Rural Projects: In co-ordination with Balwantrai Mehta Centre & Kushtrog Niwaran Samiti, we provide Water to villages in Panvel through borewells. Our work in Rural areas is commendable.

Detailed report of other activities is featured below :

Our other activities include providing rations to Balwadis, fund raising events, have monthly meetings, fellowships and having eminent speakers. We also support a Self Help Women’s Group in Jogeshwari area.

With the stress on rapid industrialization in the post-Independence era, scant attention was paid to human resources, education, family planning, nutrition and public health. Villagers migrated to cities for employment, better amenities and educational facilities.

Realizing this Inner Wheel of Bombay started an integrated rural development programme in arid, primitive and economically backward villages near Panvel, Maharashtra, in collaboratfon with a voluntary rural service organization Kushtarog Niwaran Samiti.

Since 1995, Inner Wheel Club of Bombay has focussed on 40 villages near Panvel to make them hunger free and self sufficient In areas of drinking water, health, education, sanitation and self employment.

A Village as a basic unit of development and progress preached by Mahatma Gandhi became the nodal point because they perceived that it was necessary to curb migration in order to develop the rural sector.

Providing Sewing Machines at Wakadi

BALWANTRAI MEHTA LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT TRAINING CENTRE

At the Balwantrai Mehta Local self Government Training Centre, for the successful implementation of their mammoth project, the Inner Wheel Club of Bombay constructed a ladies dormitory, provided a kitchen with dining facilities, an auditorium and also an administrative office. The centre Is a catalyst for the participation of rural communities and helps in eliminatlng poverty, improving their quality of life, empowering women, developing human and natural resources to promote ecological balance.

15,000 families comprising a population of 40,000 are being continuously supported.

Training programmes for women are conducted in sewing, embroidery, candle making, incense stick making, spinning and weaving dusters, carpets etc.

Self help groups in villages, awareness camps for newly elected women representatives in local self government bodies are conducted.

720 local self government bodies and 10,360 village headmen have been beneficiaries of different training programmes. These programmes have empowered the villagers to become knowledgeable participants in decision making and its subsequent implemention.

Camps for college students are conducted regularly to inculcate a sense of patriotism, community service and dignity of labour, to aid in village development.

COMMUNITY MARRIAGES
Community Marriages are conducted annually, to discourage tribals and economically weaker sections from undertaking heavy marriage expenses for which they often incur debts as also to do away with social evils such as the dowry system.

Mass Adivasi marriages at Wakadi

VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Inner Wheel Club of Bombay in collaboration with Balwantrai Mehta centre will expand its activities to reach out to 185 tribal villages around Panvel, Maharashtra. The goal Is to increase awareness among the rural people about their rights and responsibilities.

WATER - ESSENCE OF LIFE
The primary need of a human being is water. Irrespective of age and health conditions the village ladies usually walk a couple of miles to fetch water, sometimes on steep inclines. Inner Wheel Club of Bombay provided water in 10 villages and also at 2 primary schools. The club also received financial contribution from CHANCE OF LIFE GERMANY, Inner Wheel Club of BOCHUM RECHEN Germany and Rotary Club of BOCHUM RECHEN Germany, MBK MARKISCHES SKOLEG UNNA Germany for these water projects.

Drinking Water Supply to the rural area -courtesy INNER WHEEL CLUB OF BOCHUM

Drinking water supply project - seen in the picture are President Arti Sanghi, Raksha Mehta, Lata Palekar and Rotarian Arun Sanghi

LIFT IRRIGATION SYSTEM
5 lift irrigation schemes were implemented to meet the needs of farmers as well as training in organic farming and vermi composting imparted to more than 200 farmers.

VISION
To provide potable drinking water at the door step and lift Irrigation schemes in 185 remote villages in Panvel District, Maharashtra, Special training camps to create awareness about the importance of saving water and improving the water table.

SANITATION A BASIC NEED
Motivation to inculcate good habits. Construction of low cost community toilets. 25 Individuals toilets have been constructed in villages and at their primary schools.

VISION
To reach the target of 100% sanitation. To build Individual toilet blocks in 185 villages. Villagers to be educated about cleanliness and the necessity of garbage disposal.

HEALTH
Leprosy Eradication & Rehabilitation Programme
Leprosy eradication and rehabilitation programmes were carried out in the 40 villages.

The latest multidrug therapy approved by W.H.O. and Govt. of India which claimed to cure the patient in 28 days, was adopted. 63 patients were cured, as certlied by the W.H.O. team. This was a PIlOT project in India.

Our successful efforts led us to take up the project of "Prevention of Deformity by Reconstructive Surgery" for cured patients. 35 surgeries were performed. A Female ward was constructed at the Leprosy hospital at Shantivan. A Drinking water supply scheme was also provided to the hospital.

EYE-CAMPS
Eye camps were organized for leprosy patients, cataract and laser surgeries were performed and spectales were given to the needy patients.
Provided panels at the Acworth Leprosy Musuem to display the history of the medicinal march towards containment of leprosy.
The play equipments were donated for the Nursery school for the children of cured leprosy patients.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE
To promote awareness for eradication of leprosy in 185 tribal villages.

EDUCATION
Education of children of today - the citizens for tomorrow

"The foundation of every state Is the education of its youth". The tribal school at Shantivan, Panvel was established in 1994 with the sole objective of upliftment of tribal villagers steeped in poverty, ignorance, blind beliefs etc. to bring them at par with educated citizens. 465 residential students and 100 day scholars belonging to the poorest strata of society, have a unique distinction of being the. first generation to be attending school. The club participated in sponsoring the formal education ot these children alongwith boarding and lodging expenses.

Drinking water supply schemes and sanitation blocks, computer training and vocational training are some of the facilites provided to the children.

SOLAR PORTABLE LANTERNS (ASHRAMSHALA)
Due to long hours of load-shedding affecting this locality, the students are unable to complete their homework and studies after school hours. This will enable the residential students to enhance their performance and make more progress.

VISION
380 hundred million Indians are still illiterate. Education at the grass root level is very important. Vocational Training to unemployed youth will be necessary for gainful employment and encouraging small enterpreuners.

COW SHED
The Jersey cow unit provides milk at reasonable rates to tribal school children, leprosy patients, residents of dependency home, senior citizens of the oldage home, social workers. Green fodder cultivation plot and a borewell with water facilities have been developed. The building of the unit has been repaired and renovated.

Donating cows to provide milk to the students