Kutch Vikas Trust

KUTCH VIKAS TRUST : 1.      Starting :            Kutch Vikas Trust was established on the 27th of November 1980 as a Public Charitable Tru Read morest for the service of the marginalised and poor in the remote area of this vast district, the largest one in India. It is registered with the State and the Central Government. Registration No. of Kutch Vikas Trust is E. 644. The F.C.R.A. Reg. No. is 042050005.            This Charitable Trust was started by the Late Bishop Jonas Thaliath, a great visionary and an intellectual. A barren land of about 250 acres was purchased at a village called Raidhanpar, which is about 10 kms. from Bhuj. It is on the way from Bhuj to Lodai. Bhuj is the district headquarters. Fr. George Kunnath CMI reaches each nook and corner of the 250 acres vast land, meets each worker and gives precise and concrete directions to the supervisors. That makes him endearing to all, which lightens his responsibility as the Director of the Kutch Vikas Trust. 2.      Nature of K.V.T. :              Kutch Vikas Trust is non-political, non-sectarian and non-profit making in nature. Kutch Vikas Trust is working for the Integrated Development of the blind and disabled throughout Kutch District. 3.      Main Activity of Kutch Vikas Trust: The main activity of Kutch Vikas Trust is welfare activities for the disabled. Kutch Vikas Trust started its disabled welfare activities in 1984. Over the years KVT has grown in size, number, area of activities and capabilities. As on today, we are running 12 free hostels for disabled children, four integrated Education Schools for disabled children, Community Based Rehabilitation Service for the Disabled, wherein 26 trained field workers are employed, Old Age Home with the capacity of 100 senior citizens and other similar welfare activities for the disabled. We have got experienced staff in all the different sections of services.    4.      Eye Health Service of K.V.T.:            The priority sector of Kutch Vikas Trust is Eye Health Service. As part of the National Programme for the prevention and control of blindness, Kutch Vikas Trust is running two eye hospitals. The first one was started in 1987. The hospital has a good infrastructure with 100 beds and a well-equipped operation theatre. On an average we are conducting 3000 Cataract Surgeries per year. The number of eye surgeries performed in our hospitals is increasing year after year.            We are conducting daily eye camps, which cover the entire district of Kutch. We have a whole set up for conducting camps comprising a trained team of ophthalmic staff and a vehicle with equipments, public address system, etc. Kutch Vikas Trust is the only organization, which conducts daily eye camp. 5.      Residential School for the Blind and Orthopaedically Disabled :  We started our residential School for the blind and orthopaedically disabled children in 1984. Today there are 142 children in this project. They live in groups of 12 each under the care of House Mother in separate hostel buildings. We have adopted this system in order to provide to the disabled children, a family atmosphere and more personal attention. 6.      Other Major Activities of Kutch Vikas Trust :             Following is the list of other activities of Kutch Vikas Trust. v Deafblind Unit v Prevention of Blindness v Vocational Training Centre for the Disabled v School Eye Screening Programme v Awareness Generation Programme v Afforestation v Watershed Management v Bio Gas Plant v Self Help Groups v Mother and Child Health Care Programme v Cricket Tournament for village youth v Sports and Games for the Blind/Disabled in Kutch District. v Physiotherapy Centre v Rural Housing and Rehabilitation v Dairy Farm v Environment Improvement v General Hospital v Non Formal Education 7.      Sub Centres :            After having established the main centre of Kutch Vikas Trust at Raidhanpar village we also started three other centers in different parts of this District. These are Bhachau, Nakhatrana and Naliya. 8.      Earthquake of 2001 : As it is known to you the Killer Earthquake struck Kutch district on 26th January 2001. Kutch Vikas Trust being just 8 Kms. Away from the epicenter of the Earthquake, suffered very heavy loss. It was real miracle that we had no loss of life. As if by divine inspiration all our staff and students were out side the buildings while at 8.45 every thing collapsed. The Earthquake destroyed most of the structures in this district.  About half a million houses were destroyed. In our campus we had 72 buildings at that time. But out of these 7 buildings totally collapsed and all other buildings were very badly damaged to such an extent that none of us were entering in these buildings. After Earthquake, all of us (about 300) were living in temporary tents. 9.      What we did immediately after Earthquake :            As soon as the tragedy struck region on the 26th of January 2001, rescue and relief work got under way in no time. It was our way of showing gratitude to God in deeds, for having saved from death, the many dwelling on our vast campus. By afternoon of the same day, medical aid was provided by our hospital, to the affected people in the surrounding villages. The Kutch Vikas Trust vehicles kept bringing the injured to a point where the entire campus was converted into a medical camp.            