Setu Charitable Trust


CONTROL OF AIDS, HIV, STI AMONG SEX-WORKER





HIV control program in Maharashtra



Setu Trust partners with Maharashtra AIDS Control Society (MSACS), a government undertaking for control of AIDS, HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) among sex workers in 5 Districts, Parbhani, Jalna, Nanded, Aurangabad and Beed. Setu Trust has a target population of 1000 sex workers, home and brothel based and transgenders in each of the districts. The task is to bring down morbidity and eliminate mortality due to HIV and AIDS.


Under "Improving the Quality of Life of Sex Workers including those having HIV & AIDS and their children” program a Crèche and a Vocational Training Centre has been set up at Parbhani and the same was inaugurated on 13th June 2015. The Crèche caters to 40 children and the vocational centre will impart training to 60 women and girls to improve their skills and prepare them for livelihood opportunities.


Setu Trust has been rated among the best performing NGOs in the field and has effectively eliminated mortality in AIDS and brought down morbidity to less than 5% from a high of 45%. Setu Trust has enhanced the scope of its work to include economic and social activities for overall development of the community. Through proper advocacy with government and municipal council authorities and social mobilization, it has succeeded in extending all the government welfare programs to the poor and needy among different disadvantaged communities viz. sex workers, leprosy patients, scavengers, pig rearing community (Shikalgar) and Qureshi, who are among the most backward communities in India.



RADHARAMAN ITI, DEORIA





ITI, for Skill development in Bhagalpur



Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Seva Evam Adhyayan Kendra (Lohia Kendra) an NGO was established in the year 1994 at Bhagalpur, Deoria, U.P. to help speed up rural development programmes designed for the poor. Its thrust was women and child development through outreach programmes in the field of education, health and livelihood opportunities. Lohia Centre established a college for girls, as the drop out rate among girls after secondary school education in the area was nearly 90%. Lohia Kendra started a health unit “Jeevana Rekha” as medical facilities in the area were rudimentary and assisted government in its “Blindness Control Program” by continuously organizing camps for cataract surgeries. In order to improve employability of youth it has conducted vocational guidance courses in collaboration with Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) as its sub-center.


These courses are of short duration of 4 months leading to grant of certificate by YCMOU to successful candidates. The YCMOU certificates have helped many candidates in securing employment not only in India but also in Gulf Countries. Although unemployment among rural youth in the area is rampant (Deoria being among the most backward district in the country), there is paucity of technical institutes viz. Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics etc. in the district. There is one Government Polytechnic and three ITI in Deoria while there is no Engineering College and no other Polytechnic or qualified ITI in the entire district having a population of nearly 3 million people.


The success of its collaborative initiative with YCMOU and the great need for an ITI for upgrading skills of the rural youth, prompted Lohia Kendra with the active participation of Setu Charitable Trust an NGO, registered at Mumbai to set up an ITI to be known as RADHARAMAN ITI at Bhagalpur . It has been decided to offer courses in trades viz. (1) Fitter, (2) Electrician, which appear to hold ample opportunities for employment during the first year. There will be addition in number of trainees and courses on offer depending upon the success achieved during the first year. The ITI to be named as RADHARAMAN ITI will have all the necessary infrastructure including a computer lab, library, workshops required by a well run institute



SAMATA BALIKA VIDYALAYA – SCHOOL FOR GIRLS





First all-girls school in Bhagalpur, UP



Samata Balika Vidyalaya was established in Bhagalpur Block (population 1,25,000)of Deoria District, Uttar Pradesh. The drop-out rate among girl children in middle schools was nearly 60%. There was no girl-only school in the block and families were reluctant to girl children to co-ed schools. This gap has been fulfilled by the school which now has a strength of 200 girls in 4 classes from the 9th to the 12th. The school has a motivated group of teachers and has been consistently turning out impressive results at the board exams with the 12th standard results being the best in the area. The school faces a financial crunch as it does not charge any fees from girls who are drawn from backward and poor families. A few more subjects need to be taught, extra-curricular activities need to be increased and the infrastructure needs to be upgraded. There is a need to set up laboratories and strengthen the library to help introduce teaching in subjects like Science, Math and English, for which there is a persistent demand. This will require an infusion of funds.



Tailoring and beautician Classes





HDFC funded classes at Parbhani, Hingoli,Jalna and Aurangabad