Rural Education
The Sahayak Trust’s work is in rural areas where 67% of India’s population resides (2011 Census). The Sahayak Trust has established an Institute for Rural Education which has undertaken various educational activities like running of balwadis, running of mobile schools and short vocational training programmes, organic farming training of secondary school students etc. We also undertake training of trainers from any Government Organizations (GOs), NGOs or Community Based Organizations (CBOs) working for community development, women’s empowerment, livelihood etc and also SHGs, youth groups, spiritual groups, schools, colleges and other educational institutions, PHCs, hospitals, old age homes etc.
The Sahayak Trust has been running, since several decades, a balwadi for adivasi children at Chavsar Kotemwadi, Taluka Maval, Dist. Pune, where there was neither a single educated person nor an accessible school.
In Wardha District various vocational courses were conducted through an Agro-Industry School programme with the National Organisation for Community Welfare.
In the Deolali High School, in Nashik district, The Sahayak Trust has provided training to approximately 1500 children in organic farming between 2004-05 and 2016-17 , to teach a low cost and toxin free form of agriculture that can generate higher income.
Representatives of both Amrita University and Shrimad Rajchandra Trust have been given training at the Wardha Centre of The Sahayak Trust’s Institute for Rural Education to enable them to train village level beneficiaries in their areas of operation.
Anemia Free India Forum
Nutrition Based Anemia is a matter of great concern in India. Anemia in more than 40% of the population is considered a serious health problem by the World Health Organization (WHO). India ranked 170th among 180 countries for anemia among women, 114th among 132 for stunting and 120th among 130 for wasting in children under five (Global Nutrition Report, 2016). According to WHO’s report on ‘Global Prevalence of Anemia 2011’, India ranks in the range of 40 to 59% in all groups including children from 6 to 59 months and all women in reproductive age (15-49). Anemia is estimated to directly cause 20% of maternal deaths and indirectly account for another 50 % of maternal deaths. Nutritional value of food is deteriorating because of use of chemicals, unhealthy eating habits and lack of awareness of importance of healthy lifestyles. – The food intake has been affected So we need to focus not only on chemical free food but on enough; balanced food.
Studies show that the consumption of a variety of vegetables significantly reduces nutritional anemia.
The Sahayak Trust has been working on this convergence of health and organic nutrition gardens since 2010 in collaboration with organizations such as the National Organization for Community Welfare, Wardha and Rotary Club of Bombay. In January 2016 a process for combating nutritional anaemia through formation of an Anemia Free Vidarbha Forum (AFVF) was initiated along with 19 organizations. This had grown to 36 partner organizations by July 2018. Realizing the magnitude of the problem and requests from organizations from other parts of India , an Anemia Free India Forum (AFIF) was initiated in January, 2018.
The Sahayak Trust is convener and the Knowledge and Training Partner. GOs, NGOs and others are Implementing Partners some are also Knowledge partners of AFIF in their respective areas of expertise.
AFIF Vision
To help people recover from nutritional deficiency based mild and moderate anemia with an Organic Kitchen Garden for Nutrition (OKGN), developed by their own efforts and primarily for self consumption.
PRINCIPLES & METHODOLOGY
Commitment by AFIF Partners:
Create awareness on Nutritional Anemia
Convergence of Health and Organic Kitchen Garden for Nutrition (OKGN)
Developing OKGN in different verticals and promotes diversity
Get OKGNs grown organically without chemicals
Ensure OKGNs are firstly for family consumption
Monitor Hb levels of beneficiaries at regular intervals
Research, Documentation and Dissemination.
Who can join the AFIF Mission ?
Any GOs, NGOs or CBOs, SHGs, Youth Groups, Spiritual Groups and others working for community development, women’s empowerment, livelihood, education, health and who share this vision, can join hands to take this mission ahead.
To know more about Anaemia Free India Forum click the link below-