NGO: Maharshi Dayanand Mahila Sikshan Sansthan Samiti

NGO: Maharshi Dayanand Mahila Sikshan Sansthan Samiti

Maharshi Dayanand Mahila Shikshan Sansthan Samiti was established in 1982, by the IDRF Board Member and world renowned mathematician and social worker Dr. G.R. Verma. This educational institution for women’s education is dedicated to educating and creating a variety of professional and technical opportunities for high achieving girls in the various fields of sciences in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

IDRF partner since: 2001

  • Focus Area: Education , Women Empowerment
  • Location:  Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan
  • Project Title: Construction of Staff Quarters, College Corpus Fund
  • Details:  IDRF has provided valuable direction and dynamic leadership, which has enabled Maharshi Dayanand Mahila Shikshan Sansthan Samiti to provide quality education to girls from the villages of Rajasthan. This has made a significant contribution in women’s education and empowerment to make Jhunjhunu district’s identity in Rajasthan and whole of India. IDRF has partnered with the institution in order to build staff quarters on the school premises in order to assuage the difficulties associated with daily commuting for staff.

    In the past, IDRF has also supported the construction of computer rooms, physics and chemistry laboratories, English language lab, and conference hall for the staff and students.

Dr. Verma teaching mathematics to students at the Institution during one of his visits

Institution’s Building

Physics Laboratory

Please click on the link to know more about Maharishi Dayanand Mahila Shikshan Sansthan Samiti’s programs.

http://www.mdbvcollege.com/

“Grab and Go” Food Distribution Events

“Grab and Go” Food Distribution Events

IDRF joins hands with the Indian-American Organisations and Community of DC Metro Area to help needy families during the COVID-19 Pandemic

September 2020

Grab & Go event to distribute 9,000 lbs of fresh produce and non-perishable groceries to more than 260 families by IDRF in partnership with Rajasthali DC, Germantown HELP, MCPS, and  Journey’s Crossing Church on September 19, 2020, at Germantown, Maryland. 

August 2020

Grab & Go event to distribute 587 bags of fresh groceries by IDRF in partnership with DC Dream Center, Blessings of Hope, and Breadcoin at Pennsylvania Baptist Church in Washington DC on August 31, 2020.  

Grab & Go event to distribute fresh groceries to 280 families by IDRF in partnership with Rajasthali Association of Washington DC, Germantown HELP, MCPS, and Neelsville Presbyterian Church was organized in Germantown, MD on Saturday, August 15th. 

Montgomery County Council, Maryland’s VP-Tom Hucker awarded citations to IDRF and partners on India’s 74th Independence Day for their commendable relief work done to serve the multi-cultural and diverse communities in the DC Metro area during these challenging times. 

Grab & Go event to distribute 500 bags of fresh groceries by IDRF in partnership with DC Dream Center, Blessings of Hope and Breadcoin at Pennsylvania Baptist Church in Washington DC on August 3.

July 2020

Grab & Go event to distribute 250 free food bags by IDRF and Rajasthali Association in partnership with Germantown HELP and MCPS on July 18 at Journey’s Crossing Church, Germantown.

Grab & Go event to distribute groceries to 580 families by IDRF and ADG in conjunction and support from other partners on July 11 at Astha Adult care center, Silver Spring, MD.

June 2020

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 750 struggling families of Montgomery County, Maryland
on June 14, 2020, at the Mangal Mandir, Silver Spring, MD

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 600 struggling families of Montgomery County  on June 13, 2020, at Montgomery College, Germantown, MD

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 600 struggling families of Montgomery County, Maryland

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 1260 struggling families of Montgomery County, Maryland
on May 23, 2020, at the Aastha Adult Medical Care, Silver Spring, MD

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 600 struggling families of Fairfax County, Virginia
on June 6, 2020, at the Durga Temple, 8400 Durga Pl, Fairfax Station, VA

May 2020

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 1140 struggling families of Montgomery County, Maryland
on May 30, 2020, at the Aastha Adult Medical Care, Silver Spring, MD

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 1140 struggling families of Montgomery County, Maryland
on May 23, 2020, at the Aastha Adult Medical Care, Silver Spring, MD

“Grab and Go Food Drive” to provide relief to 600 struggling families of Prince George’s County, Maryland
on May 9, 2020, at the Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Lanham, MD

COVID-19 Relief Campaign in India-2020

COVID-19 Relief Campaign in India-2020

Please HELP the Poor get Food during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Millions of poor daily-wage earners in India have lost their livelihood and are on the verge of starvation…With India under complete lockdown to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, poor daily-wage earning migrant laborers have returned to their homes. IDRF is raising funds to help these extremely poor and unemployed by providing RELIEF KITS* with FOOD and ESSENTIALS to SAVE their FAMILIES FROM STARVATION.

