Community Projects

In India many thousands of people live in slums in appalling conditions. India is not a ‘social state’ and there are no Social Services or Benefits to help these people.
Most of them have no regular employment and go out each day seeking casual work. If they do not find work they have no money for food etc. Many of the children have little or no clothing or shoes.

The staff from Starting Point carry out regular visits to local slums to provide whatever help they can.
We fund the provision of basic food items such as milk, rice, lentils, cooking oil, flour, peas and jaggery as well as cooking utensils, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. When funds allow they also provide much needed fruit.
In addition we take out from the UK suitcases full of second-hand clothes which are distributed to the slum families.
Jane, the head teacher visits affluent families and begs or buys toys that their children no longer need which she hands out to the slum children.
This is one area where we could do with unlimited funds as there are many thousands of people living in appalling conditions who have little or no chance of escaping their predicament.
The adults go out every day trying to find casual work or collecting rubbish from the streets to sell. If they are successful the family will eat – if not they will go hungry. Some families may not eat for maybe three days especially during the monsoon season.

In one case we part fund the education of four children from the same family. The father died in a road accident and the mother shortly after from a brain haemorrhage. They are living with their uncle who is unable to afford to put them through school.

  
                                  Three		of  the  slums  we  currently visit