HelpAge India is a national level secular, apolitical, non-profit and non-government organization working for the cause and care of disadvantaged older persons. One of the important programs of the organisation is Mobile Healthcare Unit (MHU)
Running since 1982, the program operates 174 Mobile Healthcare Units (MHUs) in 25 states and 139 districts covering more than 2586 community locations and provides 2.5 million treatments annually in India.
Each Mobile Healthcare Unit is designed to provide Primary Healthcare services for the poor at their doorsteps who are economically and socially backward. Services through MHU includes- Free treatment, Free medicine, Basic diagnostics, Home visits by Doctor (in case of bedridden patients/patients unable to reach to MHU), Counseling for patients, Elders, family members and caretakers, Community awareness on health related issues, Hygiene and on the rights of the elderly, Referral linkage with local health providers, Linkage with Govt. schemes and programs, Preventive Health Awareness programs with IEC Materials and Sanitation Awareness Programs, Linkages for Cataract Operation, Regular Health Camps/Multispecialty Health camps
The program addresses the problems of unaffordability, inaccessibility, and non- availability of basic essential healthcare to people living in backward regions. It fulfils a vital need in the lives of the beneficiaries. HelpAge India also ensures that at least 50% beneficiaries belong to economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society. Donations to HelpAge India are eligible for tax exemption u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act.
Blind man’s bluff, the game we oh so fondly played in childhood was sure fun. But it is scary for someone with gifted eyesight to think about living in that way for all their lives. Vision is one of the most amazing gifts given to us by nature. Unfortunately, there are many among us, who are not so gifted in this area.
According to WHO, there are about 285 million visually impaired (VI) people in the world. While they represent a minority, but they still are huge in numbers. And while they are lacking in one of the departments, they are still more skilled than many other people. However, most VI people, especially in developing countries are unable to meet their potential. Carrying out daily tasks is a struggle for them. Providing them with the education that they deserve is a challenge for many.
Braille, a language made for the VI is a universally accepted model for communication. However, the challenges are still innumerable. Teaching a language which is understood by only a percentage of people creates a barrier in communication among the people knowing braille and people not familiar with the language.
In order to address these concerns, a new effort is underway to help blind and visually impaired children more naturally learn to read Braille in the form of a favourite childhood toy: Lego bricks.
Lego Foundation of the Lego Group has announced a new project that will repurpose the usual knobs atop the bricks as Braille dots. And because the blocks will also be stamped with the corresponding written letter, number or punctuation symbol, they can be played with by blind and sighted children alike. The project, called Lego Braille Bricks, is in a pilot phase and is expected to be released in partnership with schools and associations for the blind in 2020.
Advocates say the product could transform reading for blind and visually impaired children, making the experience of learning Braille more inclusive and helping to combat Braille literacy crisis.
The Braille bricks have been tested in schools and community centres in Brazil, Denmark, Norway, and Britain. And, in the fall, the pilot program will expand to Germany, France, Mexico and the United States, according to the Lego Foundation. After taking in feedback, Lego will roll out the Braille bricks next year, the foundation said.
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Globally, a digital divide separates not only rich and poor but also men and women. Most countries have some distance to travel to open up access to digital technologies for women. Access and use of digital technologies is a powerful enabler of economic advancement for both individuals and entire economies, and it can have a positive impact on a number of aspects of gender inequality.
Access to technology can open many economic doors to women. For instance, digital businesses can enable female entrepreneurs by reducing many of the barriers they face offline. The rise of e-commerce and the online “gig economy” offers many women flexibility in terms of their working hours and place of work, helping them to balance work with their family commitments.
There is widespread evidence that digital technologies connect women with larger markets far more effectively. In Indonesia, women-owned MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) generate 35% of e-commerce revenue, compared with only 15% of offline MSME revenue. Digital technology–based startups also tend to require less capital than more traditional startups, reducing entry barriers for women who, on average, have less access to capital than men.
Digital banking levels the playing field between men and women in terms of access to financial services, and it enables financial institutions to serve more customers profitably. MGI (McKinsey Global Institute) research has found that mobile payments can lower the cost of providing financial services by 80% to 90%, enabling providers to serve people with lower incomes in rural areas. Today, an estimated 57% of women are financially excluded in South Asia, 54% in China, and 49% in Southeast Asia.
