13-06-2022
Saath recognises the fact that the informal sector employed 81% of India’s population in the pre-pandemic times and this has risen to a staggering 92% by the adverse effects brought by the pandemic. Since its existence, Saath has made efforts to support this unorganised sector for various issues and started focused initiatives to incite entrepreneurial abilities in 2016. Through its Business Gym program in 2016, it provided one-on-one customized training to informal sector micro-entrepreneurs. Later through various allied programs, it has worked with several youths, and women to increase revenue by bridging the knowledge gap of business, and financial management, and inciting allied entrepreneurial abilities.
The program starts with the identification of youth, and women groups with either existing small businesses or interested in entrepreneurship. Post enrollment they participate in varied monthly-based training and allied practicals. The micro-entrepreneurs are supported for linkages & upskilling loans, business planning, operations, maintaining accounts, business branding & marketing, technical skills, and given the chance to grow their businesses.
The reach of Saath Entrepreneurial efforts has been with:
• 1098 microentrepreneurs,
• 1286 beautypreneurs,
• 107 barberpreneurs,
• 386 homepreneurs, and
• 41 chefpreneurs.
Some innovative measures taken for catalysing the businesses have been:
• Organising Society Camps in residential areas for expanding small business’s products & services.
• Building a Business Gym app for profiling MEs, providing training resources, leveraging financial assistance, and allied online services.
• Organising Network Meetings of micro-entrepreneurs.
• Financial Assistance to Beautypreneurs and Barberpreneurs.
• Rebooting Livelihoods of Micro-entrepreneurs.
• Analyses the market needs and training the youths, like solar cleaning & maintenance.
08-06-2022
It was in 1989 when #Saath was established to work among urban settlement communities realizing that people in the informal sector contribute a great deal to our lives but are still “forgotten citizens”. Since then, it has seen many growths in the last 33 years of existence, in terms of its catering to the social, financial, educational, health & nutritional, livelihood, and housing needs with the support of communities, government bodies, and allied partners.
Some of the key milestones of this journey have been:
• From providing basic amenities to slum residents through Integrated Slum Development Programme (ISDP).
• Working on education, nutrition, parental care, and immunizations needs of children through Balgarh, STEM program, and Child-Friendly Spaces centres.
• Imparting vocational, Non-Traditional Livelihood, and Innovative training to strengthen livelihood opportunities for youths and women.
• Building the resilience of small businesses through increasing their entrepreneurial abilities to enhance their product, services, or ideas and effectively market them.
• Improving health conditions by focusing on community awareness, strengthening health institutions, the capacitive building of health workers, distribution of kits, and supporting public health delivery.
• Integrated approach for Area development by catering to all needs of urban issues in Vatva with the partnership of other NGOs, government bodies, and academic institutions.
• Creating a space, Mehnat Manzil- Museum of Work where we can celebrate the informal sector workers’ lives and bring to light the realities they inhabit from migration and livelihood to housing and infrastructure.
We recently got published on 30 Stades, and the article reminisces the journey:
https://30stades.com/2022/06/06/how-ngo-saath-is-empowering-gujarats-urban-poor-by-supporting-micro-entrepreneurs-improving-slums/
November 9, 2021
Stop the spread project recognizes the need for greater awareness and ground level facilitation for ensuring a wide coverage of vaccination in Ahmedabad and Surat. The project strategy for awareness creation and vaccination facilitation has the potential to be an effective two-pronged strategy to expand vaccination coverage among informal settlements and urban poor communities.
The key project activities are awareness campaigns for outreach and registration, strengthening of existing vaccination centres and facilitating vaccination through these centres.
- 3,56,464 PPE material distributed.
-43,590 Individuals have received the first dose of vaccine in Ahmedabad and Surat.
-2,046 Healthcare Workers benefitted from the distribution of PPE material like surgical masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectants.
- 54,431 One-to-one health inquiries initiated.
-261 Meetings held with the stakeholders in the community.
-29,586 IEC material distributed.
October 4, 2021
The proposed intervention aims to bring about a city level network of institutions and individuals for the development of Vatva and the surrounding area. The program will progress in three phases through an alternative approach in a bottom- top implementation with the timeline of 10 years.
List of activities undertaken for a comprehensive area development.
- Formation of local groups and committees.