  • Details:  IDRF has sent $127,000 to provide relief to the needy especially the poor migrant workers in Gorakhpur district (UP), Malda district (West Bengal), Ganjam and other districts (Odisha), Kutch district (Gujarat), Osmanabad district (Maharashtra), Madhubani district (Bihar), Kankhal district (Uttarakhand) and Ajmer district (Rajasthan). IDRF has provided more than 6,510 Relief Kits (dry food and hygiene items) to struggling migrant worker families, medicines, personal protection kits, and food to thousands of medical personnel, patients, family members, and hospital staff. In addition, thousands of destitute migrant workers were also provided snacks, water-bottles, facemasks, and sanitizers at the checkpoints on their journey back home.

The spread and scale are enormous and we are expanding our relief campaign to other states of India as well to serve thousands more. Please don’t hesitate as time is not on our side.

HURRY and Make a tax-deductible donation today. Your donation of $1,000 will help 65 families for 15 days

The Federal Coronavirus Relief Bill grants taxpayers an above-the-line deduction for up to $300 (Standard Deduction) in charitable donations starting in 2020.

To combat this dire situation, IDRF is sending 100% of the donations received without keeping any administrative costs. IDRF is providing food and essentials to the needy regardless of religion, caste or creed through our trusted and long-time partners: Economic Rural Development Society in West Bengal, Manav Seva Sansthan “SEVA” in Uttar Pradesh, Samerth Charitable Trust in Gujarat, Jnana Prabodhini in Maharashtra, Youth for Social Development and Sathya Sai Trust in Odisha, Gram Vikas Parishad in Bihar, Ramakrishna Mission Sevashram in Uttarakhand and Centre for Advocacy and Research in Rajasthan.

* RELIEF KITS include cooking oil, flour, lentils, sugar, spices, soya chunks, potatoes, tea packets, biscuits, soap, anti-septic liquid, and sanitary napkins, etc. 

NGO: Yogoda Satsanga Society of India

Vardan Seva Sansthan

Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India, is a social-service organization that runs several programs throughout India in the areas of education, medicine, and disaster rehabilitation. YSS operates more than 20 educational institutions and 30 charitable medical dispensaries focused on free homoeopathic and allopathic medical care. These institutions are primarily centered in the tribal and economically disadvantaged rural areas of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Chandigarh and Delhi.

IDRF partner since: 2002

  • Focus Area:  Education, Health and Disaster Rehabilitation
  • Location: Tamil Nadu and West Bengal
  • Project Title: Corpus Fund and Construction of Meditation Hall
  • Details:  IDRF has been making significant contributions to YSS’s corpus fund over the past several years. These funds are used for running of the hospitals and dispensaries for the poor and underprivileged people. With a growing interest in Parmananda Yoganandaji’s teachings, a need was felt to have a new meditation hall/temple in Chennai that can accommodate more people. An eminently suitable building was gifted by an YSS devotee and IDRF’s funds are used for major renovations and expansions that will be able to accommodate 350 people in the hall and also include rooms for visiting monks. This building was inaugurated in 2017 during YSS’s centennial celebrations.

Please click on the link to learn more about Yogoda Satsanga Society’s various programs.

https://yssofindia.org/

Vardan Seva Sansthan

Vardan Seva Sansthan

Vardan is a non-profit organization that is committed to provide high quality medical care to rural poor patients in Ghaziabad district in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

