New Delhi

GMRVF iniitiated its community development activities at Delhi in June, 2006. Today it works in two communities linked to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi - Mehram Nagar (a community near the airport) and Savda Ghevra (community re-settled from Airport encroachments), apart from running a vocational training center.

Education
Foundation runs three Bala Badis at Savda and one Bala Badi at Mehram Nagar covering around 120 children. Besides providing regular learning and recreational activities for holistic development of the children, nutritious supplementary food is also provided. Mothers’ groups have been formed in all centers to orient mothers on various childcare issues, healthcare and nutrition for children. Besides this, the groups ensure smooth running of the Bala Badis including their upkeep and monitoring the quality of food served to the children.

Most of the children in Savda resettlement colony are studying in nearby MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) School. Foundation is closely working with the school for creating appropriate learning environment and improving the quality of education. Besides providing Teaching and Learning Materials and school kits, Foundation organizes Inter School Competitions to bring out the talent of the young minds. Foundation volunteers regularly visit the schools and monitor the progress of the children in the schools. The enrollment drives conducted by the Foundation motivate out of school children to join in the school.

Foundation has established a Children’s Creativity Centre at MCD Primary school at I Block of Savda Ghevra colony to promote the talents of children of underprivileged communities. Specially designed computer systems and programs have been provided by IBM for this creativity centre. Over 500 children from this school are regularly participating in creativity center’s activities.

Non-Formal Education is provided to 19 differently abled children of moderate categories of disability in the Savda Ghevra Colony along with daily supplementary nutrition.

Community Children’s Council has been established by the Foundation to provide children a platform to develop their leadership qualities and participate in their own development process. Since formation of Council, children are involved in various development activities like promotion of immunization, campaign for school enrollment, addressing social issues, promoting sports etc. The Council also publishes weekly Newspaper named Savda Express through which the children express their views, ideas, information and creativity.

To provide children a place for outdoor and recreational activities, Foundation has developed a children’s park in Savda Ghevra. Foundation is running a Toy Library (Khilona Ghar) for the children of the Savda Ghevra Communities. More than 400 children are benefitting through this library.

Health, Hygiene and Sanitation
The Foundation has developed a multi-pronged strategy to address health care issues. The strategy includes creating awareness on health and hygiene related issues and providing healthcare services to people.

In an effort to provide health care facilities to the residents of Savda resettlement colony a full-fledged regular dispensary is being run. A general physician attends the dispensary on weekdays. Medicines are also provided to the patients free of cost.

Once a week the dispensary turns into a centre of the health care for women and children with the visit of a Gynecologist. Besides the normal checkups, Ante Natal and Post Natal checkups are conducted. Around 1000 people benefit from the facilities provided by these clinics every month. In addition to this, community based activities like regular immunization drive for children are also undertaken. Fortnightly nutrition camps are also organized for women.

Specialized health camps are organized at Savda and Mehram Nagar based on the needs of the community members in partnership with other specialized organizations.

Regular health awareness drives are also undertaken through various activities like meetings, trainings and cultural programs like street plays, folk songs, dance etc.

Empowerment and Livelihoods
Vocational training for unemployed and drop-out youth has been one of the major thrust areas of work of GMRVF in Delhi. Started in September 2009, the GMR Varalakshmi Centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods (GMRV-CEL), Delhi is engaged in imparting vocational employable skills trainings for dropout youths from socially and economically marginalized communities. The Centre is equipped with classrooms, work sheds, mess, library, recreation room, etc. A permanent residential center is under construction. Apart from the general courses like Electrical, Basic Computers etc, several airport linked courses such as Elevators and Escalators Operations and Maintenance, Skilled Cargo Handlers and Supervisors etc. are offered at the center. So far, the center has trained 305 youth in different trades (247 male and 58 female). Of the trained youth, 272 are settled in different jobs or enterprises.

Five Self Help Groups have been formed at Savda with 56 members. Presently all groups are involved in micro saving and credit activities. One self help Group of Differently Abled Youth has been formed to run a Candle Making Unit at Savda Ghevra.

The livelihood interventions in Mehramnagar are focused mainly on development of marketable skills among the adolescent girls and women. Accordingly, a tailoring centre has been set up in Mehramnagar in collaboration with the USHA International. A six month certificate course is conducted for the girls and women. The beautician training center established at Mehramnagar West offers Skin and Beauty Training. A total of 50 Adolescent girls from Mehram Nagar trained in Beautician and Tailoring trade.

With the support of DIAL, products made by communities covered by GMRVF are marketed through shops at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Community Development
A Community Resource Centre and a Community Library are running in Savda Ghevra benefitting approximately 1500 people every month. Various awareness generation programs followed by discussions, shows, creativity enhancement programs etc. are organized in the center. Children and youth spend many hours reading books at the center. Another community library is operational at Mehram Nagar which is catering to all age groups and sections of the community

Community Sanitation campaign has also been taken up at Savda. The campaign includes awareness generation in the community through community children’s council, collection and proper disposal of home based garbage and safe sanitation practice at home. For the purpose of garbage collection and safe disposal, the Foundation has started “Garbage Rickshaw” in the community. The collected garbage is being disposed at the “segregation unit” established by Sanjha Prayas (a Delhi Government Initiative) for the purpose of organic compost.

Another significant initiative is a community based rehabilitation programme for differently-abled which is helping around 200 differently-abled people of Savda Ghevra Community. As a part of this initiative, Foundation has established Samarth, a resource centre for differently abled to provide institutional services like special education, after-school learning support and basic physiotherapeutic care to differently abled. A hand-pulled rickshaw has also been provided for easy commuting of the children to Samarth center. Apart from sensitizing the community on the issues of differently abled and training to the care givers, Foundation also provided Aids and Appliances and artificial limbs to 95 differently abled children and adults through Kiwanis Artificial Limb Center, Delhi.