Why this project exists.

My name is Minhaj. I'm 19 and I'm from Bihar in India.

I am currently employed at a printing shop where I work as a wedding card maker and earn about $155 a month. I am not the only member of my family to be working; both my older brother and my father also work. All of us three together make approximately $415 per month.

However, once we have paid all our EMIs and loan repayments, the only amount we have left at the end of the month is about $50, and from that we still have to pay for food and other essential living expenses.

This is when the most difficult aspect of our situation starts.

Our family owes more than $25,000, this consisting of loans made on gold, loans from banks and loans from individuals. If we relied solely on our income to pay back this sum it would take longer than our family could realistically afford.

To be precise:

• Bank loans

  $6,254.20

• Gold loan

  $4,169.47

• Informal loans

  $14,635.51

You could also be wondering why my father needed to take so many loans.

A few years back my father attempted to set up his own business and put in about $10,000 with the aim of improving our family's financial position, but the business ended up failing.

Following the failure of the business, my father had a brain stroke, and the medical bills together with all the other things that came after them brought our family into an even greater amount of debt, which eventually reached $25,000.

I'm not requesting that you give a substantial sum. Even a small contribution could make a difference to my family at the moment. If you are able to assist me, even with just a few dollars, I should truly be thankful.

I appreciate you having taken the time to read my story and to understand the situation our family is facing.

I'm gathering all the loan documents and will post them here so that anybody who wishes to support us can see that this is a genuine situation and not a fake story or a scam.

— Minhaj Alam