Manav Sadhna
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Mission Statement
Guided by the spirit to Love all, Serve all, we follow Mahatma Gandhi’s messages of love, non-violence and compassion in our work. Though our programs are constructive, we believe in the power of love and compassion to truly transform an individual and revolutionize a society. By seeing God in every individual (manav), service is transformed into worship (sadhna). Our community-basedhumanitarian projects cut across barriers of class and religion and directly serve and empower those in need. Today, Manav Sadhna serves more than 10,500 children, women and elderly through a spectrum of projects. Several of the children who grew up with Manav Sadhna have now joined us as karyakartas (staff) to serve similar communities and complete the circle of giving with love.
About This Cause
ABOUT US From a quiet corner of the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, Manav Sadhna has been humbly working for 26 years to strengthen underprivileged communities in Ahmedabad through programs in Value-Based Education, Community Building, Nutrition, Health, and Women's Empowerment. Although there is great diversity among these programs, they are all based on people's participation and evolve according to the needs of the community. COMMUNITY BUILDING Through the years, we have adopted the practice of developing Community Centers in the heart of urban slums as a space that enables the holistic development of the community. We have initiatives for all ages, including a values-based education program that integrates academics, arts and sports for children from the 1st-10th standard. We also have adolescent and scouts programs, women's groups and savings projects, computer and vocational training, health and hygiene awareness, health camps and door-to-door medical consultations, elderly care, a gym program, youth leadership programs, livelihood support, community outreach, and more. Manav Sadhna Community Center, Ramapir No Tekro: Situated across the road from our main office in the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, the Tekro is one of Gujarat's largest slum communities with a diverse socio-economic population. Established in 2004, this Center was our initial pilot, after which we have modeled our subsequent centers. We built the Center from local recycled materials, with the support of the community. We serve more than 800 children, youth, women, and seniors daily. Manav Gulzar Community Center, Jamalpur: This Center, which started in 2008, serves a slum neighborhood of more than 40,000 Hindus and Muslims, who actively maintain harmony, even during communal riots. The community center, built with the support of Flowering Tree, is erected between an Islamic Dargah and a Hindu Temple and serves more than 750 children, youth, women and seniors every day. www.manavgulzar.org Manav Seva Community Center, Shankar Bhuvan: Our efforts in this vibrant community started in 2010 as a street school and evolved into a Community Center in 2016 with the support of Team Seva. Shankar Bhuvan's population is largely comprised of the Devipujak community, whose women are strong and extremely enterprising. We believe values-based education, better health and awareness, and more exposure will nurture the true potential of this community. We currently serve 290 children and adolescent girls and will expand our program according to community needs. Leprosy Loving Community Center, Vastral: About 30 years ago, several leprosy-affected families settled along the outskirts of Ahmedabad and depended largely on begging for survival. Their children, who are healthy and attend school, understand the health needs of their parents and strive for a better future. After several years of support work in healthcare, values education and infrastructure, Manav Sadhna gradually built a community center and a children's playground for the residents in 2006. We serve 150 people in the community. Manav Mitra Center, Motera, Sabarmati: Our newest Center, Kiran, is built in the campus of Paryavaran Mitra. The dense community of Sabarmati is home to some of the least privileged families with whom we work. Currently we run a values-based education program for 180 primary school children, many of whom depend on our nutrition program for their only proper daily meal. We will gradually expand our program to reach more children and community members. The following are the three core focus areas of our work. The ripples of these efforts extend to the families and the larger community. VALUES-BASED EDUCATION We believe that education opens the mind, enabling individuals to break out of the cycle of poverty and pave their own path towards a brighter future. Through values and life skills, we foster practical knowledge and awareness so that children grow into thoughtful citizens who can lead a meaningful and happy life and contribute to society. NUTRITION Since basic nutrition is critical to building a proper foundation in any individual's development, we end every activity with a nutritional snack. We provide fresh and wholesome food to more than 7,000 children and women daily. HYGIENE AND BASIC HEALTH Hygiene and basic health are imperative to the progress of a community. Through the