What’s the Well?

The Well is a passionate and committed movement

 composed of monthly givers on a mission to rescue 

orphaned widows and their children in India.

CHOOSE AN AMOUNT TO 
GIVE EACH MONTH.

$15 brings food, medicine,
and visits of encouragement
 and HOPE to an orphaned
widow and her children.

Named for The Woman at the Well, an outcast whose life was completely transformed after meeting Jesus, the Well is an amazing community of generous people who see a need and refuse to sit on the sidelines. 

People who know they can't do everything but must do something. People like you, who are determined to make a difference by joining forces with each other and God to bring compassion and hope to as many Indian widows as they can!

Why champion widows?  

The Well focuses on widows who are orphaned. Orphaned means they have no family to help them or their family refuses to help them. This is often the case in India where widows of the Hindu culture are blamed for their husband's death. They are literally outcasts in society, shunned and banned from all social interaction. Their suicide rate is very high. 

Did You Know These Heartbreaking Facts?  

• Widows can own no property, are limited in the food they can eat, receive little or no medical care, and are frequently abused or even killed by their families who consider them a burden.  

• More than four out of five widows are illiterate, impacting their earning ability as well as the education and health of their children. 

• The dropout rate from school after a father's death is extremely high among the children of widows and many daughters of widows find themselves married young, endangering their lives if they are not physically ready for childbirth.

• The 2010 national census showed that more than two-thirds of Indian widows were between the ages of 20 and 35 years of age and responsible for three to four children.

Widows orphaned in India are among the most

 vulnerable people on earth today. 

They are also the most invisible.

There are more than twice as many orphaned widows as there are orphaned children in India (20 million / 43 million).   See what happens when you google "advocacy groups for orphaned children in India." There are a plethora of rescue, adoption, orphanages, education and many more groups fighting on their behalf.  Then do the same for orphaned widows. The results are shocking.  You can count them on one hand.  

That's why you know you are making a difference when you join The Well.

Meet some of our partners - they are smart, incredibly creative, and absolutely relentless about making a difference.  You'll fit right in!

"Tom and I have been blessed to visit India and serve the widows numerous times. A premium channel at Comcast cost me $15 a month. When I realized I could help a widow in India with food, medicine and visits of encouragement for that same amount, well, the choice was easy.  "Goodbye Cable TV!" Kathy Caprio

"As a widow myself on a fixed budget, I have to watch my pennies. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from helping sister widows in India. So I decided to do a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser and asked my friends to donate to the widows instead of giving me birthday gifts. My friends love me a lot! They gave $315. That takes care of one widow for 21 months.  Best birthday EVER!"  Maureen Barber

"Carol and I met Pastor Saha and Anju when they came on a visit from India. When they told us about the millions of widows in India abandoned by their families I was stunned. As a husband, I couldn't imagine anything so awful happening to Carol when I died. We decided to donate monthly through our company and we both feel so blessed to be a part of this ministry. Knowing that every penny we invest goes directly to the widows and their children is important. And the joy we feel when we get the updates on "our" family in India is priceless." Steve Haines

"I started Friends Needing Friends, a ministry for widows here in America. When I became friends with Pastor Saha and Anju, and learned about the work the Widow Rescue was doing, it touched my heart. Our widows group here jumped right in to support 5 widows. Today we help 18 through Kerusomen every month. But this year I wanted to do something extra special for our sister widows at Christmas since the team is going on a mission trip to see them. I decided on a Go Fund Me page. A person I hadn't seen in months and months called out of the blue and said "How much do you need to make your goal?" She sent me a check for the whole amount!"

"When my father died my mother was devastated. Soon after I lost her too. Nothing for her was the same without Jon. I know she is smiling when I send my montly gifts for the widows in India. I simply take the money I would have spent for her on her birthday, Mother's Day, Christmas and monthly dinners out. It's a good feeling to honor her in a way that she would love and make a meaningful difference in the world at the same time."  James Russell

"I am so excited to be going on a mission trip next month to meet the widows I've been helping.  If you get a chance to join a mission team, do it! Serving these women personally is a privilege, a blessing and a life changing event. To me, being part of The Well is more than sending in a monthly gift. It's being a part of a growing movement of "friends and family" in the United States who are investing in the lives of these women and their children. No gift is too big or small to make an everlasting impact. I'd be missing out on a lot of joy without The Well." Kathlein Ambridge

I was driving Dotti to and from her Kerusomen meetings (her widows group Friends Needing Friends is a partner) so I decided to sit in on one while I waited. That was my introduction to the widows in India and getting involved was one of the best decisions I've made. I love to hear the updates from Pastor Saha and get involved with the party plans at Christmas to bless these special women. We think of a "widow" as older but many of them are so young, taking care of many children.  I know I am contributing to the next generation and making a difference. God has taken such good care of my needs over the years that sharing with these widows monthly is one of the ways I give Him thanks and worship. When my mother passed away (followed by my mother-in-law) I was able to give an extra one time gift that really made me smile!" Terry Gibelli  

THE WELL

It's about HOPE. It's about COMPASSION. It's about IMPACT.

We've been overwhelmed by the response we get when we share the stories of these widows. People are jumping in like First Responders to rescue these women from a fate that's frankly, worse than death in many ways. 

Thank you for your beautiful, generous hearts! There is no way to calculate the impact a First Responder has when they save someone. They are strangers who impact so many lives selflessly.  People they will never know or see again.

That's how we think of you.  

As First Responders whose impact is simply

MEASURELESS!

 MORE ON INDIA WIDOWS