Vijay Foundation TrustFebruary 2011

Introduction – Vijay Foundation Trust

• An NGO active in Kadapa since 1992• Focused on care and betterment of cause of the girl child• Funded primarily through donations from friends and family

of founders

Background

• Kadapa is an arid, poverty-stricken region in Andhra Pradesh• Rampant factionalism results in frequent violence, broken

families and orphans• Prevalence of practices such as dowry leads to widespread

gender bias and discrimination leading to female foeticide and abandonment of girl infants and children

Our approach – providing shelter

• Aarti Home - Shelter for abandoned children since 1992– Over 250 children have called it a home over the years (current

strength is 90)– Around 800 children, rescued from traffickers, have stayed with us for

short durations until their rehabilitation

Our approach – providing education

• Aarti Education – Aarti School currently has 250 students including children from Aarti

Home as well as underprivileged children from around the district– Scholarships adding up to approx. INR 2 million have been disbursed

to 200 bright and needy students over the years

Our approach – women’s training

• Lalitha Cooperative– Trains destitute women on vocations such as tailoring and embroidery,

creating income generating potential– 5,000 women have benefitted directly from this program– Markets products to corporates and individuals as a certified Fairtrade

cooperative

Our approach – outreach programme

• VFT has an active outreach programme in the region– Legal awareness camps, providing information on women’s rights and

laws that can protect them• Run in conjunction with National Commission for Women’s Rights, 25,000

women have attended these camps– Free gynaecological and medical camps– Awareness camps on education opportunities focusing on avenues

available through the Open University• -- Outreach in schools

Our Financial Status

• Legal Status– Vijay Foundation Trust is registered as a charity under Societies Act 1961– Vijay Foundation Trust has FCRA accreditation since 1992– Donations to Vijay Foundation Trust are tax exempt under IT Act 1961

• Funding– Primarily through friends and well wishers– Our annual budget approximately INR 3.9 million for the current

financial year– Funding short-falls are met through donations from founders– A number of volunteers work with us pro bono – we have an active

student relationship program with Stanford University– Food inflation and costs for higher education for more of our growing

children are critical challenges for us

Our plans and needs

• Would like to focus more on outreach and creating awareness– strike at the root of the problems affecting the girl child instead of just

managing the fallout such as abandonment of girl children

• We welcome help in all forms – donations as well as partnerships to further our cause

Presenter’s detailsNamrata Vora, Director of ProgramsMolly Robertson, Outreach FellowSandhya Puchalapalli, PresidentVijay Foundation Trust, Kadapa, Andhra Pradeshwww.vftrust.orgvftrust@gmail.com