Within a few days, many national and international NGO’s joined hands with Kutch Vikas Trust, in providing relief to the villages. They put up in different tents on the Trust Campus and appreciated the guidance given them by its Director, Fr. George Kunnath and his team.            Food and 500 tankers of water were supplied to many of the villages around, as well as firewood to help cremate the dead. And also distributed tarpaulin sheets, blankets, kitchen utensils and other items handy in an emergency.            In the month that followed the earthquake, the hospital did commendable service, reaching out to both the injured and the traumatised. They even covered 450 far-off villages with the help of a good handful of doctors, over half a dozen nurses and scores of volunteers from the country and abroad.            It had taken quite some time to recover from the first shock of that terrible earthquake and to adjust to a common life-style in tents, all the more because of the mild tremors that kept recurring, to disturb the mental equilibrium of those in houses with minor cracks.            Much time had also gone in clearing up pathways strewn by debris, retrieving furniture, equipment and other articles saved or not too damaged by the falling debris, contacting relatives of our hostel children and staff members, making estimates of the losses and planning for reconstruction and repairs on a priority basis.            Ironically, yet interestingly enough, the visually impaired were not as shaken up as those with sight. To these blind inmates, the quake did not create the same degree of panic as it did for others, because though they experienced the tremors, they had been spared the sight of death and destruction. Their only perception of the quake, they said, was a feeling of the earth shaking violently.            But several of their family and friends in places like Bhachau, Anjar, and other parts of the district, were not so fortunate. Twelve of the younger boarders had lost their parents in their native places.  Other worried parents came to Kutch Vikas Trust to ensure their siblings were safe, a few of them took their children back to their homes.      Given the tendency of the media to distort views and exaggerate situations, quite a few journalists from different parts of the world, had been coming to interview the Director and others of our Trust, so as to obtain first-hand information, clarify doubts, gather insights and find out facts which otherwise lay concealed.            While the State Government has been able to give some help, these NGO’s have offered much more. With the help and guidance of KVT, 83,000 families have received 4,500 tents, 87,500 blankets, 60,000 tarpaulins, 27,500 family kits and 42,000 food kits. Kutch Vikas Trust provided free medical services to 2,000 people per day.                       Together with Help Age India, Kutch Vikas Trust identified 3000 vulnerable and poor elderly and gave them ration and materials for their sustenance. We distributed tents, tarpaulins, blankets, lanterns, torch, food commodities, medicines and utensils to all the selected 3000 beneficiaries covering around 85 villages. Through Caritas and CRS, Kutch Vikas Trust has covered around 300 earthquake –affected villages of 4 talukas such as Bhuj, Anjar, Nakhatrana and Abadasa. Apart from rescue and relief operations, KVT has reconstructed about 6000 houses in these talukas. Together with CARITAS, KVT has provided 10,000 semi permanent structures to the victims of earthquake. 10.    Awards received by KVT :                        We have received the following awards. 1. Gujarat Government Award for Best Employer of the Disabled – 2004. 2. Gujarat Government Award for the Best Service Organization working for the Disabled – 2001. 3. Van Pandit Award from Gujarat Forest Department. 4. Bharat Excellence Award from New Delhi. 5. Ragasudha Award from Bombay. 12.    Silver Jubilee Celebration :            Silver Jubilee Celebration consisted of 25 different events spread out over a period of 1 year. The event that took place on 23rd of June 2006 was the conclusion. That was the 25th event. The other 24 events were planned in such a way that it benefits the Disabled, Women, Children and Elderly people in one way or other. Some examples are: (1) Disabled Day Celebration for all the Disabled in Kutch District (2) Ras Garba Competition for Village Women (3) Mega Eye Camp (4) World Sight Day Celebration (5) Music Competition for Villagers (6) Inter School Quiz and Essay Competition in English and Gujarati, etc.            The presence of one Union Cabinet Minister in the concluding programme attracted a huge crowd. The presence of a Union Cabinet Minister in this backward area called Ahir Patti comprising of 120 villages happened for the first time in the history of Independent India.            In short all of us are happy and satisfied with our Jubilee events. 13.    Our Vision :   A better world of Equality, Equity and Opportunity for the less privileged, marginalized and poor.  14.    Our Mission: Working for the welfare and advantage of the weaker sections in the society, like disabled, elderly, women, children and poor through development and empowerment.