HEARTS' CRY Inc.Providing Humanitarian Relief to Families in Mattampally, India |
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EDUCATIONELDER CAREHEALTH & NUTRITIONJOB DEVELOPMENTWOMEN'S PROGRAMSSPECIAL NEEDS GIFTSCOMMUNITY CENTER |
ProgramsEducation [pics]Many Mattampally families suffer from extreme poverty, and education is the only way for their children to gain an opportunity to improve their economic situation. Our K-10 Educational Sponsorship Program gives needy childeren the opportunity to attend private schools in Mattampally. HC students attend private schools because the quality of public schools in the area is very poor; teachers often fail to show up for work at public schools. Enrolled children receive tuition, school uniforms, books, school supplies, quarterly health check-ups and access to emergency medical care. Each sponsor receives letters and pictures from his or her child three times a year. The cost to sponsor a child is $240 per year. [find out how to sponsor a child] We also provide scholarships for qualified students who want to continue their education after graduating from tenth grade, which is the highest level of education available in the village. Currently two young women are studying nursing in college with HC scholarships. Elder Care [pics]There are a number of homeless elderly in the village who have been abandoned by their families and are reduced to begging on the street. Through the Elder Care Sponsorship Program you can provide two hot meals per day and one new outfit to a homeless elder. In addition, the Jeveena Jyothi Community Center provides overnight shelter to sponsored elders and respite during the day from high temperatures and monsoon rains. [sponsor an elder] Health & Nutrition [pics]HC provides regular medical check-ups as part of the Educational Sponsorship Program, and has established a Family Medical Care Fund to provide visiting nurse services and emergency medical treatment. Malaria and dengue are two mosquito-borne diseases that exist within the region. HC provides mosquito netting to families in order reduce the risk of exposure to these life-threatening diseases. HC helps families construct latrines to improve sanitation and protect water quality. The Hot Meal Program provides two cooked meals per day to severely malnourised children and to sponsored homeless elders. Meals are prepared and served at the Jeveena Jyothi Community Center, and food comes from an on-site communitiy garden. In 2003 a severe drought caused widespread famine conditions throughout Southern India, and HC responded by donating truckloads of rice to the village. Because many villagers rely on agricultural jobs, a number of families left Mattampally to search for work in the cities, leaving elderly relatives behind. However, HC famine relief efforts provided basic necessities that helped families stay in the village and helped children stay in school. Job Development [pics]HEARTS' CRY sponsors a variety of job development activities, including:
Women's Programs [pics]New Women's Cooperatives are meeting once a month, and village women are learning how to collectively manage money and how to grant, receive and pay back small loans. When funding is available, an International Women's Day Celebration is held at the Community Center. On this day village women gather at the community center to share a meal, listen to speakers, and participate in games and fun competitions. Special Needs Gifts [pics]HEARTS' CRY responds to special needs of individual families by providing donations of food, livestock, cooking stoves, cooking utensils, wooden food storage cupboards, clothing, cots, bedding, mosquito netting, toiletries, iron storage cabinets, furniture, home repairs, home construction, latrine construction, family medical care, wheel chairs, bicycles and more. For information on current needs, see the Community Wish List. Jeveena Jyothi Community Center [pics]Sponsored by HEARTS' CRY, the Jeveena Jyothi Community Center provides space for a variety of community programs. [learn more]
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