Article as appeared on INDIA CSR (Magazine "CSR & Competitiveness") web site
Vikas Vadodara
Vikas Trust Provides 360 Degree Support to Uplift the Underprivileged Citizens Through Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives
IndiaCSR News Network
VADODARA: Vikas Trust believes in the concept of ‘Teach Them to Fish’ and Empower them to take care of themselves. Vikas Trust provides 360 degree support to uplift the underprivileged citizens through Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives. It identifies the group or individual with its capability of skills, fine tune them, provide soft skills and life skills training, address to mental block / mind set, provide finance, set up process, provide up market and down market linkage and any other resources required.
Vikas Trust address to individual’s entrepreneurs by guiding them with Govt Sponsored Schemes and providing with resources, so as to built the capacity and grow. With groups Vikas Trust develops association and brings in under Cottage Industry / Gruh Udhyog, where the beneficiaries get at par market rate for work and also become part of the profits. This improves their takehome wages and can enjoy better standard of living. Some part of these extra income is also been advice to be saved for future. Some of the items made by groups are Food Items (Kakra, Farsan, etc), Garments, Handicrafts, Artificial Jewellery, Ceramics Items, Bags, Candles, Agarbatti and many such items.
Since 2010 Vikas Trust has touch 5000 plus lives, but recalling our early days we had tough time convincing potential beneficiaries to understand this concept of empowerment. Some Vadodara-based NGOs and well-wishers helped Vikas Trust in its outreach effort.
Changing the mindset of people, used to government subsidies or doles from NGOs and freebies, was a challenge, says Zoher Doctor.
Another innovation of Vikas Trust is the ‘Medicard’ provided free of cost to beneficiaries. The card has been structured with the support of like-minded doctors and hospitals; it entitles a person to a significant discount in treatment. The Trust is also working on preventive healthcare. For instance, Wockhardt has supported a free eye-check-up initiative and eye treatment, if any.
Other activities of Vikas Trust include distribution of medicines and vitamin supplements under medical advice as well as clothes and food grains to the needy and counseling for education and family problems.
Mr. Doctor plans to take the Trust’s activities forward by adding businesses such as building a call centre to support project ‘DIAL 4 SERVICE’ supporting 20+ services (like plumber, electrician, painter, mechanic, beauticians, drivers etc) just on a call and Job Placement Service for low profile candidates.
DIAL 4 SERVICE will cater to provide 1000 plus candidates regular job calls initially and will reach to 1 lac in a year’s time. The beneficiaries will be indentified, soft skills training would be provided and would be placed in main stream jobs calls. These services is available to members within Vadodara at present which will be extended to many cities of India gradually.
Beneficiaries looking for Job Opportunity, will be placed after giving them soft skill training, computer training and spoken English training. 1000 plus candidates will be placed in many corporate, SME and overseas firms. On special requirement from the recruiters, the beneficiaries will be trained accordingly.
Vikas Trust will also provide their expertise to rural and tribal areas in association with Vibrant Gujarat project (Govt. Of Gujarat under taking).
Vikas Trust also takes order for manufacturing of items as per industry needs from local as well as international clients / well-wishers.
If you want to extend financial or social support to Vikas Trust, contact the members at the address given below:
VIKAS TRUST
402, Bholesai Apt., Bh. Emperor,
Parsi Street, Fatehgunj, Vadodara 390002,
Gujarat Tel: +91 265 6553344 / +91 9824063400 / +91 9227896904
E-mail: vikas...@gmail.com Web Site: www.vikastrust.org
FaceBook: www.facebook.com/vikastrustngo
http://www.indiacsr.in/en/?p=13821
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With Warm Regards
Zoher Doctor / Vikas Trust
Founder & Managing Trustee
Registered Address: 402, Bholesai Apt., Bh. Emperor, Parsi St, Fatehgunj,
Vadodara 390002 GUJ INDIA
Direct: +91 9824063400 / +91 9227896904
Office: +91 265 6553344