RTM SAP MANDAL approaches the challenge of HIV with hope and positivity, our aim is not only to halt and reverse HIV & AIDS but also to ensure that children, adolescents and adults living with HIV have a healthy and dignified life. Our work helps to strengthen local response to HIV, AIDS, TB, Malaria, Sickle cell disease and other epidemics in the district of Amravati and Vidarbha region as a whole. We work closely with the local people at village levels and with CBOs (community based organizations) who support us in providing care and support where it is needed the most. It has been 10 years that we are working to improve the lives of children especially those infected and affected by HIV & AIDS and their families and orphan children. We lobby at local, state and national levels with political leaders, thinkers and policy makers to help all children realize their rights – especially the most disadvantaged. “Our vision in this area is Vidarbha region with no new HIV infections and those living with HIV & AIDS are doing so with equality and required support”
Promoting moral based quality education and spiritual uplift to underprivileged rural children living in villages of Teosa block of Amravati district is our main purpose. We have developed a value – based education system combined with English language based curriculum. As the Government and People of Japan have financially helped us to construct our ‘Wadekar National School’, the organization manages to create a sense of ownership and accountability within the community. The organization lays emphasis on educating girl – child and believes that educating a girl – child, not only the family but the entire community gets educated. Our goal is to provide value – based education to all children at the village – level itself.
“Our aim in this area is to facilitate the all – round development of children from underprivileged families by providing them quality academic and extra – curricular education at an affordable cost”
Education is both the means as well as the end to a better life. It empowers an individual to ear his/her livelihood and in the end increases one’s awareness on a range of issues and on this process evolves as an empowered citizen. Our educational initiative includes Pre-primary and primary (I – V) formal education. Some admissions are reserved for children in difficult circumstances such as those inflicted and affected by HIV & AIDS, children of very poor parents and slum children. Our future focus will also include adult education (for illiterate parents), so that the families are empowered. Upgrading our school to SSC and higher education till class XII in arts, commerce and science is in process.
Our experiences on the ground as well as various studies prove that when we help women and empower them, the whole society benefits. The families get healthier, children go to school, levels of income improve and communities become more prosperous. But in India, unfortunately, women instead of being empowered are denied basic rights such as health, education, employment and a respectable status in the society.
The villagers believe that marriage and domestic labor is a girl’s ultimate destiny and aim to get girls in the community married early on in their lives. Through our projects, we identified that lack of higher education among girls was a major issue.
Our programs formulate strategies to save the girl child, empower the poor and support women empowerment. The programs are aimed at realizing both individual and collective self-esteem and inner strength for marginalized and socially excluded women and adolescent girls. Through our programs, we identify adolescent girls and women from the community and develop them into ‘change agents’ who then actively contribute in mobilizing the community.
We offer a space for elderly women and women farmers to discuss issues affecting the community, and work on solutions in a collective and organized manner.