Stories of Hope

The small weaving village of Koyyalagudem in Andhra Pradesh is known for its cotton ikats - a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles. However the use of highly toxic chemical dyes had led to ground water contamination causing serious health problems to the entire village of weavers, who were dying a slow death. With support from Chaitanya Bharathi, the community has adopted natural dyeing resources to replace toxic chemical dyes, helping transform the lives and the future of this tiny weaving community.
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Intellectually challenged, Thomas had delayed milestones early on in his childhood and was later diagnosed as mentally retarded with 75 % level disability. He was unruly, threw frequent tantrums and was unable to speak or respond to instructions. With help from GAYE partner NGO Balajyothi, Thomas has shown remarkable improvement through therapy and counseling.
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Living in dire poverty, bullied and harassed at school and often relying only on mid-day meals provided at school, Bheemabhai did not let adversity dampen her will and spirit to succeed in life and make a change. With dedication and perseverance, the 19 year old today is a renowned footballer at the state and national levels and a nominee for the prestigious Ashoka Youth Venture programme. Her vision is to empower young children into future leaders.
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Excerpt Living on the streets herself, Radha loved to care for the stray street dogs and brought in injured abandoned and traumatized ones to Friendicoes which not only sterilize and vaccinate them but are slowly changing people’s mindset about compassion and kindness to animals.
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Abandoned at a very young age, Sunitha and her younger brother begged on Chennai’s local trains until they were rescued by an NGO. Today, with the lifelong support and guidance of ‘Helping Hands’ – a CAF India partner NGO, both Sunitha and her brother are well settled and lead successful independent lives.
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