This summer, Mom spent 5 weeks in India working with some really incredible women and children in one of the slums. As many of you know, this is Mom’s third trip to India—and she says this trip was, by far, the best (and most productive) yet. All three of the trips were through a partnership between a local university and carefully-selected non-governmental, non-profit agencies in India. The goal of this partnership is to provide life skills for women in the slums—many of whom are forced into sex work to provide food and basic necessities for their families—and educational opportunities for their young children. Life skills give the women alternative skills for making money for their families, while education in the only real chance these children have at not repeating the cycle.

Through these partnerships many great things have come about over the past three years. Just to name some of the work-- a special-needs classroom was started in one of the preschools, a play area where children can be safely be children was constructed, women who have experienced horrors have been taught self-defense, a mother’s support group started, and both literacy and skills groups supported. Almost all of these classes are still in existence today. This is primarily because any work being done has been at the request of local Indians and because much of the work has been supporting already existing schools and forms of community. We do not go into a community assuming we know what they need. Rather, everything has been community-driven while utilizing outside resources. This is where your candle purchases make a difference.

This summer alone, your purchases accomplished three main things:

1. You repaired a horribly leaky roof in a free (and amazing!) preschool in the slums. It is currently monsoon season, and the roof leaked so badly into the classroom that classes were interrupted almost daily. Now the kids are able to learn without the distraction and interruption of rain inside the classroom. 
2. You provided funding for a new sewing machine and table for women in a life skills class within the slums.
3. Within the women’s skills class, Mom was able to teach these women how to make candles using available oils (citronella, lemongrass, lavender) that are naturally mosquito repellant. You made it possible to provide supplies to the women so that they can make and sell candles within their communities without any overhead. Doing such is beneficial to the communities because it is monsoon season and mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria are a real threat. More importantly, it provides the women with another skill they can employ to provide for their families. Furthermore, it is a skill they can teach to their daughters.

Thank you, dear customers! On behalf of these women and children, I want to say thank you. On behalf of the agencies we have had the honor of working alongside and supporting, thank you.

Meow for now,

Oliver