alternative, the meals at the government orphanage, are not enough to keep him from feeling hungry and tired all the time!

Thank you for coming together to provide TB treatment to Dadi.

Dadi, or “Grandmother,” as she is known by her family members and community alike, is the elderly matriarch of her family.  She is the primary caregiver to many of her grandchildren, as four were orphaned several years ago when their father (Dadi’s son) died of tuberculosis.  With a history of TB in the family, Dadi’s own diagnosis was particularly devastating.  Dadi’s husband is mentally unstable and suffers from severe alcoholism, so he does not work and has difficulty leaving the house.  Dadi is blind in one eye from a fireworks accident and is too old to work, so she relies on handouts from her three grown sons and their family members, as well as her granddaughters, who work as domestic helpers and bring home whatever extra income they can spare ($10 – 15 per month) for Dadi.  The family is extremely poor and suffers from food insecurity on a regular basis.

As soon as she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, Dadi turned to the AIC Health and Community Outreach Centre for her treatment.  Through this program, her TB treatment is closely supervised, and all medical treatments, medicines and testing are provided to her.  She also has the option of coming to the Centre for mid-day meals, which makes a big difference for her, as she does not have a regular source of income and with so many mouths to feed in her house, food is always scarce.  As tuberculosis is most successfully treated when the treatment is closely supervised, her care is carefully monitored by AIC’s trained community health workers, who conduct home visits to ensure that she does not miss any doses of her medication.

Dadi is eager to get better so that she can resume caring for her young grandchildren without putting them at risk for infection as well.  With the care that she is receiving, the prognosis is good and she is on her way to recovery!

Thank you for gifting a year of parenting classes to Sunita.

Sunita is one of the most proactive mothers at the AIC Mother-Baby class!  She decided to join when she gave birth to her son, Addesh, almost a year ago, and dutifully attends the weekly classes with other mothers and their young children.  Although she only attended school until the 4th standard, Sunita has always worked hard to improve her and her family’s lot in life in any way she can.  Her husband sells old clothes on the side of the road, earning about 3,000 rupees ($60) every month, which makes it hard for the family to get ahead.

Sunita is an attentive mother to her oldest two children, ages 9 and 10, but has learned a lot and become more mature since they were born when she was just a teenager.  Now, by attending the Mother-Baby class, she is learning many things she wishes she had known the first two times around!

Sunita and her classmates participate in social worker- and health worker-guided group discussions and activities, including the occasional field trip, and cover topics ranging from birth spacing and family planning to dietary needs of their children to vaccination schedules and parenting techniques.  While the mothers discuss the topic of the week, the children play, interact and eat snacks of milk and fruit.  On their way out, the mothers receive small gifts (toiletry items like a bottle of baby powder, a bar of soap, a small bottle of baby shampoo) to reward good attendance and provide them with some important hygiene items so that they can take care of their little ones.  Sunita has been an active participant in the classes, and even encourages other mothers in her slum neighborhood to join so that they and their children can also reap the benefits!

Sheetal and Aditya initially attended the class with other mothers and their babies aged 0-12 months, but recently moved up to the class with other children aged 12-24 months, so that the parenting and childcare information will be age appropriate for young Aditya’s development.

As many of the women, like Sheetal, are illiterate, the information is imparted through group discussions and hands-on activities to ensure maximum retention and engagement.  Sheetal enjoys the classes for that reason – she has bonded with other young mothers, and feels proud that she is learning skills that will help Aditya to have the brightest possible future from a young age.

Thank you for gifting a year of parenting classes to Chandankaur.

At age 27, Chandankaur has already been a wife for more than half her life.  As is still common in her community, her parents arranged her marriage when she was only 13.  Now she is the mother to 5 children, ranging in age from 11 years to her youngest, 9 month old Jairee.  Chandankaur never had the opportunity to go to school when she was young, while her husband has an elementary school education and works as a caddy at a nearby golf course, earning 3,000 rupees ($60) per month.

When she had her last child, Chandankaur decided to take advantage of the opportunity to join the AIC Mother-Baby class, a parenting program for mothers from her community.  This weekly class allows Chandankaur   to meet with mothers of similarly-aged children and participate in interactive discussions and activities related to a variety of topics, such as dietary needs of their children, baby growth and development, birth spacing and family planning, communication and relationships within the family, good parenting practices and much more.

Chandankaur’s son, Jairee, enjoys attending the class alongside his mother, because he gets to play with a variety of fun, educational toys with other little ones while the mothers engage in discussions and activities.  Chandankaur also appreciates the attendance incentives offered – small toiletry and hygiene items like soap, baby toothbrushes, and baby lotion – as these are items that she can’t afford to buy because of her husband’s low salary.   Overall, although she is certainly not a new mother, Chandankaur feels like she is truly benefiting from the Mother-Baby classes and learning a lot, while also enjoying the experience and meeting other mothers.

Jalkaur is a 28-year old mother of three girls and one boy, ages 6, 4, 3 and 1.  Her youngest child is her daughter, Nita.  Jalkaur’s husband has recently started working as a caddy at the golf course near the family’s slum community, and earns 2,500 rupees ($50) in a good month, which makes it a constant challenge to keep up with expenses.  Jalkaur does not work outside of the house, as it is not considered appropriate for women in her community to work and travel outside of the house except for very specific purposes.

