The Village
There are 35,000 villagers existing in Ramasamudram. Agricultural work is the village’s main income. The majority of villagers are labourers for external landlords and do not own any property apart from their own houses. The money that they earn from their labour work, they use for food. Their work – and income – is directly dependent upon rain. Most villagers, with an average family size of 5, live in a thatched house that is basically a single circular room – where they eat, sleep, cook and reside.
​
Children as young as 8 years old, work 8-10 hours a day, earning around 50p. Their intensive agricultural work involves cultivating vegetation, plantation and looking after cattle.
​
There is currently one Primary School providing English medium in the entire village of Ramasamudram. English medium is the key gateway for higher education and employment. This Primary School has concrete floors for the children to sit on and dark cell-like rooms where the children learn. With no developed education in the area, these children are unable to experience the value and worth of education that benefit children in privileged countries around the world.
EMPOWERMENT MODEL
HHU was established to tackle child poverty and labour through empowerment. The main premise of the Indian arm of the charity is to empower children
through education and adults through training, which would then allow them to break the poverty cycle themselves.
HHU’S entire aim is to encourage this village and future villages to become self-sufficient – so that eventually they will not need outside help or donations.
​
Just like dropping a pebble into a pond, Helping Hands believes that by creating positive change and allowing this village to reach a state of self-sustainability, the village will create waves itself to surrounding villages and this charity can move on.
Helping Hands for Underprivileged is working to fully empower a village in Andra Pradesh, India.
-Mission hh4u is committed to:
-Educating the Underprivileged
-Rebuilding and sustaining a community
-Providing key healthcare for families
-Multi-faith harmony
-Caring for the Planet
-Utilisation and efficiency of available resources.
FOUNDER: SAVITRI SRIHARAN
​
Savitri Sriharan set up the charity in March 2003 after seeing the immense poverty that children were living in across rural India. Savitri has made it her pledge to bring much-needed education to poverty-stricken children, so that they themselves can transform their communities through their skills. She believes “through children, we can build a brighter future for the world” Savitri first encountered Andhra Pradesh following a personal visit to the surrounding area.
​
A Reiki Master and Maths & English tutor combines to show Savitri’s passion for education and healing, and especially being in service to others.​
