Help Educate Girls in India

by Snehalaya 'Home of Love'
Play Video
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India
Help Educate Girls in India

Project Report | May 1, 2025
Journey of resilience

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

Your support means the world to so many, here I would like to share just one story of the impact you are making.

In a small village in the Kalyan district, there lived a girl called Vedika (name changed). She came from a very humble background; her family, originally from Jamkhed, had migrated to Kalyan for better work opportunities. They had found shelter in the house of a local farmer, working in his fields to make ends meet.

Vedika, who is mute and mentally challenged, lived with her father and her stepmother. Her stepbrother worked in Pune. This left Vedika home alone for extended time, while her parents toiled in the fields. Vedika was extremely vulnerable and when her stepmother noticed Vedika had not had her menstrual cycle for around five to six months and her belly was starting to swell, her concerned parents took her to a government hospital for examination. Doctors confirmed that Vedika was six months pregnant. Shocked and confused about how this had happened, her parents filed a police report to prompt an investigation.
The police and her family agreed that Vedika needed to be placed in a safe environment and she was admitted to our Snehadhar project, where she would receive the care she desperately needed. Once here, Vedika faced challenges particularly in communicating with our team and other residents. Even simple signs were hard for her to understand, and it took time for our staff to learn how to interact with her effectively. For the first few days, her stepmother stayed with her for support, but eventually had to return home as her own family struggled to manage without her.
We provided Vedika with medical care, and as her due date approached, she was admitted to our local civil hospital where she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy through cesarean section. After counselling, the baby was made legally free for adoption through our Snehankur project and Vedika returned home. Meanwhile, a DNA test also revealed the identity of the perpetrator - Vedika’s father. This revelation devastated her stepmother, who was left grappling with the betrayal and the reality of the situation.
With the support of the project, both Vedika and her stepmother underwent counseling to process their trauma. Legal action was taken against Vedika's father, and when the fra,er they worked for saw him being arrested he evicted the women. This not only left Vedika and her stepmother homeless, but also in a state of anxiety, unsure of how to they would care themselves and each other.
Fortunately, we were still on hand to provide emotional and psychological support helping the stepmother to return to her native village, where she could find work in the fields. Concerned that this would take her away from Vedika during the day again, she recognised that Vedika would be safer and better supported by returning to our care. Over the next couple of months we realised that Vedika's required specialised support. Unable to communicate, she often wandered aimlessly around the premises and was reluctant to engage in activities. We began searching for alternatives where she could thrive.
This was not straightforward, our sister Anamprem project was ruled out as they rely on sign language, something that Vedika didn't know. We were also advised to obtain a disability certificate which would open more doors. After a lengthy process at our civil hospital we finally discovered the certificate had already been issued at a hospital in Dharashiv, complicating matters further. With assistance from the Kalyan police, we tracked down her previous school and the teachers who had enrolled her and after persistent efforts, we finally obtained the necessary documents.
In the meantime, we contacted Savli Care Home in Kolhapur and although they were initially concerned about Vedika's ability to integrate, through persistence and effective communication, we successfully negotiated Vedika's admission. Once settled into her new environment, Vedika began working as a helper and we are pleased to hear she is adapting well.
Ultimately, Vedika's journey was one of resilience and strength. Despite the immense challenges she faced, she found a place where she could be cared for and begin to rebuild her life. We are proud and grateful to your support in facilitating her rehabilitation, providing not just shelter but a sense of belonging and hope for a brighter future.
Thank you for empowering Snehalaya to help those who need it most.

Links:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jan 1, 2025
Annual reflections

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

Sep 9, 2024
Grit and determination

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.

Sign up for updates

Organization Information

Snehalaya 'Home of Love'

Location: Ahmednagar, Maharashtra - India
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @snehalaya
Project Leader:
Joyce Connolly
Epsom, , Surrey United Kingdom
$78,756 raised of $95,000 goal
 
1,039 donations
$16,245 to go
Donate Now

Help raise money!

Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.

Start a Fundraiser

Learn more about GlobalGiving

Teenage Science Students
Vetting +
Due Diligence

Snorkeler
Our
Impact

Woman Holding a Gift Card
Give
Gift Cards

Young Girl with a Bicycle
GlobalGiving
Guarantee

Get incredible stories, promotions, and matching offers in your inbox

WARNING: Javascript is currently disabled or is not available in your browser. GlobalGiving makes extensive use of Javascript and will not function properly with Javascript disabled. Please enable Javascript and refresh this page.