Renuka is the daughter of Jaya, a commercial sex worker. She used to attend Turbhe, a balwadi run by Sahaara Charitable Society. The Sahaara balwadi staff counseled Jaya to admit Renuka in Anandalay, the shelter home run by Sahaara, for daughters of trafficked women.

Renuka is a cute little child. During her first few days at the shelter, she continuously cried and refused to eat. She missed her home and mother very much. However, slowly she found friends among the other Anandalay kids and a mother in the houseparent. Within 10 days, she started exhibiting her fun-loving nature. She would laugh, talk, eat well and even show interest in studies. Renuka is well mannered, obedient and teachable.

Your generous donation will provide fresh and nutritious meals to someone like Renuka, thereby ensuring that she remains healthy and continues doing well in her studies. The meals include a well-balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner, and two mid-day snacks.

Thank you for supporting Renuka.

Four year old Naazarine hails from the Ghatkopar red light area, one of the innumerable poverty stricken red light pockets in Mumbai. Her father, Aksar, is an electrician and her mother, Afsana, is a trafficked woman working in Ghatkopar red light area. Naazarine has one brother and two sisters. Both of her parents are uneducated and barely make enough to support their children.

Children from red light areas face educational deprivation, such as generational illiteracy and a physical lack of access to a quality education. Due to the social stigma and poverty associated with red light areas, these children are not put in school, which further compounds their present and future challenges.

Though Naazarine hails from such a disadvantaged background, she can dream of a stable future because she studies at the Ghaktopar Study Center run by the Sahaara Charitable Society. The foundational pre-primary teaching provided at Sahaara§s balwadis (Indian pre-schools) will enable Naazarine to step into a bright future through enrollment in a good school.

Sahaara§s balwadi has a systematic curriculum wherein children are equipped in the following subjects over the period of a year: English and Hindi; alphabets and poems; writing skills; general knowledge such as colors, animals, flowers and personal hygiene; and games and activities such as counting and recognition.

Naazarine is a live wire filled with bubbling enthusiasm and energy. She is a smart student with good recall skills. She knows numbers 1-10 and the alphabets as well. She is sociable and enjoys sharing her toys and things with other children. She loves singing nursery rhymes and performing action songs. She loves to play with colous and enjoys drawing exercises as well!

Sahaara Charitable Society believes that every person has a dream, and their work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Sahaara§s early childhood education program gives children like Nabisha a firm educational base that will help her break out of the poverty cycle and fulfill her dream of a stable future.

Your generous donation will enable Sahaara to provide a year of pre-primary education to Naazarine.

Thank you so much for your gift to Naazarine!

Thank you for transforming the life of Suraj through Mahima Home.

Suraj was a destitute child, who was left to fend for himself in the harsh city of Mumbai, till Sahaara Charitable Society found out about him and admitted him into Mahima Home, a home for orphaned boys.

At Mahima Home, Suraj receives English medium schooling in one of the top schools in the locality, quality accommodation and wholesome nutrition within a loving family environment afforded by dedicated house parents.

Suraj is an energetic, physically fit and an active boy today. He loves computer games and loves the outdoors as well. He is a good student in school and overall Suraj is blossoming into a secure child, not fearing, but looking forward to his future!

Your generous donations enabled Sahaara to provide three fresh and nutritious meals to Suraj, thereby ensuring that he remains healthy and continues doing well in his studies.

Thank you all so much for coming together in support of Suraj, and providing him with meals for three months!

Four year old Nabisha Latif Sheikh hails from the Ghatkopar red light area, one of the innumerable poverty stricken red light pockets in Mumbai, India. Her father, Latif Sheikh, works as an electrician and her mother, Mumtaz, is a house wife. Nabisha also has one brother.

Children from red light areas face educational deprivation, such as generational illiteracy and a physical lack of access to a quality education. Due to the social stigma and poverty associated with red light areas, these children are not put in school, which further compounds their present and future challenges.

Though Nabisha hails from such a disadvantaged background, she can dream of a stable future because he studies at the Ghaktopar Study Center run by the Sahaara Charitable Society. The foundational pre-primary teaching provided at Sahaara’s balwadis (Indian pre-schools) will enable Nabisha to step into a bright future through enrollment in a good school.

Sahaara’s balwadi has a systematic curriculum wherein children are equipped in the following subjects over the period of a year: English and Hindi; alphabets and poems; writing skills; general knowledge such as colors, animals, flowers and personal hygiene; and games and activities such as counting and recognition.

Nabisha is a talkative child filled with an enthusiasm to learn. She enjoys the lessons taught in the pre-primary center. A sociable child, she enjoys sharing her toys and things with other children. She loves playing indoor as well as outdoor games like running and catching as well!

Sahaara Charitable Society believes that every person has a dream, and their work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Sahaara’s early childhood education program gives children like Nabisha a firm educational base that will help her break out of the poverty cycle and fulfill her dream of a stable future.

Your generous donation will enable Sahaara to provide someone like Nabisha with a year of pre-primary education. Thank you for your generosity!

Ravina is a young girl from Ghatkopar, one of the numerous red light districts in Mumbai, India. Ravina is a sharp and playful child. Sadly, Ravina’s mother cannot afford to provide her with a healthy and safe home.

After counseling from Sahaara, Ravina’s mother agreed to let her live at Sahaara’s shelter home in Ghatkopar for girls in similar positions. Ravina missed her mother at first but is now settled in with the other girls. With support from donors like you, Sahaara is also able to provide the girls with nutritious meals three times a day, along with two mid-day snacks.

