What happens when an "aged-out" teen receives mentorship and ongoing support?
Kashvi's journey highlights the importance of your gifts and their impact.
*Kashvi grew up in extreme poverty in India, her mother a single parent struggling to provide for Kashvi and her siblings. Kashvi’s mother felt sending her children to an orphanage was the only option to ensure they were well-cared for.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. Disenfranchised parents feel despair and send their children to institutions for a seemingly “better life.” An estimated 80-90% of children in orphanages in India have a living parent. Poverty is one of the biggest factors leading to family separation.
Even though Kashvi struggled to acclimate to the orphanage and missed her mother terribly, she graduated high school on time with higher than average marks!
Graduation or “aging-out” of an institution is a PIVOTAL moment in the life of an orphan or vulnerable child like Kashvi.
Many times, these children have no idea what to do next and have little to no support or guidance for adulthood. Children like Kashvi are easy targets for trafficking, gang-related activity, prostitution, arranged-marriages, and extreme poverty.
Your support is combatting this problem directly and making a major difference
in the lives and futures of vulnerable teens like Kashvi!
Your gifts help facilitate (and grow!) an incredible, sustainable “aftercare” program for youths like Kashvi! Through this aftercare program in India, your support allows AFFEO partners and child welfare authorities to collaborate in this critical work to protect, guide, and mentor teens as they age-out of an orphanage.
Kashvi was approached by partners about this opportunity, and she was excited and encouraged to have the chance to participate. Being part of the aftercare program provided Kashvi with long-term mentorship, provision of educational fees, guidance with choosing an educational track, career aptitude testing, and job placement!
Kashvi not only completed a 1-year accounting and financial course, but she also enrolled in an undergraduate program. She was quickly placed with a financial corporation as a Senior Staff Assistant in the accounting department. She is thriving in her new role!
Without your support, Kashvi's story could have gone very differently.
Her future is now secure, because you came alongside her.
Your gifts supported Kashvi when she needed it most. With your help, she received financial stability, ongoing mentorship, and a chance at a brighter, stable future. You played a critical role in life, and your support can provide many others with the same opportunity to succeed in adulthood!
Thank you for being a champion for at-risk kids time and time again. You are helping to break the barriers of poverty, letting children and families know they are not alone in this fight.