Bharathanoor, Trivandrum District - A hospice and rural medicine services centre
Founder-Trustee Dr. Krishna Das took the initiative to earmark land in Thiruvananthapuram District for a hospice, old age home or palliative care centre. The sad reality today is that there are thousands of people who cannot access a healthcare facility because they are disabled, bed-bound, elderly, living alone with no one to accompany them, or are geographically isolated. Preliminary discussion with Padma Shri Dr. M.R. Rajagopal, Director, Pallium India, helped the Executive Committee understand the problem and the need to serve people with chronic terminally illnesses among the rural population. The Executive Committee felt it did not have the expertise or funds to build and manage the centre and therefore proposed a collaboration with reputed organisations and institutions as stakeholders in the project. Plans are underway to engage the services of a consultant to prepare detailed project report (DPR).
Monkombu, Kuttanad, Alappuzha District - Centre for education, employment and social leadership development.
Trust Secretary Krishna Kumar has been providing ongoing support, financial assistance and expertise for flood risk mitigation and safe building construction to local people by his association with YMPAC, a socio-cultural society, and Nattukkuttam, a grass-roots advocacy group. Trustees also contribute time and money for upgrading the facilities at the ATGVHSS Government School, sponsor sports events and temple programmes, and volunteer at community functions. Preliminary discussions with socio-politiclal activists and elders of the Kottaram family and well-to-do expats with roots in Monkombu led to the approval to establish a centre for education, employment and social leadership development.
Kalpetta, Wayanad District - Agri-biz Help Desk
Trust Vice-Chairman Dr. Narayanan is a resource person at the MSSRF Community Agrobiodiversity Centre, Wayanad. The CabC promotes community conservation systems among rural and tribal communities through research, extension and advocacy. He works in partnership with the communities for sustainable agricultural and rural development. The agri biz helpdesk will function in such a way that promotes a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women and a pro-livelihood orientation to technology development and dissemination. Dr. Narayanan’s skill and experience will be complemented by setting up a digital information resource and facilitation centre to organise academic programmes, workshops, exhibitions, demos and promote agri biz.
