Projects-India

Community Health Education Society
Community Health Education Society (CHES): has been caring for
children since 1994. Dr. Pinagapany Manorama is a gastroenterologist
who realized in 1994 that no one but her was willing to care for 2
HIV-positive orphans. She agreed to adopt them and CHES was born.
They've cared for hundreds of children in a shelter they've created for
children orphaned or abandoned due to AIDS. Dr. Manorama has built
a compassionate organization. A lot of her staff, are also HIV-positive.
The shelter is spacious and the children (40% of whom are
HIV-positive) are well cared for and happy. AYA helps CHES through
child sponsorships and support for their new foster care program.

One International
One International runs a school for the children of the Khar Danda Slum in
Mumbai. Families living in this Indian slum try to survive in the face of
desperate poverty, living in makeshift shacks made of plastic bags and
scraps of cardboard. The school has grown to educate over 100 children.
Founder Tania Spilchen and 2-3 volunteers a year run this small, clean
school, and work hard to provide the children with high quality books and
materials. Tania and her team also work closely with the children's
families to help them realize the value of education and help them break
the cycle of poverty. For the last several years AYA has funded a sewing
and woodworking project. The students learn valuable skills and even sell
their goods at the market or to One supporters.

Rural Education and Action Development
READ is located in Andimadam, India, a rural village in the southern part of
the country. The AIDS pandemic has orphaned many of their children and
poverty traps many families in a vicious cycle with little resources or
opportunities. D. Selvam aimed to change these realities of his home village
when he founded READ. READ helps many families in Andimadam move
beyond the perils of extreme poverty through education, skills training, and
self-help groups. The groups administer loans to start small businesses
where recipients are asked to pay 18% interest, which is quite low
compared to the 60% to 70% that moneylenders in India typically charge.
This allows far more women to become self-sufficient by starting
income-generation businesses. As well, the interest in used to fund other
READ projects like providing medical care for HIV-positive members of the
community. The average repayment rate of READ self-help groups is 98%.
Once loans are repaid, the money is used to fund a new round of loans for
more women. AYA strongly support the READ self-help groups and
facilitates sponsorships for children living in the community

Salaam Baalak Trust
Hundreds of thousands of children live on the streets of New Delhi, India.
Salaam Baalk Trust runs four homes for street and working children and
staffs a telephone emergency service called ChildLine and will go to pick
up a child in need, anywhere and anytime. They also run a crisis center
near the New Delhi railway station where many children are abandoned
and live. Salaam Baalak Trust strives to implement an innovative,
child-centered approach to helping children reach their full potential and
is a strong advocate for the rights of street and working children. AYA
supports Salaam Baalak Trust through income-generating projects and
child sponsorships.