Labour force participation
Digital technologies can also encourage higher labour-force participation by women, according to a report by MGI titled, ‘The Power of Parity: Advancing Women’s Equality in Asia Pacific’. They can, for instance, reduce the hours women spend on unpaid work. For example, if women have access to digital payments, they can save an enormous amount of time spent on travelling to a physical bank or ATM and waiting in queues. The adoption by many businesses of telecommuting also makes it easier for women to remain in the workforce if they so choose.
Financial inclusion
Digital inclusion is a prime access point for financial services, particularly in emerging economies where many men and women are unbanked and underserved with finance. Digital financial services could bring an additional 344 million Indians into the financial system, closing the financial inclusion gender gap by 16 percentage points according to MGI.
Healthier living
India has begun using digital technologies in healthcare, and in ways that close gender gaps. For instance, the government has launched a nationwide mobile health programme that aims to train one million community health workers who will reach 10 million pregnant women and new mothers. By the end of 2016, 150,000 healthcare providers in four states had received training.
Feelings of safety
In one survey, more than 68% of respondents said that they felt safer with a mobile phone. In addition to enabling women to call for help from the police or from a women’s helpline in several states, mobile phones can be used as “personal guardians”. They can, for instance, use the Fightback and Safetipin apps to track their movements, send SMS alerts if they run into danger, and check the safety of areas. In a multicountry survey, more than 58% of female internet users said that they felt more autonomous and independent while using a mobile phone.
Access to markets
Digital platforms can eat up distance, connecting women in remote areas with limited mobility to markets. Amazon’s Saheli initiative and the government’s Mahila E-haat online marketplaces provide women entrepreneurs with a platform to sell their goods. The Mahila E-haat digital marketplace registered 125,000 women when it launched in March 2016.
Amazon Saheli empowers women artisans and entrepreneurs across India
Being heard
The internet offers the potential for women to make their voices heard. The #MeToo movement against sexual harassment that erupted on social media in late 2017 and early 2018 is just one example.
One study found that half of the women surveyed in developing countries said that the internet had made it safer for them to express their views. Yet powerful attitudes and beliefs inhibit women and girls from accessing the internet. In India, for instance, male relatives reportedly prohibit girls from using the internet.
Many digitally excluded people may need help to overcome digital literacy and numeracy issues. In the Internet Saathi initiative from Tata Trusts and Google India, women ride a bicycle carrying two smartphones and two tablets around villages to teach women how to use them. It may not always be possible for the digitally excluded to take advantage of these technologies without assistance. Therefore, there is a case for providing digital access through intermediaries.
In late 2016, the Indian government set up Common Service Centres in a public-private partnership with local entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs run these kiosks, where people can go online, and the government allows them to be used for e-government services and applying for jobs.
If the gender gap in digital inclusion and capabilities is not closed, there is a risk that women will be left out of the wave of change rolling through societies and economies driven by the rapid penetration of these technologies.
This article first appeared in ourprint edition. To grab a copy, click here
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Switch Asia – Evolving a women centred model of extension of Improved Cook Stoves
Around 500,000 women in India lose their lives every year due to the pollution caused by traditional cookstoves or chulhas. On the other hand, women who cook on chulhas are completely oblivious of the ill effects of these stoves. The indoor air pollution caused by chulhas primarily affect the women who cook and the children who stay indoors. Access to clean and sustainable sources of energy is a long-term dream for many Indians, especially women.
CARE India, with the support of the European Commission, has been working with the tribal communities of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, towards creating awareness, affordability, access and availability of Improved Cookstoves (ICS). ICS emit less smoke and is fitted with a chimney. This brings relief to the suffering women and children and saves them from the daily intake of smoke. The project beneficiaries not only include women and children, but also the men from these communities.
The project uses a combination of approaches such as value chain development, capability enhancement of women from marginalised households and influencing men as key value chain actors are being adopted to generate demand for ICS. For more information visit: https://www.careindia.org/
We need your support to save the lives of these women and children from dying a slow death. Please visit our website or write to us at donors@careindia.org and donate now.
