HELP DISADVANTAGED SEXWORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES SURVIVE THE LOCKDOWN

HELP DISADVANTAGED SEXWORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES SURVIVE THE LOCKDOWN

With all work at a halt due to the rampant spread of COVID-19, female sex workers in Bhiwandi and their families, including young kids, are struggling to survive each day and they need our help, NOW.

We are Shree Sai Seva Sanstha, an NGO that supports disadvantaged sex workers in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Our NGO was founded in 2016 by Dr. Swati Khan, who has worked alongside the community and helped these women since 2012.


These women have migrated from all over India such as Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. Some have even travelled from Bangladesh and Nepal. They work tirelessly in the red-light district of Bhiwandi to support their children. Due to the lockdown, they have lost their only source of income. Because many are undocumented they also lack the funds and governmental support needed to move back home. We at Shree Sai Seva Sanstha are helping care for these women and their children during this time and helping them seek local employment.

WHAT WE DO

We have a local centre in Bhiwandi where we house and care for these women and their families. Here at the centre we provide the families with daily rations, hold classes to teach the women tailoring and arts and crafts skills to help them find employment, and conduct extracurricular activities to educate and enrich the children at the daycare we have established for them. We ensure that all the children get medical checkups from a visiting doctor every 6 months. We also help the women register for Aadhar cards and ration cards so that they are eligible for governmental assistance when needed.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

During these harsh times, we need your help in supporting these disadvantaged women and their families. We will be providing emergency ration kits to each family for 2 weeks. You can make a difference to a family in need by contributing to the cost of these kits.

Each ration kit contains:

• Rice (7kg)
• Aata/flour (5kg)
• Daal/lentils (3kg)
• Cooking oil (1l)
• Haldi/turmeric and mirchi/chilli powder (200g)
• Namak/salt (1/2 kg)
• Mosquito coils (1 pk)
• Bath soap (1pk)
• Laundry powder (1kg)
• Kerosene for cooking (5l)

The cost of each kit is Rs. 1,138 and we need to support 273 families staying with us. Hence the total cost for 2 weeks will be = Rs. 1,138 x 273 = Rs. 3,10,674.

These sex workers and their children are in dire need of support during the next few weeks of quarantine. We need your help in getting these women and their families back on their feet. 

Just Rs. 1,138 can help a family in need get back on their feet. Can you help?

Make a difference to a family in need by donating to the Shree Sai Seva Sanstha TODAY.

Please also share our fundraiser among your circles to help us meet our goal!