Murugan's story - 5th Anniversary Appeal
June 2010 marked Jeevika Trust’s 5th Anniversary. In these short years we have accomplished a lot, we have:
- Worked with 6 partners on over 20 different projects in 4 states
- Helped more than 47,000 people
- Improved access to safe water and sanitation for 22,000 people
- Supported over 1,600 women to start and participate in Self Help Groups
- Given over 500 beehives in 36 different villages
But without the help of people like you we would not have been able to do any of this, so… THANK YOU! The people we support are more than just statistics though, let me tell you about Murugan.
Murugan and Mariamma laughing with new friends at Mithra Foundation
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Murugan is six years old and lives with his mother, Mariamma, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. Murugan regularly misses school due to side effects of the treatment that he just started – Murugan and Mariamma are both HIV+.
After his father passed away 6 months ago, Murugan’s father’s family decided they wanted nothing to do with him or his mother. Mariamma is unable to work and so cannot pay for Murugan’s schools fees, nutritious food Murugan needs to keep side effects at bay or the twice monthly trip to the hospital by bus. |
But Murugan is now one of 100 HIV+ children being supported by Jeevika Trust and our Tamil partner, Mithra Foundation. Murugan attends a crèche where he is fed nutritious food and looked after while Mariamma has been taught to earn money by making up to 10 kgs of candles a day to meet the inexhaustible demand from local temples. She has also received training to provide support for others in the same situation – ‘For the first time in my life since I was diagnosed with HIV, I have found a purpose for living. I have now decided that I will counsel and act as a role model for others who have HIV.’ |
As we celebrate our 5th Anniversary, would you consider supporting our work by committing to give just £5 a month or even more so that we can help more children like Murugan? The security of your regular donations will allow us to plan for the future, to plan more projects to help more women in India.
Setting up your regular donation is very simple. All you need to do is fill in our regular donation form, return it to us and we will do the rest. Alternatively you can set up your gift online. |
Making candles with help from Jeevika Trust & Mithra Foundation
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£5 a month over a year could… cover the cost of training, equipment and seeds for one woman to establish a kitchen garden to grow vegetables to boost her family’s nutrition and fragile immune systems and contribute to household income from sales of any surplus vegetables.
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£15 a month over a year could… train 18 young women made unemployed due to their HIV status to work to improve the general understanding of HIV/AIDS within their communities helping to break down barriers about the myths of HIV/AIDS.
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£25 a month over a year could… provide a Self-Help Group of 10 villagers with HIV/AIDS the materials and support needed to make a small living from candle-making including wax, wicks, packaging and a crèche for their children to be cared for while they work. |
I do hope that we’ll hear from you soon – thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
Andrew Redpath
Executive Director, Jeevika Trust
