World Vision to collect more funds in India

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 9. World Vision, the largest privately-funded development and relief organisation in the world, which has been working in India since 1962, has decided to expand its ``partnership'' with the people of India by trying to procure more funds from within the country for its various activities.

With a budget that touched Rs. 70 crores last year and is expected to reach Rs. 100 crores this year in view of the Gujarat earthquake, the Indian operations of the World Vision are spread over 100 districts in 23 States and across 6,000 communities.

World Vision India, which is headquartered in Chennai and is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act of Tamil Nadu, operates about 100 projects in the country by way of Area Development Programmes (ADPs), Special Initiative Projects (SIPs) and disaster relief.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. John Mathai, Chief Executive Officer of World Vision India, said the organisation was set to launch Phase-III of its operations in quake-hit areas of Gujarat. During this phase, the intermediary needs of the survivors would be attended to, including ongoing food distribution for two months, psycho-social support for villagers, repairs to water systems and provision of family tents to 15,000 families.

In Phase-I, which started within hours of the quake, emergency relief was offered to 19,228 families for seven days, which was up followed under Phase-II with a 30-day ``stabilisation package'' comprising distribution of nutritionally-balanced food and family kits, including clothes, utensils and shelter material, to 15,472 families.

The organisation was planning a long-term rehabilitation programme under phase IV, for which it had received funds to the extent of $9.1 million from various governments round the globe, Mr. Mathai said.

World Vision's relief teams would be on site for 12 to 18 months, after which ADP teams with specific area development responsibilities would continue support the activities for three to five years.

According to Mr. Suresh Kumar, Associate Director, World Vision India, early last month, the Australian Cricket Board selected World Vision as the agency of choice to provide support to the Gujarat relief effort by designating a one-day final to the relief campaign and collecting Rs 41.25 lakhs. The proceeds of an auction of a bat autographed by Indian and Australian teams would also be given for the relief work.

Mr. Suresh Kumar said contributions to World Vision India were eligible for relief under Sec.80-G of the Income-Tax Act. The organisation's ADPs, normally having a project life of 15 years, focussed on community development programmes, including 13 in Tamil Nadu, while its special initiative projects covered child labour, street children, anti-AIDS campaign and care of children of sex workers.

Its sectoral focus included health, education, agriculture, water and animal husbandry, besides promotion of self-help groups (SHGs) of women, linked to bank credit.

Mr. Kumar drew attention to the World Vision's continuing scheme of sponsoring children by citizens and its 24- hour-fast programme for school children, organised normally in August every year. ``World Vision seeks to inculcate in children values which will make them build a society that does not tolerate poverty'', he added.

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