Civil Society At Work – Non Governmental Organizations In India
India has over 2 million Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The larger purpose of these NGOs is to share their challenges, the way communities are addressing them and opportunities of earning and sharing, with the ultimate goal of developing social partnerships and bridging the gaps. There are forums that offer opportunities for NGOs to share their work and raise funds. The corporates look at possible NGO partnerships for sustainable business development, while the funding agencies look out for more challenging territories. The NRIs seek opportunities to give back something to their country.
Some of the NGOs and their areas of functioning / achievements are given below:
Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to impact the lives of less privileged children, enabling them to maximize their potential and change their lives. It works primarily in the field of education, addressing non-formal education through its centres and also formal education by initiating school reform. Over the past 15 years, the organisation has expanded to over 2,600 children in 51 centres in Mumbai and Pune, with an additional 2100 children in 10 schools. A commitment is made to support each child by giving him or her a strong educational foundation, a good time, self-esteem and values, and to help them plan how they can earn a steady livelihood as a step towards improving their standard of living.
Antodaya was formed in 1989 as a non-profit organisation in India as a result of a group of dedicated people who had previously committed themselves to interact with the tribals of Thuamul Rampur block in Kalahandi district of Orissa. Kalahandi is a district with several deficiencies in services and infrastructures. The people of Thuamul Rampur are more exposed to malarial attacks, malnutrition, and hazardous conditions. The skewed land distribution compels the rural poor to face food scarcity for approximately four to five months per year which in turn manifolds the difficulties. Antodaya facilitates the people’s initiatives to eradicate the high incidence of poverty and under development.
Azim Premji Foundation aims at making a tangible impact on identified social issues by working in active partnership with the government and other related sections of the society. Set up with financial resources contributed by Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Corporation. it believes that education is the vital element in the development and progress of our nation. Its programmes, initiatives and efforts will revolve around creating effective and scalable models that significantly improve the quality of learning in the school and ensure satisfactory ownership by the community in the management of the school, It dedicates itself to the cause of universalisation of elementary education in India.
Blue Cross of India was established in 1959 to alleviate the suffering of animals. It has grown from small beginnings to become on of India’s largest animal welfare organizations. running active animal welfare, animal rights, and humane education programmes. Its work has received national and internationala recognition. Its office bearers have served on many state and central government committees over the last forty years.
Care India is part of an international relief and development organisation. It confronts the a underlying causes of poverty. Its members save lives, provide economic opportunity and promote self help. With excellence and compassion, they seek to forge a world of hope, tolerance and social justice. Care began work in India in 1950, after an Indo-Care agreement was signed with the Government of India. Today, it helps over 6.5 million individuals in over one lakh villages across ten states. Its projects in India are currently in the sectors of. health, nutrition, and population, girls education, small economic activity development, urban development, tribal empowerment, agriculture and natural resources and emergency preparedness and relief and rehabilitation. In 2000, Care International directly improved the lives of more than 27 million people in 69 countries across Africa, Middle East Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Tens of millions more benefited indirectly from Care projects addressing the complex problem of poverty.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE-New Delhi ) does research, investigative, i and educational work in the field of pollution, forest, wildlife, land and water use. The activities are carried out through lectures, field trips, publications, exhibitions on the various issues they take up, meetings and workshops.
Gandhi Peace Foundation – Environment Cell began b functioning at Delhi from June 1979. It was set up mainly to promote the environmental activities of rural development agencies, to disseminate environmental information through the publication of up to date reports on environmental issues, to organize workshops and seminars for environmental experts, policy makers, individuals and organization’s working for environmental issues. Their activities include researching the role of women in community forestry and rural development; conducting studies in soil erosion, water logging, drainage and seepage around select dams, planting fast growing trees. They bring out publications and educational aids on the Chipko Movement, environmental education, dams, etc, audio visuals on Mitti Bachao, the Chipko Movement, deforestation, the Yamuna and the Narmada rivers and traditional rain harvesting techniques.
Hamsafar Trust is a male sexual health agency in Mumbai,, which started as a support sustem for homosexual men and MSM ( male sexual minorities) in the city as the HIV / AIDS crisis started gathering momentum in the early, 90’s. Now it is a multi-faceted organsiation serving various needs of the MSM community with several activities that jould help the community in battling the epidemic. Its main community work is running a drop-in-centre and help-lines for MSM who have no access to health facilities or support systems in Mumbai. The center also conducts workshops as well as lectures, games cultural events, discussions, video shows, and picnics. It s clinic and testing center are with state-of-the-art medical and clinical equipment to diagnose and treat anal, Feria and test for HIV. A trained in-house counselor offers pre and post-test counceling. These facilities are funded by grants from the National AIDS Control (NACO), FHI-USAID, the Elizabeth Taylor Foundation, Greater Involvement for People Living with AIDS (GIPA), etc. In addition, it relies heavily upon donations and the community to sustain its activities.
Indian Red Cross: promotes health and care of the vulnerable people and communities. It is a leading member the largest independent ‘humanitarian organisation in the World, the International Red Cross, and Red Crescent Movement. The Mission of the Indian Red Cross is to inspire, encourage and initiate at all times all forms of humanitarian activities so that human suffering can be minimized and even prevented and thus contribute to creating more congenial climate for peace.
INTACH ( Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), New Delhi was set up in 1984 to preserve Indian cultural and natural heritage. They undertake water-harvesting projects in urban areas. They have done studies on the restoration of the ecological balance of freshwater lakes and ponds and marine habitats and prepared maps. They also publish books on environmental issues.
Lepra India society was established in 1988 as partner organisation to Lepra UK to serve the needs of people affected by leprosy. It aims to bring healing through appropriate treatment and care as well as partial support for people with ongoing leprosy related problems by working in partnership with communities, national government and other agencies. Its core activities are carried out as per the guidelines of National Leprosy Eradication Programes (NLEP) of the government of India. During a decade long service in the field of leprosy, it recognized the need and importance of extending its services to allied diseases and thus began providing support to programmes in the areas of TB and HIV / AIDS. The organisation promotes research in health sciences, works to improve the awareness levels on health issues and rehabilitates the needy and the disabled.
Narmada Bachao Andalon was set in 1986 under the leadership of Medha Patkar. Its main aims are : to educate those directly affected by large development projects, such as tribals, on the social and environmental impact of such projects; to protest against the construction of dams in the Narmada Valley in general; to struggle towards a right to information and new environmentally sustainable water policy; to help the tribals get a substantial share of the governments development schemes / services and to unable them to undertake development activities themselves. They mainly educate, mobilize and organize residents of the Narmada Valley on human rights and justice, alternative development policies. environmental issues related to big dams in general and the Narmada proiect in particular. They undertake surveys of the affected villages, protest against land and forest issues and government interference in this regard. They are fighting against displacement and disregard of the rights of the people.
Sulabh International is an Indian based social service organisation which works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. The organisation counts 50.000 volunteers. It was founded by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak in the 1970. Innovations include a scavenging-free two-pit pour flush toilet ( Sulabh Shauchalaya), safe and hygienic on-site human waste disposal technology, a new concept of maintenance and construction of payand-use public toilets, popularly known as Sulabh Complexes with bath, laundry and urinal facilities being used by about ten million people every day and generates biogas and biofertiliser produced from excreta-based plants, low maintenance waste water treatment plants of medium capacity for institutions and industries. Other work includes setting up English medium public school in New Delhi and also a network of centres all over the country to train boys and girls from poor families, specially scavengers, so that they can compete in open job market.