• Corporate Social Responsibility
•           Long term projects
• • Rural
  • Urban
• One time support

Rural projects

Tribal welfare projects in Peth Taluka, Nashik, Maharashtra

GSK India undertakes a number of Rural Development initiatives through its trust GRAMIN AAROGYA VIKAS SANSTHA (GAVS), a Rural Health Development Organization. GAVS is a registered public charitable trust established and promoted by the heritage company Glaxo India in April 1997.

India is a country with more than 1.2 billion people where an estimated 350 million people live in absolute poverty. Tribal people constitute roughly 8% of India's population. Based on research conducted and analysed, a cluster of villages was identified for providing basic healthcare facilities for a year as a pilot project.

Tribals are socio-economically disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Most tribes are concentrated in heavily forested areas that combine inaccessibility with limited political or economic significance. Tribals have been accorded special status in the constitution and there are several schemes designed for their upliftment. However, a number of these schemes are poorly implemented and there has not been much improvement in their status. Even today, the tribal population lags substantially behind in terms of education and health.

As a part of its Rural Tribal Development mission, GAVS collected primary data from 92 villages in Peth Tehsil / Block near Nashik in the year 2005. Peth is the smallest Tehsil / Block in the district; it occupies 3.63% of the district. The tribal population in Nashik falls amongst the 10% of the total Tribal population (7.4 million) in the state of Maharashtra. These groups remain isolated, living in remote forest and hilly areas. A majority of them have poor health status and are ignorant about health issues. Inaccessibility, low literacy level, absence of any NGO and paucity of basic healthcare facilities characterize these villages.

The research was conducted with the objective of getting authentic, first-hand information on health and education status in the area thereby identifying the most underserved village communities, which needed Company support. Based on the data analysis, a few clusters of villages were identified for providing basic healthcare facilities for a year as a pilot project in the year 2005

GAVS originally worked in 15 predominantly Tribal villages in Peth Taluka, Nashik District. Currently the Trusts' Mobile Clinic covers a distance of 160 kms each day and visits a cluster of 35 villages in rotation, covering over 80 villages. A team of qualified medical practitioners along with healthcare workers visit the villages five days a week. Social workers and 30 Healthcare Workers from the local villages render help in implementing the project at the grassroots level. Over 55000 villagers are benefited by this healthcare initiative directly or indirectly.

The villagers often suffer from skin diseases, Tuberculosis, water-borne diseases and Respiratory Tract Infections. Ignorance, poverty and difficult terrain make it near impossible for these inhabitants to avail of timely medical services. This results in aggravation of the diseases to extreme conditions, often leading to human losses.

The GSK medical centres being located in the villages itself have proved to be a boon to the villagers, who would otherwise have to walk for around 8 -10 kms. to reach the nearest primary healthcare centres. The Organization regularly conducts Health awareness sessions in this region as a preventive measure aimed at mass sensitization and eradication of health and hygiene issues in the region.

GAVS field action programs included:

• Medical check-up and treatment offered at Trust's Mobile Van and 3 Medical Centres in the Villages.
• Ongoing Health camps and Health awareness programs
• Vocational Training activities for employment generation at the local level.
• Women empowerment activities through SELF HELP GROUPS
• Innovative programs that could accurately address a current issue related to Health or livelihood.

Vocational Training Centres

GAVS have also launched three Vocational Training Centers in Peth Taluka. The centres were launched in the beginning of 2008 in collaboration with Mumbai based partner organization, Kherwadi Social Welfare Association. The project is undertaken with a long term objective of imparting specialized skills and making the unemployed youths more employable in the areas of computer literacy, tailoring, beauty training, wireman/ electrician training, increased agriculture productivity, Motor training, nursing assistance training etc. Nearly 800 youths have been trained and a number of them are currently gainfully employed. This initiative, to a certain extent has helped in curtailing the seasonal migration in the region.

Shelter home for children - Behraich, Uttar Pradesh

In 2008, GSK India in collaboration with Pratham, a Non Government Organization, started a Shelter home for children under the age of 16. The program aims at preventing migration of children for work in bigger cities & increasing access to quality primary education for children thereby empowering families and facilitating child friendly environment in the district.

