Pushkar Care Packages

• Help us get food to those in need!
• A $20 contribution purchases a care package for a whole family to eat for approximately 1 month.
• PayPal: [email protected]
• Check our updates below!

Here's The Story:

We were studying agriculture, religion, and philosophy abroad in Asia when COVID-19 hit. We have been in Pushkar, India for over 4 months, 2 of which were spent in complete lockdown. We have been unable to make it home to the US due to a lack of flights. During that time, we have witnessed the events unfold and seen the impacts on the people of Pushkar. Many have become jobless and have been struggling to meet their basic needs.

The whole world has had difficulty during this pandemic but, for some, that difficulty has created a much more dire situation than being stuck in their homes. In India, the lockdown happened practically over night and many people were unable to acquire what they needed to survive for months without work. Many people work(ed) hand to mouth as the average income is about $5 a day.

The government has been unable to step up and provide the resources necessary for everyone. Many people working in other states had to literally walk hundreds of miles to their homes in order to be with their families and have shelter and food. One of which, a young woman, gave birth alone in the middle of a desert road. She walked for hours before a wealthy family took her in and helped her. People should not have to beg the government or the rich in order to live.

Having witnessed the people around us struggling, we didn't want to just sit and watch until it was our time to leave. We started working with locals to plan a way to help relieve some of the horrors of this situation. No doubt, the resilience and generosity of the Indian people is paramount, but we figured we would do our part in using our abilities to help those that could use an extra boost. Without the hard work and knowledge of our local friends and consent from those we are serving, this would not be possible.

We began putting together care packages that cost around $20. These care packages include the staples of every day cooking needs such as: wheat flour, rice, lentils, cooking oil, butter, spices, sugar, tea, etc. But, we are limited in our financial capacity. This is where you come in.

Your involvement:

With your help, we can help hundreds. Our goal is to provide care packages to 200 families. In the United States, we are poor. We live in our car and work seasonally on organic farms, teach outdoor education, etc. Fortunately, our money goes a long way in India and with that we see it as our duty to use that privilege to help, though what we have is not enough. This is an opportunity for you to do your part in helping this world.

$20 is our go-to number but any contribution helps. $20 could get you a cheap yet unsatisfying and unwholesome dinner date at Chili's or it could feed a family for up to a month. If you can't contribute money, please contribute to helping those around you, your family, your community, and the world in any way you can. Do so without ego or a sense of saviourism. Our livelihood and liberation is completely interdependent on everyone and everything. Big or small, the whole world can benefit from any act, so long as you hold the right intention and follow through until the end.

No one knows what the future holds. We don't know how long we will be here nor what will unfold in the following days, weeks, or months. With COVID-19 on the rise here in India, now is a critical window to act. It is imperative that we do our part and act diligently to support one another.

This is short-term project as of now. By no means is this some sort of miraculous solution to the complexity of these problems. That being said, we can think ourselves in circles or we can act. If people are hungry, they need food. That's what we are doing here and now, nothing more, nothing less. All we can do is try our best. How can people come up to solve the problems of the world if they are malnourished and struggling for basic needs?

We will be posting updates for every care package delivered and all pertinent information. For the record, we don't particularly like taking pictures of our interactions with people but we do it to show YOU what is happening. Ideally we could just give and not make some sort of public display out of it but that doesn't get projects funded, unfortunately.

To reiterate, 100% of donations goes directly into the care packages. There are no CEOs, office workers, or beaurocrats involved to collect a salary. We have no need to keep any for ourselves as we are managing to survive just fine. This is a small-scale independent project run by a couple of competent average joes trying to do some honest helping from the heart.

Please share this project with others and share your light with this world. Thank you for your time and efforts.

With gratitude, love, and light,

Kris, Alyssa, and the Original Team