Jalkaur began attending Mother-Baby classes at the AIC Health and Community Outreach Centre in the toddler class (mothers and children ages 12-24 months) with her second-youngest child last year.  When Nita was born, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity to join the baby class as well, and started attending an additional weekly class with Nita.

Jalkaur is believed to have a fairly low IQ, and has difficulty staying on top of her responsibilities as a mother, particularly those related to their cleanliness and hygiene.  She has really benefited from the constant encouragement and guidance provided to her by the health workers and social workers who run the classes every week.  They explain concepts, ranging from family planning and birth spacing to diet and nutrition to infant and child care, by incorporating a lot of group discussions, guest lecturers, field trips and hands-on activities, so that all participants, including Jalkaur, are able to understand and retain the information.  Jalkaur’s husband is supportive of Jalkaur’s participation in the class, because he feels that she has improved her parenting skills and is more attentive.  Jalkaur and Nita love attending, and never miss a class!

Thank you for gifting a year of parenting classes to Reena.

Reena, hardly more than a child herself, is already the mother of two children, a 2-year old girl and a 6-month old boy, Kunal.  Reena was married several years ago to her husband, who works as a masala (spice) seller on the side of the road.  He earns about 3,000 rupees ($60) per month, and the family lives with Reena’s parents-in-law, as well as her brother-in-law and sister-in-law.  Reena became pregnant with her daughter almost immediately after getting married, and felt that she wasn’t prepared to become a parent so soon.  With the birth of her son, however, she was determined to improve her mothering skills.

She heard about a parenting class held at the nearby AIC Health and Community Centre and decided to join when she saw other mothers in her slum community attending.  She goes to the class every Friday with Kunal in tow, and enjoys participating in group discussions and activities while Kunal plays with toys and other children.  She and the other mothers listen to guest lecturers and have the opportunity to ask questions and express opinions about topics ranging from infant care and development to family planning.  The class also includes a healthy snack for the mothers and their babies, a small gift (toiletry or hygiene items) to reward good attendance and the opportunity to consult with the on-site doctor about any concerns that Reena has.

Reena has felt much less isolated since joining the class, as she has built relationships with other young mothers in her community, and she says that she particularly enjoys learning about nutrition and dietary needs of her children.

Thank you for providing comprehensive antenatal care to twenty-one-year old Hasinakaur (Hasina).

Hasina has recently found out that she is expecting her second child!  Hasina lives with her mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law, along with her husband and toddler son in a small hut in a slum in Pune.  Her husband does ironwork on the side of the road, and earns about 2,000 rupees ($40) each month to support his family.  His income is not enough to pay for unexpected or additional expenses, such as Hasina’s pregnancy, so Hasina was very glad that she was able to sign up for free, comprehensive antenatal care through AIC, at a Health and Community Centre near her home.  Through this program, Hasina is provided with support, guidance and medical care throughout the duration of her pregnancy.  She also has the option of coming to the Centre for mid-day meals and nutritional supplementation, as chronic anemia and poor nutrition is common among women in her community.  Hasina particularly appreciates the presence of AIC’s social worker and community health worker, who accompany her to doctor appointments and assist her with any sort of paperwork or bureaucracy along the way.  Often, uneducated women from the slum are treated poorly by doctors, and having the support and advocacy of an educated, well-spoken community health worker by her side at appointments gives Hasina the confidence she needs to voice her questions and concerns as well.  Hasina is very excited about her new arrival!

Babita married to her husband three years ago when she was 15 years old, but she ran away from her in-laws’ house after only a few months’ of marriage because of the abuse of her mother-in-law and husband.  Multiple times over the past three years, she has been sent back to her husband’s family’s house and has tried to live harmoniously with her in-laws, but her mother-in-law and husband have continued to harass and physically abuse her over dowry issues.  Last year, her husband took a second wife as well.  Two months ago, Babita’s mother-in-law beat her severely and tried to douse her in kerosene, before she was rescued by on-lookers, who summoned her parents to collect their unconscious daughter.  During the medical examination that ensued, it became known that Babita is pregnant.

Having recovered from the attack, Babita is now in the process of pressing charges against her in-laws, and she vows that she will never return to them.  She is staying with her parents and siblings for now, but her family is extremely impoverished and cannot afford Babita’s medical care during pregnancy, which is why Babita sought the help of  AIC’s free antenatal care program.  Through this program, Babita receives comprehensive medical care – check-ups, medication, prenatal vitamins, and full coverage of her delivery costs – throughout her pregnancy.  She also benefits from the supportive presence of AIC’s social workers and community health workers, who accompany her for all medical visits, counsel her, conduct home visits to follow-up and offer guidance and care for a first-time mother, particularly one as young and traumatized as Babita.  Lastly, Babita has the option of coming by the AIC Health and Community Centre for daily nutritious meals, an opportunity that she frequently takes advantage of, as she is staying with her parents and siblings and there is never enough for more than one meal per day in their house.

Although Babita has been through so much leading up to this pregnancy, she has firm resolve that her unborn child will have a better life than she has, and is grateful for the medical care and support that is helping her start to fulfill that promise.