You can make a struggling mother’s dream come true! We met Chaya in 2010 in a poor, rural village in West Bengal. She was one of the 55 women who received YGB’s first micro loans. As the fragile mother of a young daughter Sushumita, Chaya was very concerned about her daughter’s education as well as her own health issues caused by poor nutrition. But, Chaya started feeling a new strength and hope for life as her vegetable sales started to grow, thanks to her micro-loan.
Chaya was living with her in-laws, who were never kind to her. She also suffered from her husband’s constant abuse, and he eventually took all her savings away. Chaya was devastated from this incident and her mental health began to deteriorate. Our NGO Partner NISHTHA’s social worker and her micro-loan group members intervened and became a source of support and guidance. This January, Chaya had to be hospitalized as her daughter could not take care of her on her own anymore. Today, she has returned home and continues to receive weekly psychiatric treatment.
In the meantime, YGB supported her daughter Sushumita with our 5-year scholarship for higher education. She is a bright, determined student who always stood by her mother. Today, she is an English Honors student at a local college and hopes to get a good government job after her graduation this June. Chaya’s story underscores the importance of mental health care for women who experience trauma from domestic abuse, which unfortunately happens too often in this community. This is why YGB launched “Mental Care Program” funding within our micro-loan programs.
Please join our continued effort to support impoverished mothers like Chaya whose dream is to create better life for her daughter, that is self-sustaining with the sense of self-worth and hope to build her own independent life. It costs only $25 per mother to start micro-loan business. $250 a year for a young girl to pursue her college degree with our scholarship program. If you yourself are grateful for the gift of YOGA especially during this challenging time, please consider giving back! SUPPORT CHAYA’s DREAM
New YGB FILM “Chaya’s Journey” will premiere at our 2nd Annual “A Global Gathering for India,” June 4-5 weekend.Stay tuned!
