Kamalanga, Orissa

GMR Varalakshmi Foundation initiated its activities in Kamalanga area in the month of August 2007. Since then Foundation has been focusing its efforts on community mobilization and making development interventions in the field of health, education and livelihood.

Education
GMRVF works with 10 government schools and 15 Anganwadis in villages around Kamalanga. Around 2500 children are benefitted with this support. 11 Vidya Volunteers have been placed in the schools for filling the teacher-student gap. Two Tuition Centers have been started in which extra classes are being conducted in three subjects namely, Math, Science and English. A total of 210 students are benefiting from these centers. Support for infrastructure development, providing toys and joyful learning materials, organizing creativity development programs for the children, organizing awareness and orientation workshops etc. are the major activities taken up to improve the quality of education in schools and Angnwadis. Toy libraries have been set up in all the Anganwadi centers.

Apart from this, financial support is provided to start Scout and Guide units in high schools, to construct additional classrooms etc.

GMR DAV School was set up recently at Kamalanga which has become functional from the academic year 2011-12.

Health, Hygiene and Sanitation
Foundation runs ambulance service at Kamalanga for meeting the emergency health needs of the communities from surrounding villages. Foundation conducts regular health camps and awareness programs in the project villages. Eye screening camps have been organized for the people of 9 project villages. During the tests, people with vision problems have been identified and some of them were provided with reading glasses and others have undergone cataract operations at Kalinga Eye Hospital, Dhenkanal.

Empowerment and Livelihoods
75 SHGs with more than 856 members are being strengthened and some of the members of these groups have been trained in mushroom and vegetable cultivation. 4 Tailoring Centers have been initiated in which more than 200 women are undergoing tailoring training. Now efforts are on to link these to income generation initiatives.

26 youth from Kamalanga area successfully completed the vocational training programmme on Computer Basics and MS Office and another 20 have completed Electrician course. More vocational training is being planned for the youth. Further, training and input support has been provided to farmers to start poultry and fish farming.

Community Development
4 Community Libraries have been set up to inculcate reading habits among the community members. GMRVF has provided books and furniture to these libraries.

Foundation organizes Women’s Day Celebrations and also observes other such days of National and International importance.

Foundation supports the Youth Groups in the villages by providing them sports material, helping them in organizing sports events etc.