“Hope” is a beautiful word, which when heard uplifts the mood of broken hearts. Likewise Milaap’s “The Hope Project”, collaboration with ASSET India Foundation, inspires people like you and me towards empowering rural women through small contributions. What makes it more special is that the women involved in this case are ex-Devadasis, rescued from trafficking, and empowering them through entrepreneurship, is certainly a ray of hope for them!
And did you read the word Devadasis? Do they still prevail in India? If this is your question, read more…
Devadasi system is an ancient system in India, in which, young girls are married to Temple Goddess; a life full of service to God, but the system was abused by the rich and they forced these girls into “Temple Prostitutes”, which is illegal, but still exists in certain small towns of India. It continues to force the women who attempt to escape and denies them to lead a normal life. It is a brutal cycle into which future generations are drawn as well.
Watch this video showcasing Mahananda's life…
Wipe out your tears, they don’t need it. Help them instead and it can be done through Milaap, an online platform that connects and enables individuals around the world to make a microloan to a specific poor individual or community in India. Since the contribution is a loan, rather than a donation, the same amount of money helps different people at different times. And trust me, all your contribution goes directly to the end beneficiary with 100% transparency.
And this is how it works:
There are 15 different projects covered under The Hope Project and from them I chose “Muttavva Belanki and Group” and “Sattevva Taikar and Group” to help them to complete their loan.
Muttavva's life is a heart wrenching tale of a woman who was forced into Devadasi system that stole her childhood and youth. This 47-year-old skilled artisan tailor, from a small village in the Belgaum district of Karnataka, is the proprietor of a flourishing tailoring business that brings in Rs.12,000 a month, pays for her 3 children to go to school, and secures a safe childhood for them. Her friends Shakuntala and Renuka, both middle-aged single mothers, have similarly battled the Devadasi system, starting their own small scale agriculture businesses that keep their families out of poverty and their children in school. All these 3 women now need a loan of Rs.58,000, ($928.00), repayable in 2 years, to buy the raw materials that are needed to expand their businesses. This loan will help them increase their turnover, which in turn will help them independently meet the financial hurdles in daily life, expenses of higher education for their children, and medical expenses that will set in as they age.
Sattevva Taikar is a 50 year old single mother of a single child, from Ghataprabha in the Belgaum district of Karnataka, who is a victim of Devadasi system. She is now striving to live the independent and dignified life that she so truly deserves. She wants to offer her child a more comfortable and secure future by increasing her income. She can achieve this by expanding her existing goat rearing business. Her friends, Saraswathi and Sharavva, who have been through a similar past, are budding entrepreneurs, with small-scale buffalo rearing and brick manufacturing businesses respectively. Having come so far in their pursuit of freedom and social acceptance, all these 3 women needs a little push to firmly establish themselves as competitive entrepreneurs in their region. A loan amount of Rs. 60000 ($960.00), repayable in 18 months, is sufficient to give them a push to realize their objectives. This would help them to secure a good education for their children and for medical expenses that will set in as they age.
And again tears or touching comments on this post will not help them. Trust them, lend them as little as Rs. 500 ($25) and help them stand on their feet. For those who live in foreign countries, lending (not a donation) $100 or $200 is not a big deal, as we people spend more than that for a good winter jacket? So please lend them and make them win in their life.
And if you are a kind-hearted human being and if you wish to help more people then visit any or all of them below links and help them win in their life as well.
Get Involved Now... color their life!
#DoYouKnow Kaushal and Prachi, instead of registering for typical wedding gifts, they asked their friends and family to help them fund some deserving students on Milaap who came from low income families. The couple ended up raising $1200 on their wedding day and helped students enrol in a vocational training course. The students they've supported are employed and today are leading a better life. You can pledge your special day here: http://campaigns.milaap.org/pledge/ and experience the joy of bringing a positive change to someone's life.
#DoYouKnow Milaap’s impact in 2013
Thank you, for reading the post and for lending them.
This post is a part of the The Hope Contest organized by IndiBlogger in association with www.milaap.org/. Connect with Milaap.org on Facebook or Tweet to them on Twitter!
FROM THE AUTHOR's DESK
Thank you for visiting Few Miles. If you would like to contact me for advertisements, sponsorships, book reviews, product reviews, website reviews, giveaways, contests, or to provide feedback on my writing, please email me at sarav@iamsaravofficial.com. You can also fill out a form online or write to me anonymously on this site. Your support and encouragement as an inspiration is greatly appreciated. If you have a challenge for me, I would be happy to write about it. I believe that both constructive criticism and positive feedback can help a writer grow and improve. Please take a few minutes to leave your thoughts and feedback. Thank you for your sincere support.
"முகமறியா நண்பர்களின் கருத்துக்களே எனக்கு படிகற்கள்"
Very nicely written. Brings out the cause, Sarav.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for the good cause.
Thanks Anita :)
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