forkids is a non profit-making organisation based in Spain, that collaborates closely with a charity in India, the PVS (Pragathi Vidya Samasthe). The group is headed by people with incredible amounts of dedication and vitality who work on various projects with minimal resources and minimal funding to help make rural communities in the Kolar district, 100km north of Bangalore, become self-sufficient and improve prospects for both adults and children, regardless of caste or religion.

PVS has existed for over 10 years and came into being thanks to the labour of a rural teacher who fought to bring education to the lowest castes. She started by giving classes to a few children and adults in the evenings, and, although she is nowadays retired, her initial efforts have been rewarded with a school that gives lessons to some 300 children that would otherwise have had no hope of an education.

This school, however, is in quite a ruinous state, and one of the projects of forkids is to raise 24,000€ to build a new school to provide adequate and safe facilities for the children.

PVS is currently working in 25 villages, entering only when asked to do so. In each one, a self-help group is formed by women where they are encouraged to analyse their situations, detect problems and act. Invariably, the major priority in their lives is getting an education for their children.

To this end, many parents take them to the PVS school, with the hope that they will be sponsored by forkids' collaborators and will therefore be less likely to have to drop out of their education due to economical pressures on the family.

The level of involvement and application of the women in the groups is undivided, as they know from the start that the continuing prosperity of each project depends on their efforts, and their longing to leave behind a world of poverty for them and their children is a huge driving force in their determination to succeed.

One of the projects PVS has introduced is that of organising savings and micro-credits within the communities. The women save a small amount each week and when someone needs to borrow money, the same group of women democratically sorts out the funding. In India, 96% of such loans are paid back. This good faith has caused the government to make it possible for these same women now to get loans from a bank, with the group acting as guarantor. This was something that was hitherto unthinkable, especially for the members of the lower castes who usually had to go to dubious money-lenders and pay up to 200% interest, meaning that the family became as good as slaves, often taking a whole lifetime to pay back the loan.

forkids is also raising money to continue the provision of a legal advisor for abused women. Physical or psychological ill-treatment is often compounded by the dowry system, which is a principle cause of suicide amongst females. In the rural world, women receive very little information about their rights and often are made to feel that they are worthless members of the community. forkids hopes to rectify this injustice and through education and training help women appreciate their vital strengths and increase their self-esteem, which in turn will also help their families. They can be taught a trade which allows them to earn a stable income and enables them to feed, educate and seek medical help for their children. They also have access to literacy classes.

Other projects include helping a group of elderly women without resources, housing and sponsoring 35 street kids from Bangalore, and collaborating with the SERA Hospital in their efforts to eradicate tuberculosis.

A fundamental goal is that the communities do not depend on outside help for continuing relief. With the assistance of tested PVS methods for improving their living conditions, they become more self-reliant and independent, at the same time augmenting their collective dignity and self-assurance. And once the helping hand has been offered and accepted and the theory put into practice, PVS is free to move on to assist other needy groups.

There are 2 ways to collaborate with forkids. Donations can be sent directly to the forkids bank account, or you can sponsor a child for 15€ per month. With this small amount, you guarantee their education, medical attention and a balanced diet. Twice a year you receive school reports, letters and photos from the child, details about current projects and about their environment in general. You are encouraged to send letters etc. to the children as they really look forward to hearing from you, and like us, you will no doubt feel immensely proud of the efforts they are making in the school. And if you're stuck for ideas for next year's holidays, why not visit the project you are aiding!

For more information, visit their website on http://perso.wanadoo.es/forkids. Alternatively, you can contact us at Think'Z, or send a donation through the bank, Caixa de Catalunya: 2013 0492 09 0200735098.