Gender Equality India Project #24496

Help Educate Girls in India

by Snehalaya 'Home of Love'

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.

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Jan 1, 2025
Annual reflections

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

Sep 9, 2024
Grit and determination

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

Topping the tables in our slums

Thank you so much for your support of our slum schools. It's thanks to you that we have recently opened our eighth center in our city of Ahmednagar, taking the number of children attending our classes from 700 to 900! These classes are vital in uplifting families, communities and indivduals such as Saitee.

While for some of us attending school is a rite of passage for others it requires grit, determination and the self-belief that their futures are worth investing in. To soar high and achieve their dreams, they need to put in extra efforts and dedication to complete their education. Children are like clay, shaped by their parents and carers actions. In situations where parents are struggling to support their families, our Balbhavan team plugs the gap by providing education, inculcating good values and recognizing children’s talents and skills to inspire them.

One father, Saied, a grave-digger, is haunted by his own limited education as he toils in a cemetery to provide for the daily needs of his family – two daughters and three sons. As a manual labourer working on a minimal wage, Saied has little energy left at the end of the day to attend to his children's needs. Our team conducts home visits to all childen living in all the slums we operate iand this included Saied and his family. Smart and diligent from an early age, we were able to support his daughter Saitee to take admission in Ahmednagar High School. However it is her own enthusiasm and determination that has helped her overcome many hurdles to progress further.

Being a girl, her parents were not that supportive of her dreams to gain a good education, insisiting she take on household duties over study. Despite this, she was determined, managing her home responsibilities and homework equally. Both the understanding of her school and our Balbhavan played a significant role in shaping her academic and personal progress. She managed well until 8th std when her parents decided she was now well enough educated and stopped letting her attend school. They wanted her to put her full focus on her housework and being at home to support her family. She didn’t back down and constantly lobbied her parents on the importance of continuing her education.

When she asked for our help together we were able to convince Saitee's mother of how much potential she had in achieving good grades and the world this would open up to her when she reached adulthood. It worked and Saitee was able to continue her education up to 10th std, supported through regular home visits and guidance from our team.

Did we mention how driven she was? During her school vacations, Saitee joined Mehendi and sewing classes, developing a passion for designing blouses and dresses. With a natural flair, she soon started taking orders for wedding dresses and Mehendi designs. On top of her housework and studies she was now contributing financially to the family and securing her own finance to pay for her further studies. Even though she had already proven she was willing and able to go over and above to contribute she still faced opposition to continuing into 11 and 12 stds. Promising she would continue to do all the required work at home and keep sewing to pay for her own education her parents relented.

She stayed true to her word, and earlier this year received 74.33% in her 12th std exams – topping the tables with the highest mark throughout all of our Balbhavan centers. Having already proven herself as an ideal student, her dream is to become an ideal teacher and continue her legacy of ensuring 12 years of education for every child. Our proud Balbhavan team is ready to stand firm with her, supporting her every step of the way.

Your support of this project ensures we are able to help more girls like Saitee and I am sincerely grateful to you.

Celebrating the opening of our 8th center

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