Category: gujarat social sector

  • Improving quality of life in the districts of Narmada and Bharuch, Gujarat

    On a surprisingly hot morning in March, we (i.e. Gram Vikas Trust’s junior team and myself) drove 30 minutes out of Bharuch to a place called Jhagadia. Every kilometer away from the main city got more rural. From a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam, we were soon the only car on our chosen road, and then began…

  • This hospital has never turned a single patient away

    “I will treat without exception all who seek my ministrations.”– from the Hippocratic Oath. 60 year old Savitaben (name changed) just underwent heart surgery, which cost Rs. 6 lakhs. 72-year old Ashwin Shah (name changed) had his prostrate removed as Cancer was detected in the same, which cost Rs. 4 lakhs. Himal Patel (name changed)…

  • Lives changed by Blind Welfare Council

    Blind Welfare Council’s impact can best be understood through the lives it changes. Here is the exceptional story of Girish. Girish Dahyagiri Gosai was born on the 1st of September, 1993, at Kharol village, which is in a remote deep forest area of Panchmahal. He suffers from mental retardation. Having lost his father at the early…

  • How it began at Blind Welfare Council, Dahod

    Blind Welfare Council, Dahod has been set up by Mr. Yusufi Kapadia along with seven of his friends. Infact 8 of the organizations Trustees, including Mr. Yusufi Kapadia himself, are visually-impaired. In 1980, Mr. Kapadia completed his standard 10 SSC examination. Infact, he was the first blind student in Dahod to give this examination. He…

  • Working for the disabled in the tribal district of Dahod, Gujarat

    A Wikipedia article on “Dahod” will tell you that the town is a “model town”. This made me wonder why a colleague, who had visited Dahod earlier, advised me not to spend the night here but do a daylong visit and be off. But in hindsight, I realized that this was good advice. Dahod is…

  • After setting up LIC, its Founder set up this hospital to give life insurance to the poor

    “How do you build a lasting legacy? Not with bricks and mortar, but by setting men’s hearts on fire with the passion of your vision.” – Henry Longfellow That a man in his 70s, an age when most men retire to a quiet, easy life, can dream of setting up a medical institution is remarkable.…

  • Lives changed by Charutar Arogya Mandal

    Charutar Arogya Mandal’s mission is to provide quality healthcare for people from all strata of society. Which is why it comes as no surprise to see the not-so-well-off juxtaposed against their state-of-the-art premises, as ones walks through this spacious hospital. On my visit, I chatted with family members of some beneficiaries admitted to the hospital.…

  • How it began at Gram Vikas Trust

    “I am blessed!! I am blessed because I was given, when I had absolutely nothing, the basics in life and was educated to utilize the basics to become who I am today. I will never forget the samaritans, who not only provided me with the basics but also taught me that a part of being…

  • Discovering Ahmedabad’s history and culture at night

    There’s more to Ahmedabad than meets the eye. Look beyond the garbage, the everybody-has-their-own-rules traffic, and the endless stalls of “egg” (yes, since most Gujarati’s are egg-itarians but don’t cook eggs at home, the humble egg is elevated to a specialty item here in Ahmedabad), and you’ll find a city rich in history and culture.…