Gully Group's Annual Indian fundraiser

Poverty can limit one’s access to housing, education and health care. For over 10 years we, the Gully Group, have supported two Indian charities to assist them in these three vital areas.

We’ve purchased rickshaw buses that transport children to school. We’ve provided teachers' wages, schoolbooks and writing materials. We’ve supported people in a leprosy village by bringing medical services and Covid vaccinations to them in their homes.

We’ve assisted a little school deliver language and computer classes. During Covid lockdowns, the school was closed. Our funds supported elderly people who lost their income due to lack of visitors purchasing their handicrafts and services.


The Gully Group -- our story
Over 10 years ago, family groups in Ferntree Gully, Australia, gathered for their Christmas celebrations. Instead of giving each other presents they pooled their money and presented it to the charities described below. Their Christmas giving has continued. They formed a group – the ‘Gully Group’. And each year the Gully Group has conducted a fundraising venture at the local Mumbai Grill Indian restaurant: https://mumbai-grill.com.au/.
The Gully Group is grateful to the restaurant and the local community who strongly support the annual fundraiser.


Read more about the charities we support

Prabhat Alloi: https://www.facebook.com/PAFoundationIndia.

Prabhat Alloi's work began in India 12 years ago with assistance in housing, water and health care in what we call 'the snake village' of Loharsol, Purulia district of West Bengal. Quickly the project grew, and today provides primary and secondary school tuition for a cluster of villages in that area, as well as a traditional medical clinic, a community organic food garden, and a community centre that fosters the rich and diverse local traditional arts and cultures. All sectors of the community are supported, including a village of elderly people living with leprosy.
The Gully Group funding has supported primary education for children from a group of villages, with rickshaw school buses and funding for wages and learning materials. More recently, members of the Gully Group have made provision for Covid vaccinations for the elderly residents of Nabakuthashram village, the most vulnerable members of the community.

Learning and Ideas for Tibet (LIT)
Learning and Ideas for Tibet (LIT) is a non-government, non-profit adult education centre in Dharamshala, North India. LIT provides free education in languages, health care and other skills, to Tibetan refugees to help eradicate poverty and illiteracy amongst the Tibetan population.
Founded in 2009, LIT addresses social issues affecting the Tibetan refugee community. Many Tibetans have come to India fleeing persecution in Tibet. They arrive with limited funds and skills, as many come from illiterate farming or nomadic backgrounds. This can lead to unemployment, depression, poverty and feelings of disempowerment and isolation.
Tibetan refugees are welcomed and they are safe in India. However, due to the strict educational policy in India, which prevents adults over the age of 18 from enrolling in school, it is difficult for adults to address their educational gaps. It is crucial that they attain language and other skills so they can become self-sufficient.
Until 2020, when Covid lockdowns closed the school, LIT was achieving its objectives of providing free education to over 100 Tibetan refugees annually. It offered a range of classes with flexible attendance policies. Classes included:
• Tibetan language
• English language with three options – Beginner, Intermediate and Conversational
• Cooking
• Buddhist philosophy
• Health (including health education, yoga, massage, acupuncture, first aid)
• Arts and Crafts (including knitting, painting, design and sculpting).
Classes have continued between lockdowns. In addition, funds have assisted the elderly who have been unable to acquire their usual incomes from the sale of handicrafts and services to foreign visitors. LIT also supports the vulnerable elderly with food and other supplies.
Your generosity in donating will assist the aims of LIT to educate Tibetan refugees enabling them to obtain employment or start their own small business and ultimately attain independence.