Marriage Support for Girls:-
One of the first projects that Shanti Foundation (www.shantifoundation.com) started was the Marriage Support for Girls Project. Due to unimaginable poverty, countless families people are unable to get their young daughters and sisters married.
Shanti Foundation supports parents in these difficult situations by providing them with basic necessary items including dresses, shoes, utensils, bedding, etc. Depending on the region, it costs only Rs.10000 to Rs30000 approx. to support the marriage of one girl.
Free Education:-
The Learning support classes build and strengthen the reading, writing and arithmetic skills of children of age 6 and above. The classes target both out-of-school children and in-school children who are unable to undertake age and grade specific reading, writing and arithmetic. We run three types of learning support classes, both in the communities and in the school.
We also run programs for children of 4-6 year age group who are attending other balwadis and anganwadis. It seeks to build their language and numeric skills to equip them to enter school. It is a five month program and runs from November to March every year.
Free Medical Camp:-
We also hold some free medical Camp, to serve the needy poor people. Shanti Foundation has been conducting similar camps all over India. Our camp has diagnosed and treated over 800 patients.
On a daily basis, Shanti Foundation provides ongoing support for the work of health care professionals through our Medical Assistance Program. To equip doctors and nurses with the tools they need to deliver quality care, Shanti Foundation delivers free medicines and supplies to hospitals, clinics and public health programs.
Against Child Labour:-
India accounts for the second highest number where child labour in the world is concerned. Africa accounts for the highest number of children employed and exploited. The fact is that across the length and breadth of the nation, children are in a pathetic condition.
While experts blame the system, poverty, illiteracy, adult unemployment; yet the fact is that the entire nation is responsible for every crime against a child. Instead of nipping the problem at the bud, child labour in India was allowed to increase with each passing year. And today, young ones below the age of 14 have become an important part of various industries; at the cost of their innocence, childhood, health and for that matter their lives.