चुनाव देश के नागरिकों को अधिकार देता है अपना नेता चुनने का, चुनाव हक़ देता है भागीदारी का, चुनाव के जरिये हम अपने लोकतंत्र को और भी मजबूत बनाते है, चुनाव के जरिये ही देश में प्रधानमंत्री जैसे शिखर नृतत्व चुने जाते है, लोकतंत्र के इस महापर्व में आप जरूर वोट करें, और चुनाव करते वक़्त कई बातों का जरूर ध्यान दें कि जिस उम्मीदवार को हम चुनकर संसद में भेजेंगे वो कैसा है, क्या वो विकास की राजनीति करता है या अन्य, क्या वो उम्मीदवार स्थानीय मुद्दों को, हमारी और जनता की परेशानियों को दिल्ली तक पहुंचाता है, उसका निदान करने में क्या वो सक्षम है। मुंबई और मुंबई के आसपास समेत महाराष्ट्र के 17 सीटों पर सोमवार 29 तारीख को चुनाव है और चुनाव आयोग ने तैयारियां पूरी कर ली है, जहाँ एक तरफ प्रसाशन मुस्तैद है वही मुंबई पुलिस भी अलर्ट पर है।
चुनावी समीकरणों की बात करें तो मुंबई की छह लोकसभा सीटें, राज्य की उन 17 सीटों में शामिल हैं जहां चौथे चरण के लोकसभा चुनाव के अंतर्गत मतदान होना है। इसमें देश की कमर्शियल और ग्लैमर राजधानी मुंबई महानगर क्षेत्र शामिल है। इन सीटों में, धुले से केंद्रीय रक्षा राज्यमंत्री सुभाष भामरे, उत्तरी मुंबई से उर्मिला मातोंडकर, शिरूर से अमोल कोल्हे, राष्ट्रवादी कांग्रेस पार्टी प्रमुख शरद पवार के पोते पार्थ अजित पवार मावल से और नासिक से समीर भुजवल चुनाव मैदान में हैं। राज्य में अंतिम चरण के लिए होने वाले मतदान के अंतर्गत मुख्य संसदीय क्षेत्र नांदुरबार, धुले, दिंडोरी, नासिक, पालघर, भिवंडी, कल्याण, ठाणे, उत्तरी मुंबई, उत्तर-पश्चिम मुंबई, उत्तर-पूर्व मुंबई, उत्तर-मध्य मुंबई, दक्षिण-मध्य मुंबई, मवाल, शिरूर, शिर्डी शामिल है। इन क्षेत्रों की आम समस्याएं बेसिक इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर, बेहतर आवागमन और कनेक्टिविटी, पानी समस्या, रोजगार और सस्ता घर हैं। पहले तीन चरणों में 31 सीटों के लिए मतदान हुआ है। बीजेपी -शिवसेना-आरपीआई गठबंधन ने 2014 में सभी 17 सीटें जीती थीं। लेकिन इस बार एनडीए को इनमें से कुछ क्षेत्रों में चुनौती का सामना करना पड़ सकता है, जिनमें मुंबई की सीट भी शामिल है। जानकार बताते हैं कि मराठा समुदाय और किसानों की नाराजगी इस गठबंधन को भारी पड़ सकती है।
बहरहाल अगर हम सुरक्षा की बात करें तो बीते कुछ दिन पहले ही पडोसी मुल्क श्रीलंका में हुए आतंकी हमले को देखते हुए चुनाव के दौरान सुरक्षा व्यवस्था पूरी तरह से पुख्ता है, मुंबई में कुल 6 लोकसभा सीटों के लिए कुल 10073 मतदान केंद्र बनाए गए हैं। इनमें 325 मतदान केंद्र संवेदनशील घोषित किए गए हैं। इसे देखते हुए 40,600 पुलिसकर्मियों का बंदोबस्त पर लगाया गया है। इनमें एसआरपीएफ की 12 , केंद्रीय पैरा मिलिट्री फोर्सेस की 14 टुकड़ियों के अलावा 6000 होमगार्ड्स भी शामिल हैं। मुंबई में मतदान के दिन फोर्स वन, क्यूआरटी यानी क्विक रिस्पॉंस टीम और एन्टी टेरर सेल को भी अलर्ट रहने को कहा गया है। मुंबई में नाकाबंदी बढ़ा दी गई है और होटलों और लॉज में आने वालों की पृष्ठभूमि पूछी जा रही है। सोमवार को सभी पुलिसकर्मियों की छुट्टियां रद्द कर दी गई हैं। मुंबई में कुल 391 अवैध हथियार भी जब्त किए हैं और 4833 लोगों के खिलाफ गैर जमानती वॉरंट जारी किया है। 10 लाख रुपये से ज्यादा कीमत की 2648 लीटर अवैध शराब जब्त की गई है। पुलिस ने शहर में 35 अलग-अलग छापों में कुल 10 करोड़ 50 लाख रुपये की नकदी भी जब्त की है।
बहरहाल दी सीएसआर जर्नल देश के हर नागरिक से अपील करता है कि आप अपने घरों से निकले और बिना किसी भय के, बिना किसी लालच में आये सही जनता के प्रतिनिधि को चुुुनेे ताकि देेेश लोकतंत्र मजबूत हो सके।
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. While about 2.5 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day in the world, India is still lagging behind in the area. However, India is one of the top 10 coffee producers in the world.
