Food & Health Support Program
Support for the neediest in Bodhgaya.
Dear Shanti India Friends,
Since the beginning of its existence Shanti India has been taking actions and measures to provide different kind of help for Shanti India Children families and other most needy families in Bodhgaya. Our support have different forms and cover various areas essential for well-being of the poorest citizens of the area.
1. FOOD DISTRIBUTION
The economic precariousness of families in rural areas and members of the ‘untouchable’ caste place the elderly, widows, single mothers and disabled in a state of great vulnerability .
When families suffer extreme shortages, the elderly and disabled are separated from the family, relegated to a situation of abandonment and extreme poverty, in order for the rest of the family members to survive.
Thanks to this program, we can guarantee that they can eat every day, wear decent clothes and be seen by a doctor, in other words that they have the minimum necessary to survive.
Primary and higher education students and our team are actively involved in this project, getting to know the elderly and disabled and inviting them to the distribution of food rations and basic needs support that takes place at the school. In this way, pupils and teachers learn to support and respect the elderly, women, the weak and those with physical problems. In other words, they put into practice the educational values they receive at school.
2. HEALTHCARE
In addition to education, healthcare is one of our main objectives.
It is essential that the children of Bodhgaya and the surrounding area have access to qualified medical assistance. As their families cannot afford to pay for doctors and medicines, they often turn to witch doctors or unaccredited rural doctors, which often leads to worsening illness and even death.
We cover hospital visits as well as the corresponding doctor’s fees, medicines, transport, food and diagnostic tests when one of the students falls ill and needs specialist attention. We will also provide first aid and take them to the doctor immediately.
3. EMERGENCY AID
This project is extended to families or members of the communities in which we work who suffer a serious accident – such as a fire, road and other accidents, natural disaster, medical emergency, etc. – and need temporary help.
4. WATER PUMPS
In the rural villages in Bodhgaya surroundings where we work, water scarcity and the presence of contaminated water are very common.
Both factors are crucial in the gastrointestinal problems suffered, not only by children, but by the entire population.
To get an idea of the lack of water resources, it is enough to point out that in many villages people have to share a water pump among more than 200 inhabitants.
In addition to installing water pumps in rural villages in the area, we repair them and teach the population to take care of their maintenance. This way villagers can have clean water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, etc., and avoid diseases and gastrointestinal problems, both children and adults.
5. TALKS OF AWARENESS
We organize different talks in the villages around Bodhgaya where we inform the untouchables & needy community about:
- Government programs for the development of rural areas. We help them with bureaucratic procedures so that they request old age pension, disability pension, widowhood pension, birth certificates, opening of a bank account for adult students just after class IX etc.
- Amount of food that should be received from the government with the ration cards when belonging to the sector that is below the poverty line.
- Human rights, highlighting the problems they have to face due to the condition of their caste, and where they can seek help.
- The reality of forced labor in India, in which networks many parents of our students fall due to poverty and loans.
- The dangers of child marriage and the need to end it.
- The dangers of poisonous alcohol & domestic violence and what to do about it.
- Clean Bodhgaya & Green Bodhgaya
- A program about female anatomy, menstruation, reproduction (care kit is given).
Thank you to all of you for your wonderful support!
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