Maheswari
Maheswari cares for her husband Yogesh who sustained a spinal cord injury which left him paralysed. On top of the shock of Yogesh’s injury, the family were also devastated financially with the loss of his earnings combined with mounting hospital fees. Maheswari struggled to care for Yogesh as well as find ways to earn money.
When staff from our partner organisation Margadarshi heard about Yogesh, they stepped in to provide counselling, physiotherapy and practical assistance including a wheelchair and an accessible toilet.
Maheswari was introduced to her local carers support group where she was able to connect with and get support from other carers in similar situations. She was also able to access counselling for herself.
Before his accident, Yogesh worked as a chef. Unable to go back to work, we provided a grant to enable the couple to set up a small business cooking and selling snacks from their home. Their tasty treats became sought after in their village and brought them a steady income before COVID-19 struck and they were faced with the prospect of no income again. But this time Margadarshi were able to step in straight away, providing them with food parcels and a medical kit. Life right now is challenging, but Maheswari is confident that their small business will bounce back soon and their future will once again look bright.
Vijay
Vijay lives in Hutpa village, in the state of Jharkhand in Northeast India, with his wife and four children. He is a carer for his 18-year-old daughter who has intellectual and physical disabilities. The team at our local charity partner Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), connected to him when they were conducting a survey of the unpaid carers of those they work with.
When NBJK first spoke to Vijay, he was having to stay at home to take care of the four children. He was unable to work because of this and so had no source of income – he and his family were struggling financially. NBJK suggested that he should join the Gulab Carers Group in Hutpa village. The other members of the group were able to offer Vijay moral support as they had all experienced similar situations themselves. Vijay received a loan from the Carers Group to start a goat farming business. He did well and after returning the first loan he took another to purchase a cow. Step by step, with the moral and financial support he received from our Carers Group, his financial condition improved.
As well as the goats and the cow, he also started growing vegetables to sell. He saved enough to be able to buy a second-hand auto-rickshaw and he then went on to buy a second-hand tractor. He is now financially stable due to the various income streams he has created and is able to take care of his disabled daughter and the rest of his family.
He plans to buy a school bus to continue to increase his family’s income and standard of living. We are so inspired by Vijay’s story and his ambition to use the support we were able to provide through our Carers Group and our Livelihood and Training programme, to really make a difference to his life and that of his family. And we’re not the only ones to have been inspired. Vijay’s success has shown other carers what’s possible and there has been an uptake in people taking part in our Livelihood and Training programme in the area, due to his influence.