The Shelter home is located in the eastern part of India at Behraich, Lucknow, which is one of the highest child sending regions in the country. The project aims at prevention of children migrating to bigger cities in need of work and falling prey to child labor and anti-social elements. This project includes supporting 50 children by way of providing them education, food and shelter in addition to psycho-social support. The beneficiaries include around 67 children from 69 gram panchayats covering a population of over 1 lac villagers.

GSK and Pratham are also actively involved in advocacy and awareness generation on the issue of Child labour in about 100 villages of Behraich. For advocacy, Pratham has identified two most vulnerable blocks in the district Huzupura & Vishweshwarganj for intervention. It had conducted survey covering 10366 children in these blocks, identifying 1466 out of schoolchildren. "School Chalo Abhiyan" was organized to enroll these out of schoolchildren and around 470 were enrolled into the formal educational system. A District Child Welfare Committee has also been established with active participation of Government officials and even a helpline to help children in distress.

Healthcare project, Institute for Indian Mother and Child, Kolkata:

In 2009, GSK India has extended its support to The Institute for Indian Mother & Child (IIMC) a non-governmental voluntary organization, committed to promote child & maternal health and literacy. IIMC was set up in 1989, with the mission to give support to the medical needs of the poorest and most backward people of West Bengal who have no access to basic healthcare and medical facilities. To combat the educational and healthcare system for the marginalised people from rural areas, IIMC devised multiple medical and health programs for holistic development of women and children.

IIMC runs two Residential Child Care Indoor Centers consisting of 20 Beds each and five outdoor Sub-Centers.

Outdoor Centers:

Tegharia - Operating twice in a week - 800 - 1000 Patients per day
Hogolkuria - Operating once in a week - 200 - 300 Patients per day
Chakberia - Operating once in a week - 300 - 500 patients per day
Kheadah - Operating once in a week - 200 - 300 patients per day
Dhaki - Operating twice in a week - 400 - 500 patients per day

Indoor Maternity Centers:

Dhaki Center - 20 Beds
Tegharia - 20 beds

The medical centers provide primary healthcare services at very subsidized rates to about 1,25,000 patients coming from remote villages. Every year, several severely malnourished children are admitted and treated at the Indoor Centers. These children are not only provided medical facilities, but are also supported with nutritional supplements on a regular basis.

IIMC's medical services include:

• Primary Health care services to 1,25,000 poor people from Rural areas.
• Micro surgery- cleft lip and cleft palate & other minor operation
• 20 bedded hospital for primary treatment to the child
• Emergency & ambulance services
• Low cost nutrition diet to the child
• Family planning programme
• Awareness to the patients
• Laboratory for pathological test
• Safe delivery for rural pregnant mothers
• Immunization
• Nursing intervention
• X-ray service
• Contraceptive material
• Medical camp
• School health check-up camp

IIMC was looking for a financial support for its on-going annual medical programs at its centers, which includes providing Medicines for 1 Lakh patients p.a, Nutritional diet supplements for 25,000 patients p.a., Reproductive child healthcare (RCH), Safe child birth and Awareness camps.

GSK India supports IIMC as its commitment to the medical needs of the lesser privileged section of the society.

Community College Program of Navjyoti India Foundation:

The Company has recently backed one more long-term unique project to set up a community college at Naya Gaon, Gurgaon. This project is run by Navjyoti India Foundation (NIF) founded by Dr. Kiran Bedi.

Navjyoti extends support to marginalised and vulnerable groups including women and children besides providing legal assistance to women in distress. The not for profit organisation also undertakes educational initiatives like balwadis (day care centres), gali schools (street schools), learning centres, vocational education, etc.

One of the projects started by the NGO is that of a Community College which has obtained certification from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in June 2010. Through this initiative, Navjyoti has set up the community college at Naya Gaon, Gurgaon with satellite classrooms in and around villages.

GSK India supports the Community College project by providing training to 1000 rural youth and women entrepreneurs to acquire specific knowledge or skills to enhance their operational skills.

Back to top