“I had stopped believing anyone would come. They came the same night.”
Bashir, 54, Srinagar. Homelessness programme
After losing his job and then his rented room, Bashir spent three weeks sleeping in a bus shelter in December. A shopkeeper sent us a request through the website.
Our winter team brought him to a shelter that night. His caseworker helped him replace his lost ID card, get treated for a chest infection, and find work at a bakery. Four months later he moved into a shared room of his own.
“My parents found out from the counsellor, not the neighbours. That mattered.”
Faizan, 21, Anantnag district. Addiction recovery programme
Faizan sent us two anonymous messages before giving his name. He was afraid of what his family and community would say.
We arranged a place at a de-addiction centre, sat with his parents to explain what addiction is, and helped with the cost of treatment. He now comes to a weekly peer group and helps run it.
“Now she goes to school with her friends. Before, she only watched them from the window.”
Shaheena, mother of Iqra, 9, Kupwara district. Disability support programme
Iqra has cerebral palsy and had never been to school. The nearest school had steps at every door and no one to help her.
We arranged a wheelchair, helped the family get her disability certificate and UDID card, and worked with the school to build a ramp and train her teacher. A volunteer physiotherapist visits every two weeks.
“For the first time, I could make a plan for my children and me.”
Rubeena, 34, Baramulla district. Domestic abuse programme
Rubeena had lived with violence for eleven years. She filled in our form on a friend's phone and asked us to reply only by email.
Our counsellor helped her make a safety plan. When she decided to leave, we found a safe place for her and her two daughters, and a volunteer lawyer helped her get a protection order. She has since finished a tailoring course and runs a small business from home.
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