Mother’s Day Appeal 2026

CINI Australia’s Annual Mother’s Day Appeal is Raising Funds for our Programs in India.

In May each year, we focus on supporting women, children and young mothers through our programs in a variety of different ways. As our biggest fundraiser of the year, our aim is to raise $30,000 to lay a strong foundation for our programs.

As 2026 unfolds, it has already been a turbulent time globally, making Child in Need Institute’s (CINI) work more important than ever. In times of major international crisis, women and children are often the unseen victims, quietly enduring further hardship while being the last to receive help.

We want to see every child achieve their rights to play, safety, health, education, a clean environment and a bright future. This begins with a strong start in life. Our Sponsor a Mother program is a fine example of the depth and breadth of CINI’s programs, and is one way that your support can change the lives of individuals in need in India.

help the mother… help the child

Our Sponsor a Mother program will support young women as they go through their pregnancies. The first 1000 days of a baby’s life are critical for a child’s healthy growth and future development.

The best Mother’s Day gift is a healthy baby. 

CINI’s outreach workers meet with young mothers early in their pregnancy and then visit each month at home in her village. These young women live with their extended families, and so engaging their mothers-in-law and husbands is important to make sure they all understand her needs in pregnancy. They ensure the family realise the importance of nutrition, immunisation and that she attends her regular antenatal care. 

Linking women with a hospital for a safe child is vital. This continuous support and education makes a huge difference to the health of mum and baby. 

As well as accompanying her throughout her pregnancy, the outreach workers then visit in the first two years of the baby’s life. They make sure she is linked in with child health services, understand the importance of breast feeding and when to introduce solid foods. They help young mums respond to the first signs of illness and know how to get help for their baby.

This lays the foundation for the health, development and future of her baby.

In India over 40% of girls are pregnant or mothers before 18 years of age. Anaemia and malnutrition put these young women at risk. The need is vast and we are committed to continue our rural programs for young mothers and our urban adolescent program (Ujjan) to reach girls before they become mothers.

Thank you for your support for these mothers and girls. 


Mother’s Day Celebration High Tea Fundraiser 2026

Celebrate Mother’s Day with us this year with a delicious celebration high tea on Sunday, 3rd May, 2:00pm – 5:30pm at John XXIII College, Mt Claremont. 

Our fundraising activities will feature the ever-popular Silent Auction, packed with fantastic prizes. There will also be an exciting Raffle filled with luxurious items, along with a lively Live Auction showcasing incredible pieces—perfect for finding a special Mother’s Day gift. Guests are invited to take part in the Door Prize, Lucky Sip and Reading Roulette, and to browse the Shawl Stall for beautiful Indian scarves.

For more information, and to book your tickets, please visit: 


Host Your Own Mother’s Day Morning Tea

If you can’t join us in person, join us from your own location! Invite your friends and family to support our Mother’s Day Appeal. Visit our GiveNow page and choose to “fundraise for this cause” and launch your own Crowd Raiser. Then, you can email your friends/family to help you reach your goal.


A Journey of Hope: Our Heartwarming Visit to CINI

In November 2024, CINI Australia’s Secretary of the Board, Jaswinder Walia and his wife, Raj, visited our dedicated programs in Kolkata, West Bengal, including CFC, Ujjan, IICCHAA, and Sponsor a Mother and Her Child. They met senior staff, visited shelters, and interacted with children and adolescents supported by CINI. The visit, filled with love and dedication, left a lasting impact on Raj and Jaswinder. This is their story…


Dear Friend of CINI Australia,

As you are aware, we had the wonderful pleasure of visiting two charities in Kolkata in November 2024. The first was Ruma Abedona Hospice, which cares for the terminally ill and is supported by Ruma Abedona Australia, of which we are members, and Child in Need Institute (CINI), India, whom I am proud to be Secretary of the Board.

Visit to CINI

Our visit to CINI commenced with an introduction to senior members of their team at the Pailan office. Unfortunately, we could not meet the C.E.O., Dr. Indrani Bhattacharya, as she was busy preparing for her son’s wedding. However, the management team and unit heads spoke about their work and various projects. We then shared a meal sponsored by our team in Perth (Perth Well-Wishers for Kolkata). We finished the day by spending time with the training unit, headed by Mitun Bose.


Day 2: Amar Bari & Boys’ Day Shelter

On the second day, we visited the girls’ home in Amar Bari, where we presented a harmonium (an Indian musical instrument). The music teacher and the children were overjoyed and immediately sang songs, accompanied by the teacher playing the harmonium. It was a wonderful experience for us. The cost of the harmonium was covered by our group in Perth.

