I NEED YOUR HELP TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE FAMILY OF THIS MARTYR AND OTHER MARTYRS. PLEASE READ THE STORY AND SUPPORT THIS DESERVING CAUSE GENEROUSLY.
I am raising funds to build a house for the family of Martyred Naik Arjun Birgane, who was from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He was in the Indian army as a part of the Maratha Regiment and was involved in the operation to capture the Siachin glacier ( the highest battlefield in the world). He obtained the rank Naik and was part of the 2 Mahar Regiment. He lost his life in battle on 21st August 2001 as part of this operation in KARGIL which was code-named MEGHDOOT. I strongly believe that it is our duty to care for the brethren of those who have laid down their lives for our nation.
He is survived by his wife, 2 children, and widowed mother. I would like to give them a fresh lease of life by building a home for them.
THIS IS WHERE THEY LIVE NOW:
The home is old, in a state of disrepair and needs to be rebuilt.
Rukkatai Martunda Birange (65), widow and mother, lives with her daughter-in-law Archana and 2 grandchildren in Sainik Takli Village, Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
Rukkatai has only known the life of a military family. Her husband Martunda Birgane served in the army and was also a part of World War II. They had three sons Vilas, Ashok and Arjun, all of whom also served in the army.
Arjun completed 10th Grade and applied to the army soon after. On 15th December 1989, he was selected to join the 2nd Mahar Regiment of the Indian Army. Four years later, in March 1993, he married Archana and had two children Vikram and Divya. Eight happy years later, during his service in Kargil as a Lance Naik, Arjun lost his life.
The family was in shock, mourning the loss of the man who was a son, husband, and father. Just as they were coming to terms with it, Arjun’s elder brother Vilas passed away, and his brother Ashok also succumbed to an illness. In the span of a few years, this family suffered great loss.
Rukkatai was left with Archana, Vikram, and Divya, all surviving on the pension received from the army. Archana spends most of her savings on her children’s education. The family lived in Rukkatai’s ancestral home, which was falling apart but due to their financial condition, they were unable to repair it.
In August 2019, Maharashtra witnessed terrible floods that wreaked havoc in the Kolhapur district. Rukkatai’s house was submerged for more than a week, and the family lost most of their belongings. With no means of rebuilding their home, Rukkatai and Archana became very unsure of their future.
While families of soldiers who served in the military are well looked after, losing four earning members of the family meant they were unable to realize the dream of building, and living in a decent home.
Through the Habitat for Heroes initiative, Habitat for Humanity India is now mobilizing support to help families like Rukkatai’s, who lose their sons and daughters in service of the country. We believe that we are duty-bound to serve those who have served us.
HELP ME RAISE INR 12 LACS AND BUILD A HOME FOR THIS FAMILY AND OTHERS LIKE THEM.
COST SHEET:
CASE STUDIES:
Read the below stories of homes built for martyrs like Arjun Birgane.
ABOUT ME & THIS CAMPAIGN:
My name is R. Ramakrishnan. I serve as the Chief Executive of the INR 8000 Crore Polycab India Limited. I have contributed to the professionalization of the company, creating the right organization structure, giving a strong profitability orientation, building the brand and rapidly expanding the distribution reach of Polycab. I also contributed to the highly successful IPO of Polycab in April 2019 and its subsequent performance. Prior to this, I played a very successful leadership role in Bajaj Electricals Ltd for 12 years. I also served in Asian Paints for 17 years. I strongly support the initiatives of Habitat for Humanity.
I am an active speaker in International Conferences and presently serve on three CII National Councils namely Manufacturing, Capital Goods and Corporate Governance. I serve on the Executive Committee of The Indian Society of Advertisers and The Advertising Standards Council of India. I am a Past President of the Bombay Management Association.
I am a keen golfer with five hole-in-ones to my credit. Along with some friends, I founded the Chembur Golf Welfare Foundation to empower and support 200 Caddies and their families. I have published two books on Wildlife Photography titled “My African Odyssey” and "Our African Safari".
Our brave Martyrs sacrifice their own life, so that we and our families are safe. Have we imagined the life of a War widow or children or parents of a slain soldier? Can’t we make a difference by contributing together as friends and build a House for The Habitat Heroes? Please open your hearts and contribute your maximum for this noble cause and show that you care!
ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INDIA
Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit organization working in approximately 70 countries including India. Since 1983, Habitat for Humanity India has supported millions of people in India to build or improve a place they can call home.They took up the cause of building homes for bereaved families of soldiers of India’s Armed Forces through the ‘Habitat for Heroes’ program. This initiative seeks to engage citizens of the country, corporates, and volunteers to help India’s soldiers and families of fallen soldiers in their need for decent shelter, with the belief that we must serve those who have served us. Their work with the district authorities and grass-root level partners has helped us identify many such families in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand who are in need of decent shelter.
TAX BENEFITS
All funding for this campaign has tax benefits. Receipts will be issued by Habitat For Humanity India which is a registered NGO. Indian citizens can avail of 80G tax benefits. Foreign funding is accepted too.
FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET
To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall get a report from the NGO giving me an update on the progress and the completion of the house. The details will then be posted on the UPDATES section of my campaign. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an SMS and EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. That's transparent right?
FAQs
When do I get the receipts?
It takes up to 2-3 weeks after the campaign is closed for the monies to be transferred to the NGO. The receipts will start getting processed about 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on an FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