IDRF partner since: 2010

  • Focus Area: Health
  • Location: Uttar Pradesh
  • Project Title:  Vardan Multi-Specialty Hospitalof Science Laboratories and Classrooms
  • Details:  IDRF has been partners with Vardan Sewa Sansthan for several years now and supported their eye hospital in Ghaziabad. The Vardan Eye Hospital was inaugurated in 2001, and is the best eye-care center in the State with highly qualified surgeons and technical staff. It is equipped with latest instruments and machines imported from USA and Germany. The eye hospital also conducts free OPD camps at nearby villages and provides free transportation to bring rural patients to the hospital. The admitted patients are also provided food, post-operative overnight stay at the hospital and medicines to take back home. Free follow-ups are also done for the patients who have undergone eye surgeries.
    Vardan Sewa Sansthan has decided to build a 170-bed multi-specialty charitable hospital at Village Garhi Dhargal, District Ghaziabad, in the NCR. Vardan Hospital presently has 120-beds and is equipped with high quality facilities and competent doctors and staff to ensure quality health services to the poor from the nearby villages. The hospital campus is spread over an area of 2 acres, with 100,000 square feet of built-up area and 10 floors. The hospital was inaugurated in July 2015 by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. IDRF is not raising any more funds for the hospital.

Vardan Multi-Specialty Hospital

Vardan Hospital – Ambulance

Please click on the link below to know more about Vardan Sewa Sansthan.
http://www.vardan.org/

S-VYASA

S-VYASA

Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana University (S-VYASA), was established in 1986, and is a charitable educational institution promoting the role of Yoga in the modern medical sciences and research. Based on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, the four streams of Yoga, that are the key essence of Indian culture, are now being applied to bring health, harmony and peace to people all over the world. Suggested by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared June 21st as the International Yoga Day in 2014. The mission of S-VYASA, has been to combine the best of the east (Yoga and spiritual lore) with that of the west (modern scientific research).

S-VYASA has supported and enabled thousands of students with an interest in yoga and its connection to medicine to conduct research, both independently and in collaboration with dozens of medical institutions around the world. Stop Diabetes Movement (Madhumeha Mukta Bharat) is one of the important mission initiatives of S-VYASA.

IDRF partner since: 2002

  • Focus Area: Health and Women Empowerment
  • Location: Karnataka
  • Project Title: Construction of Eknath Center, Naturopathy and Ayurveda Center, and, Stop Diabetes Movement & Yoga Awareness
  • Details:  IDRF joined hands with S-VYASA in 2007 for the construction of Eknath Center –City Clinic in Bengaluru city. At this center yoga training and therapy are conducted. In 2010 and 2011, IDRF again teamed up with S-VYASA for the construction of a Naturopathy and Ayurveda Center on the campus of the university.

    S-VYASA was in the forefront to organize “Madhumeha Mukta Bharat Yoga Saptaha” for a week, in June 2015. Stop Diabetes Movement (SDM) camps were organized to spread awareness about diabetes and preventing diabetes among the Indians across the country for the well-being of the nation, by using ancient holistic approach of Yoga. This mission has been an ambitious movement to prevent India from becoming “Diabetes Capital of the World”. This meteoric increase in numbers is primarily driven by rapid changes in diet, demographic transitions, and sedentary lifestyle in the background of genetic predisposition. India’s economic boom has been accompanied by not only an increase in the number of people with diabetes but also those at risk for the disease.

    IDRF partnered with S-VYASA in 2016 for organizing the 1,426 SDM camps conducted in 21 states in India. The participants received CDs and booklets and, availed of the benefits of Yoga therapy in the management of diabetes. Blood samples were collected for laboratory tests (sponsored by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India) and follow-up action plans were prepared under which the participants were monitored for one year to continue Yoga therapy and laboratory tests were repeated at the end of third, sixth and twelfth months.

    S-VYASA has received positive feedback from people representing all walks of life that there has been no negative effects of the module and a large number of participants showed a 20% reduction in blood glucose levels within one week. Encouraged by these positive results, the program is going forward and aims to significantly reduce this growing epidemic in India.

Construction of Sanitation Units

Naturopathy and Ayurveda Centre

Naturopathy and Ayurveda Center

Please click on the link to learn more about the S-VYASA’s various programs.

http://svyasa.edu.in/

NGO: Economic Rural Development Society (ERDS)

NGO: Economic Rural Development Society (ERDS)

Economic Rural Development Society (ERDS) is an NGO established in 1982 in  West Bengal. ERDS owes its existence to the dedication and hard work of Mr. Madhu Basu, who wanted to combat the growing poverty in rural and urban areas. It is a non-profit, secular and non-political organization dedicated to the mitigation of misery and poverty, and upliftment of the impoverished.

