India
A Note on Security
Servants India operates in a major Indian city. But for security purposes, we don’t publicise the location of the team nor the names of team members. The people mentioned below are all real people, though their names have been changed. Please use the form on our Contact page if you would like to get in touch and/or inquirer about joining this team. We’d love to hear from you.
Get to Know Our Team
Between us, we have had experience working for and with the poor in a range of areas (see “Get to Know our Work” section below). But perhaps even more importantly, we focus on building warm relationships with our neighbours in an attempt to be a peaceful, compassionate presence in our neighbourhood.
We would love to welcome new members onto our team. We strive to have warm, open, honest, mutual, and accountable relationships within the team and with a growing network of Indian and ex-pat friends. We look forward to welcoming new team members into the same caring community and encourage you to bring your own special gifts, talents and passions.
Get to Know Our Neighbourhood
We live in a city which is historically Muslim, but which is now quite diverse. This creates a rich cultural environment expressed in the architecture, art, food and religious practices. The contrasts and diversity were part of what attracted the team to move here from Delhi in 2012. Here one finds a vibrant mix of old and new: ancient religious monuments and British colonial architecture stand alongside glossy shopping malls; female college students in jeans and T-shirts pass women in traditional saris or burqas on the streets.
As a state capital, the city also has all the facilities available in modern India – from sports centres and parks to cinemas and coffee shops.
However, the city is also characterised by a widening gap between growing wealth and grinding poverty: middle class families live in plush apartments next door to the makeshift shacks of the people who clean their houses; their private cars share the road with bicycles, horse-drawn carts, rickshaws, herds of goats, pedestrians and crowed mini-buses.
While the city is known for its warmth and politeness, north Indian culture is generally somewhat aggressive. This is a challenging context for women, especially fair-skinned foreigners. Women may find the culturally ingrained patriarchy difficult. However, if we behave respectfully and modestly, the city is largely a welcoming place.
Get to Know Our Work
In 2014, our team got involved an innovative Hindi literacy program, based on asking questions of the learner rather than traditional rote learning. Ten years on, Yusuf is working in the same NGO, and have been training government school teachers as well in this effective pedagogy. We also have a network of 8 people from our local slum who teach alongside us in several locations; together, we have helped around 500 people (primarily kids) learn to read their mother-tongue.
the stats:
a story:
“How can I learn to read at this age?”
Shafia, 40, was asking me a simple and yet deep question. I responded to her confidently, that if she worked hard she would certainly be able to. But I knew the sad reality – the vast majority of people who have reached her age without becoming literate, would remain illiterate for the rest of their lives. Was Shafia right to doubt her ability to learn, to question the purpose of acquiring literacy now that she was middle aged?
As it turned out, Shafia was one of my fastest learners ever – she went from unable to recognise a letter, to reading sentences fluently, in just one month. Important as that skill is for her practically, I think its greatest significance is the impact it has had on her self-confidence. One day, after she read a story fluently, I reminded her of the self-doubts she had expressed back when we met the first time. She chuckled, as if to say, “that was a long time ago”. She now helps her own daughter, Shazreen (7), with her school homework. When I went with Shafia to a parent-teacher meeting, the teacher offered her an inkpad to make a thumb-print in the attendance register. The teacher was shocked – and delighted – when Shafia reached for a pen to sign instead.
support this work:
Several local residents have been trained and now work as literacy teachers. Your support will pay their small stipends to help them keep teaching (about US$50 monthly per part-time teacher, with a total budget of around US$500 per month). Click the PayPal button, and choose “India Projects” from the drop-down list, or click the “Other Ways to Donate” button for other options. 100% of donations will be sent directly to the project.
The Indian healthcare system attracts medical tourists from the West, but, paradoxically, remains very thin on the ground for hundreds of millions of the nation’s own citizens. Hospitals are typically overcrowded; and while the public healthcare system is free on paper, there are numerous out-of-pocket expenses which often result in the poor going into debt. The Covid crisis has exacerbated existing issues, with basic healthcare services often interrupted and resources diverted. Over the last few years, we have become more heavily involved in helping some of our neighbours navigate the medical system: booking online appointments, buying medicines, talking to doctors – and even challenging corruption
the stats
a story
When we first met Kripa, 28, the family was plunging into debt as she wasted away, with severe nausea and terrible headaches; the diagnosis – TB meningitis. We helped her get onto the right medicines and have better nutrition, but the situation was still grim. At one stage Jeshan, our Indian teammate at the time, babysat their 4 kids for a month (due to the Covid lockdown, no relative could come to stay) while Kripa’s husband stayed with her in hospital. Later, Kripa’s weight dropped to 21kg and it looked like she wouldn’t make it. Miraculously, through a combination of prayer, dedication and unceasing love from her husband, Kripa began recovering. She has since bounced back to 42kg, is no longer vomiting and is without headaches. She has now completed her TB medicines and is back to normal life.
support this work
Most medical treatment in government hospitals is free or low cost, but sometimes there are big costs involved for tests, surgeries or medicines. The project budget is currently about US$ 1,300 per month. To help with medical expenses for those in most need, either click the PayPal button, and choose “India Projects” from the drop-down list, or click the “Other Ways to Donate” button for other options. 100% of donations will be sent directly to the project.
The Indian government has numerous schemes to help the poor, but the genuinely marginalised often have difficulty accessing them due to a lack of knowledge, corruption, and the convoluted nature of Indian bureaucracy. For many years, Yaqoob has been running training for numerous NGOs in how to help people access these services. He also created and curated a series of manuals on government services, which have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. More recently, Yusuf and a local team of friends been helping people from our slum and surrounding neighbourhoods with various government documentation issues.
The stats
Over the past few years, we have assisted approximately:
a story
Mehtab, 35, lives in a shack by the side of a railway track. A father of 5 kids, he struggles to make ends meet working as a recycler. Despite having a substantial physical disability – his left leg is largely paralysed in a bent position – he manages to cycle several kilometres to his work. When I met Mehtab, he asked me to apply for the disability pension for him. He was the first person I applied for, so it took me some time to learn the system – taking photos of his documents, uploading them through an online portal, and submitting hard copies in a government office.
After several months’ waiting, Mehtab received his first instalment in November 2020! The Rs 1000 (USD 13) per month is not much, but it’s something to help tide the family over. Since Mehtab’s success, numerous others have come forward asking to apply for various types of pension.
support this work
Donations to this project will go towards paying the small fees required to apply for various schemes and ID documents, and help subsidise half the upfront cost of government gas connections. The current monthly budget for this project is about US$400 per month. Either click the PayPal button, and choose “India Projects” from the drop-down list, or click the “Other Ways to Donate” button for other options. 100% of donations will be sent directly to the project.
While we are excited about the work we are already involved in, there are many more areas we would love to move in as a team:
