New Delhi

Background
GMRVF started its activities in Delhi in June 2006, soon after the Group took over the Delhi Airport. It studied the communities around the Airport, and identified certain issues and concerns common to the communities:

• Poor educational standard: Students fare poorly in the Board exams mainly Std. X and as a result lose interest to pursue further studies.
• Fewer opportunities for women: Women stay within the confines of their localities, and are therefore uninformed and unaware of the development in the world outside.
• Youth empowerment: The energies and focus of youth can be channelized into both self-development and community development.
• Health: Though these communities are located in the heart of Delhi, their residents and especially women, do not use health facilities. Also, health awareness is low.

Initiatives in Delhi:
Based on the assessment of the community’s needs and concerns, the Foundation developed a long-term, sustainable, community-based plan aimed at addressing these issues. As part of its strategy, the Foundation identified the Mehramnagar East and Mehramnagar West villages located near the airport, to implement its programmes. It was decided that these initiatives would later be replicated in other villages.

Some of the ongoing activities:
Education:
GMRVF found that most of the children belonging to the identified villages attended the Government schools located around the airport, where the quality of education was poor. It approached the Directorate of Education department in Delhi to explore the possibilities of the Foundation’s involvement in improving the quality of education in these schools.. The Department investigated and identified two key action areas - to strengthen the infrastructure of the science laboratories and improve science subject teaching.

Consequently, the Foundation started a programme in the last academic year which involved discussions with 7 government schools in the area.  A training programme was organized for the science teachers from these schools and kits containing materials on important scientific concepts were distributed. Going on, in the coming academic year, the Foundation will initiate work on improving of the lab infrastructure of these schools.

Free tuitions, in Math, Science and English, were organized for the children of Stds. IX and X of Mehramangar East and Mehramnagar West, The tuitions were found to be very helpful and beneficial to the students. As a result, the Foundation has decided to continue the tuitions in the new academic year in these villages while also replicating it in other villages such as Shahbadmohamadpur to name a few.

Another area of concern is to increase the children’s interest in education. Towards this end, the Foundation has organized several educational activities including debates, GK and elocution competitions, drawing competitions, etc. While such activities tap the talent in children, they also revive their interest and confidence in learning. These initiatives will be taken up in several of the neighbouring communities as well, in the coming academic year.

Women Empowerment:
Tailoring classes were started for the women of Mehramnagar in November 2006. The classes are being conducted in collaboration with Usha Sewing Machine company. The women will be awarded diplomas after the successful completion of their classes. 35 women have completed the course and have taken the exams. Efforts are being made to facilitate their work from home. This activity will be extended to other villages in the coming months.

Regular awareness sessions and activities are conducted for women on a range of issues such as health and nutrition awareness, etc.

Youth Empowerment:
Youth from the community have been actively involved in organizing several community events like health camps, clean-ups, student events, sports and other cultural events etc. This has brought them together and given them a sense of responsibility towards their community. Discussions have been held with youth about their aspirations and skills, and accordingly, linkages are being made for their personal development with regard to employment opportunities and training. Computer classes have been organized based on the youth demand and are scheduled to start in the coming months.

Health:
A huge -health camp was organized which was attended by over 500 persons from the neighbouring villages around the Airport,. A team of 9 qualified medical professionals from St. Stephan’s Hospital did the health check-ups. Several such camps are being organized regularly for the community.

Several programmes promoting health awareness such as street plays and quizzes have also been organized and will continue through-out the year.

Rehabilitated Community:
In December 2006, an illegal settlement was cleared from Airport land and rehabilitated to Safda Ghevra JJ Colony. The Foundation has been working to mitigate the problems of this community since January 2007.

These efforts include:

Immediate Requirements: The Foundation is supplementing the water needs of the community by supplying a tanker of water every day.

Since mosquitoes were a huge problem in the area, the Foundation organized for fogging the entire area. This has helped to considerably reduce the mosquito menace.

The Foundation also organized transport for students to appear for their examinations in their schools, located nearly 35 kms away from the villages.

Facilitation: The Foundation worked with the community to extend the public bus service to the JJ Colony, as its access was a major problem confronting the community when they moved in.

GMRVF is also working with parents and the authorities to ensure that children get their Transfer Certificates from their original schools and are admitted into the new schools without any hassles. It is also helping the families get new ration cards with the new addresses.

Health: A Medical Camp was held in the JJ Colony with the help of Sanjay Gandhi Government Hospital which was attended by 220 community members. Based on the community request to open a regular clinic in their neighbourhood, the Foundation has started a weekly clinic on Sundays, within the colony. This clinic is benefiting more than 50 community members every week.

Health awareness sessions have also been held on maternal and child health, common diseases and their prevention, etc.

Women Empowerment: Several meetings have been held with women of the rehabilitated colony with a view to forming Self Help Groups. These groups will promote regular saving among individuals, and also help in setting up income generating micro enterprises. With the groundwork such as, skill identification etc over the groups will be formed over the next few months.

Education: Tuition classes are scheduled to be started in the JJ Colony also. Activities like educational quizzes, competitions have already been initiated for school children. In addition, a Bala Badi, for children of age groups 3-5 will be inaugurated in soon. This will provide not only joyful learning and school preparedness, but also provide a nutritious snack everyday.

Greening: The JJ Colony is currently very barren. The community requested the Foundation to do something about the lack of trees and greenery. Accordingly on significant days such as World Environment Day, the Foundation and community take up plantation drives in the area.