The primary objective of the organization is to engage in sustainable development techniques to empower the local rural communities, especially women and children. In the initial years it concentrated on non-formal and adult education. Gradually ERDS has diversified its activities in other fields such as women empowerment, children education, health & nutrition, low cost sanitation, care & rehabilitation of the elderly.

IDRF partner since: 2005

  • Focus Area:  Health, Education, Women Empowerment and Disaster Rehabilitation
  • Location: West Bengal
  • Project Title: Rural Sanitation Project
  • Details:  Open defecation poses a serious threat to the health and dignity of women and encounter dangers such as snake bites. Poor sanitation also cripples national development as workers produce less, live shorter lives, save and invest less, and are less able to send their children to school. The Government of India is aiming to achieve Open Defecation Free -India by October 2, 2019- the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing 12 million toilets in rural India. While Swachh Bharat Abhiyan became household word since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s launching this campaign on Gandhi Jayanti in 2014, IDRF has been actively involved in this mission since 2010
    IDRF has joined hands with ERDS to expand its rural sanitation program for 3,000 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families living in Gajole, Malda and Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal. This project will benefit 18,000 people by providing low cost sanitation facilities at the household level and create a healthy and safe environment for better living. ERDS identifies BPL families without the sanitation units in the beneficiary villages. The NGO staff conducts awareness sessions and trains them for the use and maintenance of the sanitation units. Each eco-friendly sanitation unit is consisting of two alternating pits. Overtime human waste is dewatered and turns into organic manure.
    The construction of sanitation units has started with great enthusiasm in Malda and so far 606 units have already been constructed. We have a long way to meet our target of 3000 units. It takes about 3 days for the construction of one unit at the cost of $250. In this area the beneficiaries are not yet getting the government funding for constructing the sanitation units due to inordinate bureaucratic hurdles. As an integral part of IDRF’s policy, an active participation of beneficiaries is expected and encouraged. Therefore, INR 4,000 is contributed by the beneficiary households in the form of shramdan. Hence, the overall financial cost met by IDRF is INR 16,000 for each sanitation unit. Mr. Madhu Basu, ERDS was invited by W.Bengal radio on April 20, 2017 to talk about their ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ programs.

Construction of Sanitation Units

The families for which the sanitation units have already been constructed are showing a marked difference in their health and hygiene conditions in the period before and after the construction. There seems to be an increase in their level of self-confidence and dignity. One beneficiary also mentioned that after the construction of a sanitation unit for their family, they are able to spend more money on food. As earlier they had to spend more money on doctors’ fees and medicines due to several recurring diseases like diarrhea, intestinal worms, and hookworms that cause malnutrition, etc.

Finished Sanitation Unit for a Family in Malda

Please click on the following links to see ERDS’s successful implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Indian PM Narendra Modi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gH3f1JLOG4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4isMYz9-gOg&t=744s

Also click on this link to see some interesting figures associated with the Swachh Bharat Mission on this Dashboard- maintained by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India.

 http://sbm.gov.in/sbmdashboard/Default.aspx

NGO: Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society

NGO: Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society (SVRDS)

Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society (SVRDS) was set up to extend support to the rural poor, by providing them educational, social development and humanitarian services. SVRDS works in the rural parts of Tamil Nadu, where people are not only extremely poor, but also suffer from high rates of malnutrition, illiteracy, unemployment and perpetual cycle of poverty.

IDRF partner since: 1996

  • Focus Area:  Health and Disaster Rehabilitation
  • Location: Tamil Nadu
  • Project Title: Rural Sanitation Project
  • Details:  SVRDS has been running Single Teacher Schools mostly in the poorest communities, where public schools programs have not reached. They have decided to use its outreach for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) by engaging in rural sanitation program. In 2016, IDRF’s grant enabled 16 rural poor families to construct toilet-cum-bathroom units. Focused on the poorest communities in Tamil Nadu, IDRF’s Rural Sanitation program is expected to accelerate in 2017. Besides IDRF funds, SVRDS is getting support from the Corporate Social Responsibility program (CSR) for their rural sanitation program.

Inauguration Ceremony of IDRF funded Toilets-cum-Bathrooms for Rural Poor

Inauguration of Toilet-cum-Bathroom Units

Please click on the link to know more about Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society.
http://www.singleteacherschools.org

NGO: Surabi Charitable Trust

NGO: Surabi Charitable Trust

Surabi Trust is a non-governmental and philanthropic organization that was founded in 2008, by a group of socially committed youth in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.  The Trust is established with the ultimate aim to serve deprived children by providing them quality education, better medical and nutrition support and empower women to be self-reliant.

