Inclusive Education changes lives - Jagrup's Story

When being so hungry stopped a kid from going to school 
 
Jagrup Singh is a sixth-grade student at the Project Help Centre in Fatehgarh Panjtur in far western Punjab. He comes from a very poor family of five struggling with poverty and his father's addiction issues. His father's alcoholism and irresponsible behaviour exacerbate their dire situation, leading to financial instability and neglect. The family struggles to meet the basic needs and the children are hungry most days. The family's poverty has led to malnutrition, effecting the children’s physical and cognitive abilities. Also because they do not have nutritious food at home, they are becoming so weak there is (ironically) a high risk of loss of appetite.

Hearing about this family, Project Help India persuaded Jagrup's parents to enrol him and his sister Harmeet in the centre for education. The kids would not be attending school if it was not for our Centre. With the love and support of the centre Jagrūp has found hope and purpose by focussing on his studies, however, his constant hunger impacts his ability to concentrate. 

This initiative not only addresses their physical health but also strengthens their connection to the centre, emphasising the importance of student wellbeing. Jagrup, Harmeet, and their mother express gratitude for the centre's assistance, highlighting the positive impact it has had on their lives. Under the watchful eye of their teacher, the centre has become a place of safety for the children.
Through education and support, Project Help India strives to uplift marginalised families like Jagrup's, offering them a path towards a brighter future.
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Jagrup's teacher tries as much as possible to give him a little to eat. Our hope at Project Help India, one big thing that we would like to do is to employ cooks, to be able to provide a daily meal to all of our 222 students in Punjab. This is by no means an inexpensive task. We estimate we would need to budget $20 000 AUD, plus set-up costs for one year (which is not bad for over forty thousand individual meals). These meals would essentially become the main consistent source of daily nutrition for these highly vulnerable kids like Jagrup.

​Perhaps you can help? Please reach out to me if you can. 

​www.projecthelpindia.co
Project Help India tackles the dire circumstances faced by India's marginalised Dalit community, offering education to children living in slums or remote villages, who would otherwise be vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. By providing education centres (with meals where possible), parenting programs, and counselling, we seek to change societal attitudes towards education, particularly for the most marginalised, especially targeting children with disabilities. Our holistic approach aims to break the cycle of inequality and poverty, advocating for, and bringing hope and opportunity to some of the world’s poorest children, who would otherwise be trapped in a life of hardship, deprivation, and limited opportunities.

​Project Help India has 6 centres in the state of Punjab with 222 students (ages 4 to 17) at a recent count. All up we have 13 Education Centres across 3 states in Northern India with a little under 600 enrolments in total.