The Trust Expands to Jaisalmer to Stop the Cycle of Poverty and Illiteracy
For the past fifteen years, Sambhali Trust has been working to improve the lives of women and children in Jodhpur and Setrawa, India.
We have now expanded our work to include Jaisalmer, one of the least developed districts in Rajasthan.
Our goal is to provide access to education, create economic opportunities for women in Jaisalmer, and help their children enter and thrive in school.
We first learned about the needs in Jaisalmer when members of the community asked us to help provide rations during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Upon returning to learn more about the bastis (slums), the staff encountered a level of poverty they hadn't seen in Jodhpur or rural Setrawa.
“As our team entered there, we realized what hell may be like. We were greeted with dirty stagnant water, choked sewers, narrow streets, crowded dwellings, mounds of debris, and a pungent odour. The houses they live in are not even considered habitable and are in terrible condition. All the houses are encroachment houses, and the government can demolish them without even issuing a warning”
We first surveyed the community to assess the scope of need. What we learned from the nearly 150 women we interviewed was alarming:
98% live in extreme poverty, with less than $1.90 per day. And over 85% have less than a dollar a day.
43% of the population is illiterate, and over a quarter of school-age children aren't in school at all
There is neither basic sanitation such as enclosed toilets nor access to basic health facilities.
The next generation will again be trapped in poverty if nothing is done.
Sambhali Trust is committed to joining the people of this community.
Starting April 1, 2022, the Trust is expanding its successful programs into Jaisalmer.
We need your help. With your support, we can provide education and resources to these women and their families, giving them the tools they need to create a better future. Please donate today – any amount helps – to continue this vital work in Jaisalmer. Together, we can make a real difference in people's lives. Watch the video below to see the community and meet some of our staff.
We urge you to join us in supporting this critical work.