Coffee culture in India is rising over time. The number of cafes in the country has increased in the last 5 years. However, this has not made a significant rise in coffee domestic sales as predicted. One of the major reasons behind this is the use of Chicory roots in the coffee.
Chicory is a flowering plant in the dandelion family that is characterized by a tough, hairy stem, light purple flowers and leaves that are commonly used in salads. The roots of this plant are roasted and ground and added with the coffee powder available in the market. The coffee solely made of chicory is considered healthy as it does not have caffeine. Taste similarity between coffee and chicory has made the latter a substitute for fighting caffeine addiction.
With the rising prices of coffee, the coffee brands such as Bru and Nestle are adding chicory to coffee in order to protect margins. Food and Safety Standards Association of India (FSSAI) has permitted the use of up to 49% of chicory in coffee powder sold by brands. The decision has left the coffee growers in the country in a miserable state. The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) has said that the coffee sector had been going through tough times in the last several years due to falling prices, labour shortage, soaring labour costs, rise in fertilizer prices and vagaries of nature. All these have pushed up the cost of coffee production by 50%. Also, the white stem borer (pest) attack has brought down the production by almost half.
Considering the woes of the country’s farmers, FSSAI has proposed to bring down the chicory content in the coffee to up to 30%. While the clearance of the proposal is pending, the growers are expecting a positive future of getting a good price for their crop.
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The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulation has been a more open and more inclusive process than the formulation of the earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) driven by United Nations Member States.
Whereas MDG 3 had a single target focussed on education, SDG 5 proposes a range of targets to end discrimination, violence and harmful practices, recognise and value unpaid care work, participation and leadership in decision-making, and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.
The main feature of SDG 5 of promoting gender equality and empowering women is that it challenges cultural norms and traditions and requires deep changes in day-to-day individual behaviour and practices, which are normally regarded as a “private matter”. If the laws and mechanisms by which society operates and the underlying cultural patterns are not modified, policy will be swimming against the tide.
Empowerment indicators measure changes in absolute levels of women’s well being. According to data presented in the Lok Sabha, India accounted for about 2,00,000 missing women and children in 2015. Child in Need Institute, using Accenture’s technology solutions, is tracking, proactively identifying and preventing such human trafficking trends, thus aligning to SDG 5.
Since 2010, Accenture’s Skills to Succeed initiative is empowering women from economically weaker sections ― apart from youth and persons with disabilities ― who receive training in the skills needed in some high-demand job areas; IT and digital skills and sectors such as hospitality and facilities management, retail, construction and micro-enterprise.
Accenture works with its implementation partners to promote equality and inclusiveness, and to ensure that beneficiaries reflect diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Of the total skilled, 230,000 have been women, representing more than 40% of the total skilled. The company has also developed an AI-powered, 24/7 interview practice aid that uses emotions analytics, voice and facial recognition to help prepare women from ‘Her Second Innings’ to reenter the workforce after a career break.
Welspun India has partnered with UN Women, subsidiary organ of the United Nations mandated to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women. The home textile conglomerate currently has 23% women workforce and aims to achieve the target of 30% women employees by 2020.