Arogya Mandir Health Clinic and door-to-door consultations, we have been providing affordable quality healthcare and medication for the last 25 years to battle common problems such as intestinal worms, arthritis, TB and skin diseases. Several youth from the community are also trained to assist the doctor as medical assistants. The Muskan Dental Clinic, installed with high-quality facilities, maintains a strict level of hygiene while providing free and comprehensive dental services to local residents. Through the support and generosity of local doctors, Manav Sadhna organizes various medical camps throughout the year to treat diseases and common health issues. We also conduct regular vaccination and awareness campaigns for children and women to address polio, TB, malaria and chicken pox, among other common diseases. Through our hygiene and health program we serve more than 20,000 individuals annually. OUR PROGRAMS Anganwadi Program Manav Sadhna has joined hands with the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), a Gujarat government program intended to improve the health and nutrition of infant children through anganwadi centers, which serve as both a preschool and a healthcare center. We run 79 anganwadis in several slum communities, where our teachers impart values-based education through songs, games, stories and other activities. Nearly 7,000 children, and more than 1,000 pregnant and feeding mothers, receive proper health care and awholesome meal with the essential nutrients daily. Bal Sanskar and Tuition Classes (Supportive Education Program) We run Bal Sanskar (1st-4th standard) and tuition classes (5th-10th standard) as before and after-school programs at all of our community centers as well as at Parikshitlal Ashramshala (supported by DeMonte Forte University, UK). These programs integrate academics with values-based learning and growth opportunities to nurture the holistic development of our children. Arts, Dance and Music Art, music, dance and theater are essential to the creative holistic development of children. In addition to having weekly classes and workshops in our community centers, we produce dance-drama stage events and have organized two international tours with our children. The HeArt Center and Jay Jagat Theater, supported by the Sabarmati Ashram Trust, are spaces to further nurture this creative growth. Sports We have a thriving sports program, through which all children engage in a sports class during their weekly schedule at each community center. With the support of excellent coaches and dedicated students, we have also developed soccer and volleyball teams who have participated in national competitions. Earn N Learn The issue of child labor looms large over India. Meager earnings and basic needs often force slum children into hazardous labor in order to support the survival of their families, depriving them of their childhood, education and health. Earn N Learn is an after-school program that teaches such children how to make greeting cards, gift bags and other products from recycled handmade paper and then provides them with the opportunity to work a few hours daily to earn in a safe environment. These children also attend tutorial classes and get a nutritious meal as part of the project. www.earnlearn.org Saturday Special Saturday Special was Manav Sadhna’s first project. Through this program, we aim to give children a chance to enjoy their childhood through two hours of fun, games and creative activities, followed by a nutritious snack. Paryavaran Mitra Paryavaran Mitra is a humble endeavor to uplift the ragpicking women of our country in a holisitic manner, while focusing on their dignity and respect. Ragpickers, mostly women, collect recyclable waste from the streets and dump sites and sell it for their daily wages. As these women play an integral role in waste management and recycling, they provide a silent but essential service to both society and the environment. For this reason, with great respect, we call them Paryavaran Mitra or Friends of the Environment. Elderly Care Through the Vadil Vatsalya Program, Manav Sadhna runs various initiatives to support the elderly in need. Elderly women gather every Monday for bhajans (spiritual songs) and a nutritious meal. We also organize annual excursions and provide long-term health care and medications. Through the Mutthi Anna Dan project, local donors place a handful of grains daily in a jar and donate the collection to Manav Sadhna at the end of the month. We distribute the grains to vulnerable widows, who have no alternative for earning or food. We also run Tyaag nu Tiffin, a daily food and care delivery project for nearly 20 elderly. Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Manav Sadhna has initiated Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation programs in the aftermath of several natural disasters, including the 2001 earthquake in Kutch, Gujarat, the 2004 tsunami in Tamil Nadu, the 2014 flooding in Uttarakhand and the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. VOLUNTEER We work alongside exceptionally dedicated local and global volunteers, who offer their time, skills, and love to continuously strengthen Manav Sadhna's work and reach. Volunteering is also a transformational journey for many. If you