About NGO:

Karunya Trust is a Multi- religious Non-Governmental Organization, registered under the Bombay Public Trust 1950. It is engaged in the development of the poor, irrespective of caste, creed and religion and the main area of intervention are health, HIV/AIDS, education, women empowerment, relief and rehabilitation along with disaster preparedness. The area of operation includes 55 Nodal centres in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Pune and Nasik districts of Maharashtra.

Trust provides educational support to poor school going children through different schemes, and Gyanmithra-educational programme exclusively for the children of people living with HIV/AIDS. The health related activities include Dispensries, medical camps and health education programmes. It provides community based care and support to 1675 people living with HIV/AIDS and to 1332 children who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The Trust intervenes through community development programme for the 200 Ragpicker's children and their families at Govandi dump yard Shivajinagar.

It is working with the marginalized communities, tribal women of 135 villages residing at Ambernath, Kalyan and Bhiwandi Talukas of the Thane district through the women empowerment programme by forming women self help groups, linking with banks and creating alternative livelihood options. Also actively engaged in the sustainable agricultural development programs along with disaster preparedness in the 21 flood prone villages of both talukas reaching out to 4532 households.

Fund Usage:

Karunya Trust has been actively working in the field of HIV/AIDS for the past ten years in prevention by creating awareness in Mumbai and Thane districts through audio visual aids and street plays reaching out to the general public and migrant population. It provides community based care and support to children of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Mumbai suburban.

The proposed project focuses on the community based prevention, care and support to the adolescent children of 13-18 years residing at the BMC 'S' ward whose parents are infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. The project covers Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Powai and Bhandup of Mumbai suburbs targeting 275 adolescents and their families. The children who are already registered with Karunya are those who are below poverty line, double orphans, and child headed families, single orphans, family size, and women headed households, children with ill/old grandparents.

There are no child centered programmes for this group of children by the government or any other agencies. The comprehensive care and support will include nutrition support, basic household support, educational support, income generation support and psycho social support to the children and their families.

The nutrition support aims to enhance the nutritional status and preventing deaths due to malnutrition among children. Educational support aim to ensure that children affected by HIV/AIDS receive educational and vocational training opportunities in accordance with community norms and market driven employment options. The household support caters to emergency or crisis situations the child or the family might face. Help for medicines, treatment, transport during emergency, food support when the family has no money for the next meal and support for funeral service could be some situations when the support is provided. Income generation support will help in identifying solutions to their economic problems and developing income generating activities for the parents.

Also the children will be formed in to support groups to have a common platform to discuss their issues and enhance their holistic growth

Impact:

Case Study:"Rajamata Jijau's Puraskar"for the best self-help group: Ekta Self Help Group from Devloli village is a below poverty line group started on 10th January, 2000 and comprises of 12 members. Initially started with a saving of Rs. 10/-, and at present they are saving Rs. 50/- per month and the total saving is Rs. 60,000/- . They received a revolving fund of Rs. 10,000/- from the District Rural Development Agency(DRDA)Thane and a bank loan of Rs. 200,000/- for their catering unit, vessels, generator, stove & chairs.

The members paid back the amount of Rs. 1, 70,000/- with interest at 9.75%. As they paid back they got Rs.1, 00,000/- as subsidy with interest. The outstanding activities conducted by the group include, every year they clean the entire village along with other SHGs and youth groups.They have managed to close liquor shops in their village and the members do tree plantation to prevent flood.They have motivated almost all the women of the villages to be the part of SHGs. Under their leadership they have formed nine other SHGs and a federation.

• In collaboration with DRDA & Naik Foundation they conducted tailoring classes for 100 SHG women.
• For the past 4 years they are supplying food for the malnourished children in the village.
• The women actively participate in gram sabha and are consulted at gram panchayat, taluka and district level for welfare schemes for the community.
• One SHG woman is a member of water supply committee at gram panchayat level.
• They conducted health camp for the community and every year they participate in Mahalaxmi Saras at Bandra.
• They are involved in celebration of different events in the community.

Presently one of the members i.e. Mrs. Sangeeta Shilke is working with Karunya Trust as a Paraprofessional Social worker.

Due to the overall performance, participation and sustainability of the group they are recognized by DRDA and awarded the Second prize "Rajamata Jijau's Puraskar" at the District level on 21st January, 2011 and at the Taluka level too.

Page Url :
http://www.unitedwaymumbai.org/ngo177_karunyatrustonline.htm

Founded Year: 1999

Cause category: Education