The pandemic has been hard on all of us. However, it has set back rural and tribal communities in India with job losses, lack of access to medical facilities, and even basic grocery essentials.
Fortunately Prathima, the Founder of Belaku Foundation is making sure that never happens again.
We got in touch with the NGO founder to know about the work Belaku Foundation has done over the past few months to help rural communities survive the pandemic.
Leaving no one behind – setting up Belaku Foundation
Founded in October 2020, Belaku Foundation was set up by NGO workers Prathima Devi and Naveen Kumar. Their main goal – help rural and tribal towns in Karnataka with basic needs like education, medical care, and food.
We set this up mainly focussing on children and women. We wanted to help organize various health, educational, and welfare programs for those who did not have any access to them. – Prathima
Prathima and her team members Sahana and Vijayalakshmi have travelled to rural settlements in and around Hunsur, Periyapatna, and Nagarahole to create awareness among people and also –
- Organize vocational training for women and unskilled workers
- Assist widows, people with disabilities, elderly with financial and medical aid
- Run/ operate different types of education programs/schools; this includes formal, non-formal, kindergarten for underprivileged children of the community
- Kickstart medical and basic essentials facilities for COVID related emergencies and more
Journey so far – How Belaku Foundation set up initiatives
Imagine living in an area devoid of basic facilities like electricity, water, and access to rations? In 2021, there are tribal communities that continue to struggle with basic day-to-day life. Belaku Foundation is persevering to give these communities anything they need to sustain a livelihood.
So far, the organization has helped with –
- Conducting education camps for children
- Providing computers to Government schools in Sonihalli
- Distributing groceries to the families in different rural villages
- Set up solar light panels for 36 tribal families to give them access to electricity and water
- Distribution of groceries to over 220 visually impaired families in different areas of Bangalore
Currently, the organization aims to help communities with medical kits and groceries, and plan to reach over 2000 families in the state.
The long road ahead to help empower communities
Given how the lockdown has impacted travel, Belaku Foundation has a tough task ahead of them commuting to these remote locations. However, this does not deter Prathima, Naveen, and her team. She realizes the efforts that go into helping these communities need to be long-term until the Government provides facilities themselves. Prathima knows that setting up an NGO at a time like this can be daunting.
Setting up the NGO is a commitment and responsibility which you consciously take. The major challenge in running an NGO is to have a sustainable source of funding for the kind of work we want to do. So far, we are able to get the help of friends, colleagues, and other NGOs for the kind of projects we have been doing . – Prathima
Belaku Foundation’s long-term vision and goal are to make sure basic necessities like electricity, sanitation, drinking water, and a value-based education system are available for everyone in every corner of this country.
It should reach every citizen in this country. – Prathima
What every social worker must know –
” With the Not-for-profit organization, you don’t have any product or service to sell, rather you are serving the society with an intention of helping people who are needy and it’s a service to mankind. When you help people or a village the satisfaction you get itself is a remuneration. ” – Prathima
Raising funds to give everyone a better life
Prathima and the rest of the Belaku Foundation team work tirelessly to provide education, healthcare, and essentials. To do this, they need financial aid and support from the public.
Right now, Belaku Foundation aims to –
- Continue providing grocery kits to families
- Provide medical kits which include thermometers, basic medicines, masks and hand sanitisers to Asha Karyakarthas
- Provide 2-3 odometers for every village PHC(Primary Health Centres)
- Conduct awareness programs in conjunction with doctors on various aspects of Covid-19
Prathima has set up a Facebook page and is currently accepting donations via Instamojo payment links. You can also show your support by visiting their page and sharing the initiatives undertaken by the foundation.
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