Little Mohan* lives with his aunt and uncle. His mom (aunt's sister) died at birth and his dad ran away when she was pregnant with him. Aunt tells neighbors that Mohan is her child, to avoid questions. They live in a slum area in Mysore, and aunt works in the city cleaning houses for a living.

Mohan is like many that we help with Project Food and More. Our PFM kids and their guardians, already living well below the poverty level, suffer additional hardship from the loss of one or more income-earning parents to conditions such as HIV/AIDS. We work with a local HIV clinic to seek out the neediest ones.

PFM also assists HIV+ women who have been abandoned by their families. At theHIV clinic and through our work on the streets, we meet many such women. HIV/AIDS scares off husbands, mothers and fathers, and in-laws.

Unfortunately, this occurs frequently and positive women who are already poor (and usually illiterate) often find themselves literally thrown out of their houses. PFM now assists such women with a monthly care package and support for in-patient and out-patient medical treatment, and we plan to open an after-care home for such women.

*Name changed to protect privacy.

Project Food and More recipients receive a monthly "care package" including basic cooking ingredients (rice, dahl, other healthy grains), bath and laundry soap, mosquito repellant, protein powder, other staples, and a small amount of cash. The value each "care package" is about US$25.00 (Rs.1200). To some of us, this may not seem like much, but is typically a 30--50% increase in a family's monthly income.

To qualify for assistance through Project Food and More:

• A child must have lost one or both parents and is being supported by another family member (usually a grannie), causing an additional burden on the guardian, OR one parent is very sick and cannot work.
• The child must come from an extremely poor economic background.
• A woman must be HIV+, come from an extremely poor economic background and must have been abandoned by her family (husband, in-laws, parents).
  

We visit the homes of each potential recipient, to interview them about their situation and to evaluate their living conditions. Many live in one- or two-room houses and shacks ("gudisalu") in villages areas or slums, and have no proper running water or toilet facilities.

Project Food and More Sponsor Program

Your sponsorship of a Project Food and More child allows us to expand our work to help even more hungry kids who have suffered the loss of a parent and greatly need assistance.

Donate now. Provide a care package to a Project Food and More family for just $25.00.