Ravina is a bright and vibrant child that flourishes in the positive attention provided by Sahaara. She lives happily and healthily at the home thanks to your donations, Geetanjali, Marshall, Venkat, and Adam.

Thank you for allowing Ravina to lead a better and healthier life.

Three and half year old Rani lives in Ghatkopar, one of the innumerable poverty stricken red light pockets in Mumbai, India. Her father works as a driver and her mother works in the red light district. Because her parents lack education and steady paying jobs, they cannot afford to fully support Rani and her two brothers.

Children like Rani face educational deprivation in terms of generational illiteracy, physical access to education, and quality of education. Though Rani is from such a disadvantaged background, she can dream of a stable future with a good education because she studies at the Ghatkopar study center, run by Sahaara. The pre-primary teaching provided at Sahaara enables Rani to have a brighter future.

Rani is a lively child full of energy. She is quickly learning her numbers and alphabets. Rani is sociable and enjoys sharing her toys with other children. Thank you, Hemant, for enabling Rani to attend school in a safe and healthy learning environment. She now has dreams that exceed her parents expectations.
Thank you, again, Hemant, for helping Rani break the mold.

Akshay grew up in a red light district in Mumbai, India. Because of the unsafe environment that he was in, Akshay’s mother released his custody to the Mahima Home, run by Sahaara. Akshay is only seven years old and has yet to live a normal childhood.

Sahaara provides children like Akshay with education, balanced meals, and a safe home. Without support from dedicated people like you, Venkat and Dale, this would not be possible. Akshay is a sensitive and playful boy. He adjusted very quickly to his new home and is happy to live in a safe and supportive setting.

Thanks to your help, Venkat and Dale, Akshay can now live healthily and happily. Your gift provides him with three balanced meals and two snacks every day for three months. Thank you, again, for improving Akshay’s quality of life through nutrition.

Soni is a young girl rescued from the red-light district in Mumbai, India. Her mother, Sunita, did not believe Soni was adequately cared for in her home environment, but did not have the means to provide Soni with a safer home.

Sahaara coordinators had a chance to council Sunita and admit Soni into a shelter home run by the organization. Soni quickly felt at home and interacted well with the other children. She is happy to be in a safe home with steady meals.

Your donation, Venkat, provides fresh and nutritious meals for Soni. The meals include a well-balanced breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two mid-day snacks. Soni will remain healthy and happy thanks to your support.
Thank you, Venkat, for supporting Soni.

Four year old Taufeeq hails from Govandi, one of the innumerable poverty stricken slum pockets in Mumbai, India. His father, Rafiq Shaikh, is a Zari (type of local thread for garments) worker and his mother, Husna, is a housewife. Both his parents are illiterate.

Children from red light areas face educational deprivation, such as generational illiteracy and a physical lack of access to a quality education. Though Taufeeq hails such from a disadvantaged background, he can dream of a stable future with a good education because he studies at the Govandi Study Center, run by Sahaara. This balwadi is a potent vehicle for transforming Taufeeq’s future through quality education.

Sahaara’s balwadi has a systematic curriculum wherein children are equipped in the following subjects over the period of a year: English and Hindi; alphabets and poems; writing skills; general knowledge such as colors, animals, flowers and personal hygiene; and games and activities such as counting and recognition.

Taufeeq is a smart student with strong recall skills. He is a quiet child but has a hunger to learn more and more from his teachers.

Sahaara Charitable Society believes that every person has a dream, and their work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Sahaara’s early childhood education program gives children like Taufeeq a firm educational base that will help them break out of their vulnerable existence in the red light area and step into a safe and secure future.

Your generous donation will enable Sahaara to provide a year of pre-primary education to Taufeeq.

Thank you, Abhishek and Subin, so much for your gift to Taufeeq!

The 2.8 million sex workers in India are highly marginalised, vulnerable and unreached due to the burden of severe stigma, the commoditization of personhood, forced poverty and debt bondage. Doubly disadvantaged, their children face even worse consequences in these red light areas, including physical danger, vulnerability to violence and sexual exploitation. Many of these children are kept drugged under the very beds upon which the trade is carried out.

Three year old Salomi Gupta hails from the Ghatkopar red light area, one of the innumerable poverty stricken red light pockets in Mumbai. Her father, Rakesh, works as a rickshaw driver and her mother, Mumtaz, is a house wife. Salomi has one brother.

Children from red light areas face educational deprivation, such as generational illiteracy and a physical lack of access to a quality education. Due to the social stigma and poverty associated with red light areas, these children are not put in school, which further compounds their present and future challenges.

Though Salomi hails from such a disadvantaged background, he can dream of a stable future because he studies at the Ghaktopar Study Center run by the Sahaara Charitable Society. The foundational pre-primary teaching provided at Sahaara’s balwadis (Indian pre-schools) will enable Salomi to step into a bright future through enrollment in a good school.

Sahaara’s balwadi has a systematic curriculum wherein children are equipped in the following subjects over the period of a year: English and Hindi; alphabets and poems; writing skills; general knowledge such as colors, animals, flowers and personal hygiene; and games and activities such as counting and recognition.

Salomi is a quiet child who has a hunger to learn more and more from her teachers. She is very sociable with the other children and loves sharing her toys with them. She prefers to play indoor games and enjoys the lessons taken in the pre-primary center.

Sahaara Charitable Society believes that every person has a dream, and their work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Sahaara’s early childhood education program gives children like Salomi a firm educational base that will help her break out of the poverty cycle and fulfill her dream of a stable future.

Your generous donations, Manish and Dale Brian, will enable Sahaara to provide a year of pre-primary education to Salomi.

Thank you so much for your gift to Salomi!