“HUL believes that a gender balanced workforce is essential to run a sustainable business,” says Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. “The company has achieved 39% gender diversity in management positions through consistent efforts towards building a strong talent pipeline of high potential women leaders, providing excellent parental support and flexible working options and creating a truly inclusive work environment.”
The SDG 5 has now reflected the value of care and care giving and women’s assumed special responsibility. The visibility and value of care and care-giving has increased now and care across the life-cycle is recognised as the joint responsibility of society and the state, rather than women alone. Johnson & Johnson’s Health for Humanity 2020 Goals impact a billion lives in underserved areas, with programs like healthcare mobile messaging reaching 1 million mothers in India.
Viacom18 has gender inclusive policies such as a 36-week maternity leave and flexible work arrangements. The latest addition to the policies is Viacubs – a child day-care service for Viacom18 employees, as part of Viacom18’s WAVE initiative which focusses on safety, wellness, life events and career development of employees. The first centre in Mumbai in partnership with KLAY Schools, is spread across 2,500 sq ft.
Says Abhinav Chopra, Chief Human Resource Officer, Viacom18, “WAVE was introduced with the aim of encouraging women to grow and take on more leadership roles to promote gender equality and inclusion at the workplace in line with SDG 5. Our women employees should not be in a position where they must choose between their careers and family. Viacubs will ensure a smooth transition for the returning mother with the assurance that her child will be well attended to, in a nurturing environment.”
Programmes of cash transfers and targeting cash payments to caregivers support women’s empowerment by increasing their control of resources and decisions within the household.
As more companies reflect on how gender equality can benefit their business, we will see more corporations develop programmes that align with SDG 5 and empower women across their value chain.
This article was earlier published in the April 2019 print edition of our magazine. To grab a copy, click here
In one of the poorest areas of India, they already are.
This is thanks to a new team of health workers who are training rural women how to gain financial independence by raising healthier goats.
The health workers are goat nurses known as “pashu sakhis,” which means “friends of the animals” in Hindi. Pashu sakhis are all poor women themselves who are given basic training in how to vaccinate, deworm, and provide other preventive care to goats in their community.
So, how does this help empower women?
In India’s poorest rural families, goat rearing is an important source of income. Goats can be sold easily because they are always in demand as a source of food. In fact, goats are nicknamed “ATMs” because they are a convenient source of cash.
Unlike more valuable operations on farms in India—crops or cattle, for example—goats are managed almost exclusively by women. They bring them out for grazing, take care of them when they’re ill, and sell them at the market.
And here’s the most critical point—the money women earn from their goats stays in their hands. With more control of their finances, women not only improve their status within the homes, but they also have a greater ability to make decisions and have greater power over their own lives. Study after study shows that when women have cash, they will spend it on things that improve the quality of life for their family. That means more money for buying food to improve nutrition, schooling for children, visiting a doctor, or even building a toilet.
India has more than 135 million goats—one-sixth of the world’s goat population. And more than 70% of poor, rural families raise them. So, there is huge potential for goats to help boost women’s empowerment. But that potential has not been fully realized. Because of a lack of access to veterinary services in India, mortality rates for goats are as high as 40%. And ill or low-weight goats fetch lower prices in the marketplace.
That’s why the pashu sakhis are so important. They are filling a gap in these veterinary services to help improve the health of the goats. Through a program called Project Mesha run by the Aga Khan Foundation and supported by our foundation, more than 200 women are being trained to be pashu sakhis in four communities in the Indian state of Bihar. Bihar is one of the poorest states in India and has one of the country’s largest populations of goats. Working through local women’s groups, the program aims to increase incomes for 50,000 of India’s poorest women by 30%.
A key part of the project is to ensure that the pashu sakhis are empowered themselves. They charge small fees for their veterinary services, which provide them with a source of income and a financial incentive to promote goat care in their communities. In Bihar, local culture allows husbands to place tight restrictions on their wives’ mobility and decision-making power. But as pashu sakhis earn more income from their goat services, they say they are also gaining more respect and independence from their husbands.