We then visited the boys’ day shelter, where the boys had come for the day to be bathed, fed, and prepared for school. Dressed in neat clothing, they entertained us with dancing and taekwondo—a truly wonderful sight. Unfortunately, we could not meet the two boys we sponsor, as they were sitting for their exams.

After that, we went to the railway station and met Babu Dey, the CINI unit head. There, we witnessed the rescue of a nine-year-old girl who had been sleeping at the station for three nights! She was registered at the CINI booth at the station before being taken to the CINI girls’ shelter.

In the afternoon, we visited adolescent children under the Rambagan Ujjan project. The children impressed us with their aspirations—one child, who had lost a parent to HIV, wanted to become an IAS officer, while another aspired to be a human rights lawyer.

Later, we walked through the ten-lane red-light area, where we spoke to a sex worker who shared her story. She was a single mother with three young children—an incredibly touching moment. Sutapa Dey from CINI translated the stories, helping us understand the struggles these women face to survive.


Day 3: IICCHA Project & Village Visit

On the third day, we visited the IICCHA project, where Dr. Rumeli Das and Suctindra explained their program. We met several young adults whose parents were living with HIV/AIDS and saw the distribution of food items and vocational training.

Later, we visited a shanty home in a village, where we met several beneficiaries involved in skill development programs, such as tailoring. We also met a mother of two children who was infected with AIDS but on medication (her husband was also on AIDS medication). We were informed that the village does not know about their medical condition due to fear of stigma. If their condition were discovered, they could be expelled from the village.

Please watch the 9-minute video sent to us by Dr. Rumeli Das:


Day 4: 1,000 Days Programme & Medical Center Visit

On the fourth day, we met with a team working on the 1,000 Days Programme (Dr. Sawti Chakroborty, Mitun Mondal, and Naresh). Our visit to the Amader Bari Medical Center was enlightening. We saw a baby being weighed and measured, after which her mother was advised that the child was suffering from malnutrition.

We also had the opportunity to meet the accounts team, and we were impressed with their meticulous record-keeping.


Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mrs. Kakoli Dey and Pradyut for organising our program and accompanying us on various visits.

We feel blessed to have experienced the love and dedication of the CINI team in India. It was a heartwarming and unforgettable journey.

Raj & Jas


Family Fun Day Fundraiser Hosted by Perth Well Wishers

Join us for a morning full of FUN fundraising!

Come along to a wonderful Family Fun Day on 23rd March 2025, from 9:30 am to 12 noon! Help Perth Well Wishers to raise funds and support CINI Australia’s programs in West Bengal, India.

There will be Kids Games, Sausage Sizzle, Face painting & much more for your family to enjoy. Tickets: Adults: $20, Children: $10.

We look forward to seeing you at the Whitford Nodes Park, Hillary’s. Free parking available.


Thank You for Your Support

If you can’t join the event but would like to support our programs, please visit the CINI Australia GiveNow page to make a donation. For more information, please feel free to contact us by emailing admin@ciniaustralia.org.

Make a Difference This Christmas

This Christmas, we invite you to make a donation to CINI Australia to support women and children in some of the most disadvantaged regions of India, specifically West Bengal. Your support creates lasting change in the lives of individuals, where even a small donation can make a significant difference.

Donations to CINI have a tremendous impact, and we are proud to share the following success story as an example of the positive change achieved this year.


Income Generation Training – IICCHAA 
(Indian Initiative Child Centered HIV Aids Approach)

Income Generation Training focuses on equipping individuals with skills that enable them to create income, with the primary objective of bolstering their financial independence. The trainees are individuals living with HIV, who wish to secure their livelihoods.In the South 24 Parganas, tailoring sessions were initiated for 8 young adults and mothers. Additionally, a 3-day Vocational Training Programme was organised in the Murshidabad unit, targeting 3 adolescents and 3 mothers from HIV-affected families.

This training program takes place at CINI Head Office, in collaboration with a local tailor who was previously supported by the program. In anticipation of the Bengali Durga Puja festival, which sees increased demand for various items like sarees, kurtis, churidars, bangles, earrings, and jewellery, the training focused specifically on fabric painting.

This hands-on approach helped to empower individuals with the means to generate income through their newfound skills. Programs like these form the cornerstone of the CINI Method—an internationally recognised and award-winning human rights-based approach.

Your contribution this Christmas can make a significant impact. CINI Australia is a registered charity, so any donation over $2 is tax deductible.

Thank you for your support.



Your Donations in Action

To read more about the work accomplished by CINI, we invite you to read our Annual Report. This report covers the period from July 2022 to June 2023.