Which NGO has been partnering with us the longest?
As one of the eminent nonprofits in the USA supporting India, IDRF has been associated with many NGOs for several decades. The vision of IDRF is to give the best education and health to the people of rural areas. When talking with Dr. Prakash about the NGOs having the longest partnering with IDRF, the
list is too big to describe here. He had mentioned some innovative projects in which IDRF has good partnering with NGOs.
- He replied that IDRF prefers to work with those NGOs who fulfill our compliance and legal requirements based on the government rules in India and the USA. IDRF keeps a transparent approach when it gives funding to the NGOs. It exhibits all details about the funding and projects on its website whilst maintaining the privacy of its donors. Similarly, it expects a responsible and reliable approach from the NGOS that they provide detailed information about the projects funded by IDRF. The first requirement to get funding from IDRF is the FCRA registration certificate. Regarding partnering with NGOs, it depends on the length or duration of the project and how soon can the project become sustainable. Normally, it will take a year or two years and sometimes longer. Thus, our partnering relies on the need of the NGOs for specific projects.
- Prakash discussed one of the interesting projects run by Vivekanand Kendra, Kanyakumari (since 2000), which is a PAN India organization. IDRF has funded its project run by “Arun Jyoti '' which provides Mobile Medical Care for people in remote hilly and tribal villages of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Starting with medical vans, IDRF has even funded an OPD path lab with modern equipment at Tinsukia, Assam to give better treatment and medication to people of marginalized communities. He added that many people benefit from the free medical camps organized as a part of health development programs. Thus, IDRF stays connected with NGOs that ethically and responsibly work for the health of the rural poor in India.
- Good governance and women empowerment are other focus areas of IDRF. In this regard, IDRF has been associated with Arpana Research and Charities Trust (since 2000), which offers charities and development programs in rural areas of Haryana. IDRF wanted to initiate a program for keeping fertility rates low. Hence, along with Arpana Trust, they started this program in selected 4-5 villages along with two teams of men, and the other of women. They explained to villagers about the benefits of having smaller families. The program turned out to be successful, and in four years, the birth rate drastically reduced from 33% to 23%. The program expanded from four villages to 40-50 and then from 100 villages to 1500 villages.
- With the financial support of IDRF and Arpana, women and disabled people’s Self Help Group members can easily get revolving micro-credits to initiate their small enterprises. It is considered a revolution in these small villages where the lives of the women/disabled persons are completely transformed. After its successful outcomes, this NGO shows profound gratitude to Dr. Prakash and his wife Sarla. They mentioned that now their program is successful and does not require more
funding from IDRF. Thus, partnering with Arpana Trust becomes one of the most successful and satisfactory story for IDRF.
IDRF’s partnering with NGOs depends on the time duration of the project. Hence, partnership with NGOs ends amicably after successful project completion. IDRF plays a vital role in each project to accomplish its motto to give power and not just charity to help poor people in India.
