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(2)How is CHANGE A LIFE TOO Sevalaya Project different than Change A Life Program at Regina Pacis?

While the original Change A Life program and Regina Pacis focus on young impoverished girls and education at Regina Pacis, a group of Sisters from Regina Pacis wanted to extend their help and limited resources to the plight of young Indian impoverished women who were not helped as children. Average age between 16 and 25, no longer little girls with obvious needs, the enormous hardship of young impoverished Indian women trying to survive on their own in the big city is difficult to imagine.

Therefore in 2002 a group of Sisters left the relative comfort of Regina Pacis and began, from scratch, this new Project called SEVALAYA.

"We remind the [young women] of their dignity as human beings and we feel privileged to work for them and with them in this new Millenium as we renew our dedication for the poor and needy youth."

(3)What is SEVALAYA PROJECT all about?

Thousands of Adivasi girls (young women from small villages throughout India) work near the SEVALAYA Project in Borivali, a suburb which is 40 kms from the city of Mumbai. These young women are brought by agents from remote rural villages promising them lucrative jobs. Once the young women are handed over to the families and the agent has received his commission he disappears from the scene.

The young women, usually between 16 and 25 years of age, are exploited with no support or person to take care of them. They are far, far from home and have nowhere to go. Their salaries are miserable, in the event of illness or misfortune they lose their jobs, and at all times and places they are faced with great moral danger.

Sevalaya, run by the Congregation of the Religious of Mary Immaculate which was founded by Saint Vicenta Maria in Madrid in 1876, reaches out to such young women who leave their homes because of poverty and lack of opportunities and are forced to seek employment as domestic workers in the city.

(4) In what ways does SEVALAYA help?

Sevalaya runs a hostel where these young women stay and go to work in homes close by during fixed hours of the day, so that they have time to study. The hostel is a three storey building with 8 rooms on each floor and can accommodate 48 young women. It has been running since four years and now we have 40 young women. The young women are housed in twelve of the rooms. They have the barest of furniture - a bed with a mattress & a plastic chair - but they are safe, given moral support and a family-away-from-their-family.

We motivate the girls to continue their studies and do higher education through the National Open School, so that they can better their prospects and thus aspire for other professions and careers. We have classes for them from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. and volunteers from the vicinity teach them.

The main objectives of Sevalaya are :
*   The care and promotion of these young under privileged women.
*   The defence of their rights and training in domestic skills.
*   To provide them with a shelter when they are unemployed or ill and have no where else to go.
*   To find suitable employment for them.
*   Give them opportunity for their integral development through Education.
*   To empower them with job oriented skills such as sewing, cooking etc that can make them more efficient in their profession.
*   Opportunities to develop their talent in art, craft, leadership, dance, drama.
*   Teach them to value education.

(5) What kinds of expenses do you have? What can sponsors do to help?

The Sisters provide what they can for the young women, but their resources are few and demands are high. Some of the teachers in the Night School do not charge any fees but the Sisters need to pay some of the the teachers. In addition, the gals have to pay the fees charged by the Delhi Educational Board. Costs of skill training, for example sewing, and materials like school books, are all expenses. There are other types of expenses as well such as medical expenses, boarding costs, and personal needs.

The Sisters rely a great deal on the help and good will of Sponsors. 100% of Sponsor funds are applied to the young women!! Whatever costs and expenses the Sisters don't have to spend because they are taken care of by Sponsors, the Sisters can thus use those funds to help that many other young women, so in effect a Sponsor's money goes twice as far!

Sponsors can help by:
*   donating funds to be used for higher education,
*   donating funds to be used for skill training,
*   donating funds to be used for supplies,
*   donating funds to be used for medical needs and/or personal needs.

Sponsors can choose a specific gal/situation to assist, or donate funds to be used by all gals.

Sponsors can choose a one-time donation, or choose to help a particular gal throughout any part of her education.

Presently a great deal of Sponsors pay educational expenses for our young women. Some of the young women even return the money in installments as and when they can afford it.

(6) How do Sponsors know their donations are really helping other people?

Sponsors are in direct communication with Sr. Margaret Correa, head of Change A Life Too (CAL2) and resident of Sevalaya, and receive letters of thanks from their sponsored young women as well as updates. Through letters and email, Sponsors will be able to experience the lives of their sponsored gal and provide moral support and encouragement to change their lives for the better - forever!

If you have questions you can email them to CAL@TheWorldNow.com

(7)Can my friends and I split the cost and sponsor one gal together?

Of course you can! Split the cost with as many people as you want. Get your entire neighborhood to sponsor a gal, SEVALAYA will be happy to have all of you!