We can easily call India the land of villages, they are the soul of our country. One always feels welcomed by the humble hospitality of rural people in India. These resilient rural villages have always been open to change, whether it is economic or social and at the same time have never left their traditional values and roots behind.
About 70% of our population – roughly one-tenth of the world population – live in villages and according to the 2011 census, India is the home to around 6,49,481 lakh villages. A majority of India’s rural community is illiterate, malnourished and below the poverty line. Around 75% of India’s health infrastructure and medical manpower are concentrated in its urban areas, where only 27% of the population lives. Given the shockingly inadequate state of medical facilities that are available in rural areas, it can be easily assumed that villages are as good as on their own in the fight against life threatening diseases and viruses, such as the COVID 19 virus.
The time has come to empower India’s village population by spreading awareness and providing them with important health, nutrition and other socio-economic facilities. The Earth Saviours Foundation plays a major role in village development and educating the rural youth and population about socio-economic issues in India. We, since the past 13 years have carried out all our operations from 2 villages, Bandhwari and Mandawar. Bandhwari is 14.28 kilometres (8.87 mi) from the urban city of Gurugram, has a population of about 3,624 persons living in 557 homes. Our Mandawar shelter is 25 kilometres away from our Bandhwari shelter, with a population about 1,424 living with around 195 houses. The Earth Saviours Foundation has access to directly provide and work towards the welfare of people belonging to these 2 villages, with the help of our 2 shelters that are located at the very core of these villages.
Mentioned below are the steps The Earth Saviours Foundation has taken over the years to ensure all round development of the people of Mandawar and Bandhwari.
- Installation of Solar Power Panels
- Bandhwari, the Bicycle Village
- Playground Development
- Construction of Toilets
Electricity is crucial for surviving in this modern era. Over 23 million households in rural India are surviving without electricity. The Earth Saviours Foundation is currently working towards installing solar panels in the streets and homes of hundreds of people living in the Bandhwari village. These solar panels, while providing villagers with sustainable electricity, are also beneficial for the environment. Solar panels do not require fuel to function, reduce harmful carbon emission in the air and do not produce any greenhouse gases. By installing solar panels in Bandhwari village, the Earth Saviours Foundation has created a modern and eco-friendly environment for its people.
Due to a lack of adequate transportation, it can be extremely difficult for people living in rural areas to carry out their daily roles and responsibilities, especially those that require travelling a considerable distance. This obstacle was noticed by our founder, Shri Ravi Kalra, who with the help of the hardworking social workers at The Earth Saviours Foundation holds an annual cycle distribution campaign at Bandhwari and has since distributed around 4,000 bicycles to numerous families. These bicycles have allowed the people of Bandhwari to easily undertake many of their daily responsibilities, engage in long distance travel and have given the children a means to playfully exercise and build physical endurance.
A playground is extremely important for a child’s social and physical growth. It is in playgrounds that children interact with one another, engage in playing various sports, hold street plays, practice yoga, martial arts and taekwondo classes, etc. During the government mandated lockdown, many children were stuck indoors and this led to a severe decline in their physical strength and development. However, a noticeable dilemma unfolds in most villages when their playgrounds could not promise developmental activities to its children and adults, alike, even after the end of the lockdown. Since most villages have poorly constructed playgrounds and some lack them altogether, the children of both Bandhwari and Mandawar Village were not even given the chance to prosper in a playground and exhibit the true spirit of childhood by outdoor playfulness. The negative impact of such unequal opportunities did not sit well with our young and spirited Vice President, Jas Kalra. With his narrative on humanitarian social work dedicated to empowering and inspiring the young and bright children of India, he set out to fix this problem one step at a time.
Members of the team of the Earth Saviours Foundation worked day and night to give the children of Mandawar and Bandhwari Village the playground of their dreams. With the help of young volunteers filled with the same enthusiasm for empowering the playful youth, we constructed free-of-cost playgrounds in both the Villages where our Gurukuls are, and filled them with swings, slides, seesaws, a cricket practise net, a football field, badminton court and installed an open air swing gym for adults. Our Vice President, Jas Kalra, loves to visit these playgrounds and during his visits, he interacts and plays with the children, gives them motivational talks and conducts English and General knowledge classes. Jas Kalra’s mission towards the betterment of facilities for children is, according to him, the promising key to a prosperous future for the world.
An astonishing 4.2 billion people across the globe still live without access to toilets. In India, having access to a private toilet, that is regularly sanitised and contains all the essential facilities, has become a sign of privilege rather than a basic necessity. Based on the findings of the 76th National Sample Survey conducted by the National Statistical Organisation, as of September 2018, 28.7 % people in Indian rural households lacked access to toilets, while 32% practised open defecation. There is a huge gap in the availability of public and private toilets, among the urban and rural population in India. Lack of toilets in rural areas compels women and children to practise open defecation, which makes them vulnerable to sexual exploitation and assault.
The Earth Saviours Foundation, to tackle the manifold of problems that surround the lack of access to toilets, has installed more than 500+ toilets in the homes of the people of Bandhwari Village and have thereby permitted a huge leap in providing safe and sanitised toilets for Gurugram’s rural population. All toilets are maintained daily with regular cleanings, an ample supply of toiletries and water. Many women and children who had to rely on open defecation in Bandhwari now have access to clean, safe, and private toilets.
The dominance and supremacy of the urban over the rural areas in India, has slowly reached a point of no return. We at The Earth Saviours Foundation need your help to reduce this line of urban- rural disparity. DONATE NOW, to our Mission Village Welfare, to ensure the rapid upliftment and progress of India's traditional roots - Our Indian villages.
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