IDRF partner since: 2011

  • Focus Area: Health
  • Location: Tamil Nadu
  • Project Title: BalaMitra (Nutrition Supplement Program) and Healthy Mother Project
  • Details:  Many children from poor families do not eat breakfast in the mornings and attend schools on empty stomachs. Surabi has started the BalaMitra (Nutrition Supplement Program), with support from IDRF and other partners, to help such children. Nutrition balls made out of a variety of pulses, coconut and jaggery are offered as breakfast to about 650 children at six Chennai corporation schools daily. This program has received a positive feedback from teachers from these schools. The children not only like this food, but it has also improved their health and performance at school.
    IDRF has also supported Surabi’s “Healthy Mother” program for poor pregnant women by distributing 15-pulses mix packets. This powdered mixture provides the necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition in the unborn child and mother. This powder is distributed free of cost on a weekly-basis, starting the second month of pregnancy through child-birth and till the baby is two-years-old. This has led to mothers giving birth to healthy babies with normal weigh

Nutrition Balls as breakfast for children

A pregnant woman receiving a packet of the Health Mix Powder

Health Mix Powder for Pregnant Women

Please click on the link below to know more about the various programs carried out by Surabi Trust.
http://www.surabitrust.org/

NGO: Samerth Charitable Trust

NGO: Samerth Charitable Trust

Samerth was founded in 1992 as a non-governmental, charitable trust that works towards development of a humane, sustainable and equitable society. The trust’s main focus is on improving the conditions of marginalized communities and to that extent Samerth helps vulnerable communities in gaining access to their social and economic rights. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched “Clean India Mission” on October 2nd, 2014, but IDRF had initiated work on sanitation issues along with Samerth in 2010. With the initiative and benevolence of a NRI family from Massachusetts, this partnership was done with a vision to provide basic sanitation facilities to the poor and marginalized people from various villages in Nakhatrana block of District Kutch, Gujarat.

IDRF partner since: 2009

  • Focus Area: Education, Health and Eco-friendly Development
  • Location: Gujarat
  • Project Title: Rural Sanitation
  • Details:  A safe and sustainable water supply, basic sanitation, and good hygiene are fundamental for a healthy, productive, and dignified life. And yet, many of India’s poor rural lack access to them. Samerth has constructed over 1,707 sanitation units for marginalized rural families living below poverty line (BPL) (most of whom are first generation toilet users!). After the initiation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) , people are becoming aware of the various advantages of having a sanitation unit near (or inside) their house over defecating in the open or fields nearby.
    Samerth conducts village level meetings with the community leaders and uses a set of guidelines to choose families for receiving their support for the project. The communities are involved in every stage and activities of the program-from formation of their village level committees to the construction of the sanitation units. Since IDRF’s policy is to encourage and expect active participation from the beneficiaries, the selected families contributed labor (shramdan) equivalent to 40% of the cost per unit. The community members are also supporting those beneficiaries who do not have resources to construct the toilets and as a result the cooperation amongst the community members is also increasing. Samerth tightly monitors the work progress during the construction activities and supports them in finishing the construction on time. The quality control of the construction material is looked after by the Samarth-approved vendors and the beneficiaries are also made aware about how to clean and maintain the sanitation units.
    The sanitation security experienced by villagers through this program has had a great impact on improving the overall standard of living. As a result of this, the communities from other villages in the block have also started demanding toilets. The government authorities saw IDRF and Samerth have constructed 1,707 sanitation units, and each and every sanitation unit is functioning, so they have decided to lay down drainage pipe-line in 26 villages. Now, running water is also supplied to the bathrooms and toilets.
    Upon the construction of the sanitation units, Samerth team helps in the preparation of applications by individual beneficiary households to receive a subsidy from Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. As a result of the excellent execution of this project, Samerth has been granted entire funding from Government agencies under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to scale up the project.

Community leaders participating in a meeting at Bhojrajvandh

Construction of a Sanitation Unit

Beneficiary Khatubai Kasam Bakali of Village: Jinjay

Please click on the link to know more about Swachh Bharat Mission on this Dashboard- maintained by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India.

http://http://sbm.gov.in/sbmdashboard/Default.aspx