One gift. Many lives.
When you empower a young woman at the heart of a marginalised family, you empower her whole family to break the cycle of poverty and build a better future.
Donate today to help break down the barriers for a woman like Bhagya and unlock the opportunities her family needs to thrive.
Bhagya was just a child when her mother died and her father walked away. She was left to care for her elderly grandmother, younger brother and three little sisters alone. They had no regular income. No government documents. Their roof leaked in the rain, and Bhagya struggled just to put food on the table.
“My family’s situation was very difficult. Life felt aimless and burdensome,” she says. “Even managing a week’s food was a challenge.”
“My family’s situation was very difficult. Life felt aimless and burdensome. Even managing a week’s food was a challenge.”
Bhagya, 18 years old, with her sisters outside their home in Hangal, India.
But then Bhagya found Loyola Vikasa Kendra (LVK), our local Jesuit partners in Hangal, India. With their support, she obtained food ration cards, got her siblings into school and even secured funding to fix their crumbling home. Today, she earns a liveable wage as an assistant cook at an LVK youth hostel while training to be a tailor so she can better support her family.
“There’s a lot of newness in my life and I feel so happy.”
You can help another young woman like Bhagya break the shackles of poverty and build a better life for herself and her family.
“Because of all the positive changes happening in my life, I now have self-confidence, participation, enthusiasm and determination. On behalf of myself and my family, I will be forever grateful.”
Bhagya
Life for families on the margins
Hangal Block in Karnataka is home to some of the most marginalised families in India. Many, like Bhagya’s family, come from the Dalit community, which has historically faced deep social exclusion and limited access to education, healthcare, government support and employment opportunities.
This leaves many families trapped in a multi-generational cycle of poverty through no fault of their own.
You can help break this cycle.
Loyola Vikasa Kendra: one project impacting many lives
LVK understands that many of the challenges marginalised families in India face do not occur in isolation. They are the result of complex and interwoven issues that often date back generations.
To break the cycle of poverty, we must first break down the barriers that hold these families back. That’s why LVK isn’t just about short-term aid. It’s about long-term empowerment. Working alongside families and their communities to build lasting change where it counts.
Already, LVK has transformed 1,617 lives across 36 villages. Your support today can help reach thousands more.
How you can help break down the barriers
- Improve access to healthcare within marginalised communities
- Create more education opportunities for children
- Teach leadership and income-generating skills to women like Bhagya
- Build the community’s awareness of their rights and entitlements
- Improve environmental sustainability
- Grow community connection, strength and capability