While this project is still small, it has the potential for a huge impact on poor women in India. The Aga Khan Foundation is working with the government of Bihar to expand the program in other districts in the state.
At our foundation, we want to see more women’s empowerment projects like this one. That’s why last year we launched a new strategy focused on gender equality, which focuses on removing the barriers to equality that women and girls face so they too may live a healthy, happy, and economically productive future.
Unless we all push for greater equality, women will not have the opportunity to reach their full potential, nor will the communities where they live. Thanks to the incredible work of the pashu sakhis, thousands of women in India will now have an opportunity to break out of poverty and exercise greater power over their lives.
Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. He dropped out of college to start Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Today, Bill and Melinda Gates co-chair the charitable foundation bearing their names and are working together to give their wealth back to society.
Views of the author are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.
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Jawa Motorcycles’ #ForeverHeroes initiative that started with a fundraiser event in Mumbai continued with the handover of proceeds of the auction to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) at a ceremony in the capital. The AFFDF is run by the Kendriya Sainik Board and is operated by a Managing Committee, headed by the Defence Minister at the Centre and Governor/Lt Governor at the State/UT level.
Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. raised a sum of INR 1,49,25,000 by auctioning 13 motorcycles from its first batch of production motorcycles. The handover was done by Classic Legends to Kendriya Sainik Board, Ministry of Defence (Government of India) at a joint ceremony in the presence of eminent armed forces veterans, war heroes and officers.
Anupam Thareja, Co-founder, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. and Founder and Managing Partner, Phi Capital, said, “We had people bidding for Jawas not just from metros like Bombay & Delhi but all the way from Krishnagiri in the south to diamond city Surat.”
Ashish Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd., said: “Forever Heroes is not just a Classic Legends initiative. Rather, it is a movement created by Jawa riders as well as the motorcycling community who came forward to support this cause and helped us raise this amount. It is true that the sacrifices made by martyrs can never be weighed, but we will be glad if this gesture can contribute to the welfare of their family members.”
As a young automobile start-up in the country, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. wants to inculcate a sense of gratitude towards the Armed Forces in this early phase of the company’s development of culture and values. At this stage, Jawa wants to start with a token monetary contribution to the Armed Forces. Given the resounding demand to its motorcycles, Jawa auctioned the first few motorcycles in the open market and will donate the proceeds towards a benevolent cause of the Armed Forces.
With the ‘Forever Heroes’ initiative, the company is particularly inclined towards supporting the education of the children of the martyred Jawans who have given their life for the country in the line of duty. In its day to day functioning, Jawa Motorcycles will also look forward to facilitate interactions of its employees & customers through its network and other suitable occasions with the armed forces personnel to help build regard % respect for their contribution to the country.
A 29-year-old Ashish Sharma quit his job in August 2017, to start a 17,000 km walk with an aim to rescue all the child beggars and make India child begging free. His determination towards the cause kept him going despite being abducted once, affected by jaundice and getting mugged as he traversed the different states of India.
Holding an Indian flag in one hand and a heavy backpack on his shoulder, Ashish Sharma keeps his spirits high by shouting “Jai Hind!” after every few kilometres. On his way, he stopped at schools, colleges, tea stalls, and metro coaches to educate people about child beggars. He managed to meet the actor Rajnikanth and his wife Latha and garnered support for his ‘Duayen Foundation’ by tying up with Latha Rajinikanth’s NGO – ‘Shree Dayaa Foundation’ which aims at protecting children from domestic and emotional abuse, trafficking and exploitation.
Taking off on a journey to fulfil late APJ Abdul Kalam’s dream of every child of India going to school by 2020, Ashish has vowed to bring the attention of state governments and citizens on the issue. Ashish’s ‘Duayen Foundation’ has also made a mobile application which helps people get in touch with responsible authorities when they see a child beggar on the street.
The app will be connected to various institutes like NGOs, hospitals, schools and government departments. Currently, the app is being used by four to five of Ashish’s friends as a part of a pilot survey. It will be unofficially launched in the country in the first week of April or May with a hope to get it officially launched by the Prime Minister of the country.
Ashish’s next big project is to open a school in every railway station across the country – where the most number of child-beggars or trafficked children can be spotted. He aims to involve the railway minister, the women & child development minister and the home minister in this project.
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