To celebrate our more than 40 years of service, we are sharing 40 of our beneficiaries’ powerful stories with you — stories of hope, compassion, and determination. We hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire us.
As a child, Varsha Baraiya loved music, painting, henna art, and cooking. She was a fantastic student, and she loved helping her siblings study and succeed in school, too. She aspired to become a doctor, and her hard work in school paid off, earning her a place in the K.J. Mehta General Hospital and College of Medical Sciences in Gujarat. Read more
As one of three children from a poor family in the Walke village in Maharashtra, Sunny Rajendra Sawant had few educational options. His father is a daily wage earner and his income could not support Sunny in his goal to attend college. Read more
Manjulaben Nareshbhai Pujara earns a living in Gujarat through animal husbandry. She is a founding member of the Shrinayth Mahila Bachat Mandal (savings group), which was formed in 2012 in association with the Anjali Society for Rural Health and Development, supported by Share & Care. Read more
Umang Marsonia is a brilliant recipient of an Educate 2 Graduate scholarship, distributed through the Sister Nivedita Foundation in Rajkot. Umang had a keen interest in electrical engineering, hoping to work in the field one day, but the fees for his education were too high for his parents to afford without help. Read more
Women in rural India are often relegated to strict gender roles, limiting their ability to use their talents and enjoy independence. Nauka Ben is a Lokmitra serving with ESI, supported by Share & Care, in the Kada village of Gujarat. Read more
Prior to completing the Rajkot Cancer Society’s Cancer Awareness Program, Nita Vipulbhai Kakasaniya had not been aware of the importance of pap smear tests for detecting cervical cancer. After receiving this preventative education, she underwent the test. Read more
Juguntara is the eldest of three children in her family living in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Her father left when she was in 10th grade. With the help of her uncles, she was able to complete her intermediate studies, but since it was her responsibility to manage the household expenses, there was no hope for schooling beyond that. Read more
When Jayshree Manojbhai Lalkiya went in for her regular mammogram at the Rajkot Cancer Society, supported by Share & Care, she had no symptoms or indications that anything was wrong and was unaware of any family history of cancer. Read more
Tejal is a determined woman living in the Kada Village in Gujarat. She graduated from college with many ambitions, but marriage and children prevented her from finding full-time employment. The pandemic only exacerbated these hardships. Read more
Farukh Menon is a Lokmitra, or “friend of the people,” serving with the Environmental Sanitation Institute (ESI), supported by Share & Care, in the village of Chadotar in Gujarat. As a Lokmitra, Farukh strives to sow the seeds of connection, cooperation, and compassion to uplift his village. Read more
Mercy Kom, 58, resides in Kharam Thadoi, a remote village in Manipur. She suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and due to the lack of healthcare infrastructure in her village, she had received no treatment for these issues. Read more