Livelihood for 500 Disabled mothers in India

It is easy to write reports but it is difficult to face hard times. Since we did not get our project funding from the Government of India for the last two years it was extremely difficult  to manage the regular running of the project.We had to take up the cause through RTI This really irritated the department so they delayed the release of funds further!

After pursuing the matter through the Minister for Urban Development, the files started to move. Thank God we will be getting the funds shortly but it took a lot of time to pursue the matter. We had to travel to Delhi four times. Moreover contributions from Global Giving too did not come for a long period. As we could not keep in touch with our donors regularly the fund flow too was reduced. 

We have taken up three more Mandals (Revenue Divisions) and we are very busy with conducting survey and sensitization. Sorry that we could not post the reports and photographs regularly due to several problems we were facing.Hope and pray that soon everything will be alright and we will be back with full activities.

While working for the disabled women and children with disabilities we came across a peculiar phenomenon. Most of the areas where we work were covered by micro finance agencies. They used to give loans to women groups for running petty shops and recover them with interest. Before getting in touch with Globalgiving we had no source of financing the needy women especially the disabled. So I requested several of these agencies to support our cause since they  vehemently preach that they are there to help the the poor. All my requests were turned down because they say if the disabled women are given loans they would not repay and there is no collateral security etc. Then I made a study of these MFIs(Micro Finance Institutions). Most of them were simply looting the poor under the guise of  helping the poor. Because they charged interest up-to 36%.I wrote to some of the  International Financiers of MFIS like WWF/ CORDAID etc exposing the financial looting of the poorest in India by the so called MFIs and requested them not to finance such organizations. But they too turned a deaf year. I requested them to support the cause of the disabled women and support their cause by financing a special Micro finance  programm designed  with the help from the students of ISB( Indian Business School) with reduced interest rates. But none of these Organizations  supported us. Now what happened to the MFIs???  There was a hue and cry against the looting lucarcious business carried out by the MFIs and Government had to put a ban on MFIS.

It was at this stage I came in contact with the noble Organization "Globalgivng". And I am grateful to all the donors for their wonderful support to our programme which has made a difference in the lives of nearly 50 families of the disabled.Still there is a long way to go. I am not disappointed  at the slow  progress that we make in the right direction because even a thousand mile  begins with a single step.So I hope and pray that more donors would support our cause!!!