The Scourge of Poverty - Helping Asha

Left: Asha and her family in July, after a monsoon storm destroyed all of their belongings. Right: Asha this week in Bijnor Hospital (August)

An update about some friends I love in India. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Can you help?

The mission of ‘Project help India’ is simple – we help and care for people who live in extreme poverty. It is almost impossible to empathise and put ourselves in the shoes of those who suffer in this way. There is such a divide between us with all of our first-world comforts, and those who battle the challenges of having almost nothing each and every day. So many of their problems could be solved and difficult situations changed, simply with the equivalent of what we would spend on a daily cup of coffee. Poverty breeds poverty. It is an ugly, vicious cycle.

Yet we do make a difference.

Asha lives with her husband Sher Singh, and their 4 children in the Kotdwara slums. She is a kind and generous woman who has opened her home and shared her limited resources to support ‘Project Help’. Over the years, despite having nothing herself, Asha has made it possible for us to care for the many people, especially children, who live in her neighbourhood. Asha and Sher are saints. Despite the hardships they endure, they make sacrifices for others. Just a few years ago, they even suggested that ‘Project Help’ might build a public toilet block that would have taken up the entirety of their tiny courtyard, a metre from their back door. We didn’t go ahead with this because it would have compromised their health and safety.

Asha and Sher truly live out the Bible verse that commands us to love our neighbours.

Now it is our turn to help Asha. Just two weeks ago, we received the news that only just a few weeks after her home was destroyed by the monsoon, she had a massive heart attack. Hearing this news, ‘Project Help’ was able to jump into action and immediately transfer some funds to India. This saved her life because she was transferred to a hospital in Bijnor where she received specialist medical help. Additionally, last week, we were incredibly grateful to some of our amazing Australian supporters who this week donated $1000 which was needed to provide the ongoing help that Asha needs.

Amit, our Project Director sent me this report this week:
This is Asha. She is one of our Cooking staff in Slums Center and she also lives in slums. This week she had a heart stroke and immediately we the Project Help sent her to a specialist heart hospital. Her treatment is going on from later 5 days and doctors said that her on of the heart valve is blocked and they did the angioplasty. But unfortunately the cost of this treatment is very high price @80,000 approximately with hospital charges, medicine, etc.
The family of Asha is very very poor. They earn every day 200 Indian rupee ($4AUS) that means 6,000 rupee ($120AUS) per month. In Asha’s family there are 6 members all together with children. Last month this family went through a big problem too. As because of the heavy rain their wooden and plastic sheet roof fell down and they lost their everything like clothes, mattresses,  bed, tv, fan, eatable things etc. In this case Project Help helped them with money as most of you our friends from Australia send help to us.
Now these days once again Asha and whole family going through with big difficulty as they are helpless to pay this big amount. They are looking forward for a generous help. We have to pay for Asha within a week so I kindly urge for your generous help .
May God Bless every one of you.

Asha remains in a critical condition and she continues to fight for her life. Might you be able to make a donation? You can have confidence knowing that your kindness and generosity will make a difference. You may never meet Asha and her family but these wonderful people are connected to you through the story that we share together through ‘Project Help’. They send their love and gratitude.  

YOU CAN BE PART OF OUR STORY
1. Donate - Your tax deductible donation can be made HereEnsure that you are donating to (WYG-IND-PHI-2019)
OR  if tax deductibility is not required, your EFT donation can be made at
BSB: 062 230 (Commonwealth Bank Randwick) 
Account: 1134 1909
Account Name: Project Help India
Please write ‘Asha’ and your name in the reference section so we can thank you.

2. Share our Story - Please like and share this blog on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Thanks so much. Love Doug.