- Vaccination drive in the area.
- Balghar for the children.
- Trainings on Settlement Development Plan.
- Menstrual Hygiene awareness activities with adolescent girls.
- Awareness camps on documentation required for government entitlements.
September 20, 2021
Countless lives have been destroyed across the world since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic. As people were recovering from the damage that was done by the first wave, India witnessed its second wave from February 2021.
Through various relief and community interventions in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, Saath annually engages with over 2,00,000 households. The interventions for the COVID Phase 2.0 have been made through the Community Health Resource Centres in various slum communities of Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mundra, Surat), Rajasthan (Jaipur), and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). The conducted activities aimed to increase awareness towards COVID 19, promote vaccination, and provide prompt response to those in need. The Health Resource Centres functioned as the apex body in promulgating the deliverables.
- 11,862 Individuals Vaccinated
- 1,89,592 Individuals reached through door-to-door COVID awareness.
- 1,34,041 Individuals reached through Public Announcements, Road Shows, IEC Material, and one-to-one interaction.
- More than 1 Lakh PPE material distributed.
-1,400 Dry Ration Kits distributed.
- 1200 children getting education through the Assisted Learning Class in 60 Settlements of Ahmedabad city.
May 29, 2021
On 25th May 2020, a massive fire outbreak took place due to a cylinder outburst at a slum colony, near Vastrapur Station Colony Road in Ahmedabad. All the residents from the community work as sweepers in the city. This incident completely destroyed the Shanties of 57+ families. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported but unfortunately, all the families have lost most of their belongings as nothing could be saved.
Saath has reached out to the families for providing them with immediate food and cloth support. However, the families need to rebuild their homes again and we need your support for this.
You can help them by contributing a minimum amount to set up their homes.
- Rs. 1000: Bedding
- Rs. 5000: Bedding & Kitchen Utensils & Stove
- Rs. 10000: Bedding, Kitchen Utensils & Basic Household Items
In these testing times of the COVID 19 pandemic, home is the safest place where an individual could be. Please come forward and support in rebuilding their homes again.
For in-kind donation or more information reach out to us at 98254 78722
March 5, 2021
Bosch Rexroth Team visited our new center in Khanpur and an official Ribbon cutting ceremony was hosted by Saath Team. The event brought together an exciting opportunity for participants to interact with important partners and funders from Bosch Rexroth Team.
Saath new Khanpur center demonstrates our commitment to youth by training & providing them with various opportunities in the field of Retail Management, Non Traditional Livelihoods and Beauty & Wellness. A Big Thankyou to Bosch Rexroth team for their support and kind gesture.
1-05-2021
As you know the second wave of COVID-19 has hit the country extremely hard. Many factors have contributed to the sudden surge in cases of COVID and the subsequent uncertainty where the most marginalized are again bearing the brunt of the pandemic—from increasing loss of livelihoods, wage cuts, to lack of food and essentials.
At Saath, we have identified a few immediate needs and interventions to help communities ease their anxieties. On an urgent basis, we are reaching out to individuals through our Resource Centre in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mundra, and Jaipur for immediate food and medical assistance to the impacted communities.
HOW IS SAATH HELPING OVERCOME THE CRISIS:
• We are distributing ration kits to the vulnerable and marginalized
• We have set up various Kiosks in different areas of Ahmedabad, where Saath representatives are helping people register via CoWIN App for Vaccination
• We are also providing free rides to and from Vaccination Centres to the people from the community
• We are identifying and helping individuals who lost their livelihoods and need support for getting their medical reports
• We are providing zero-interest loans to nano-scale businesses that operate on a small scale with daily transactions or are at constant risk of stagnation
• We are working on raising awareness on Covid Vaccination and Plasma Donation via Pamphlets distribution, Auto Rickshaw Miking, and Community Leaders Support
• We are also identifying Covid Ambassadors who will encourage vaccination in the community
Your contributions in response to this crisis, helped us distribute more than 10000+ Ration Kits to daily wage workers, migrant laborers, marginalized families, and needy people during Phase 1 and support 300+ Micro-Entrepreneurs in Rebooting their Livelihoods. As our efforts increase to reach more and more affected families, we know you have stepped up before and you will again. Your contribution will help them fight Covid safely and ensure that thousands of underprivileged and their families do not go to bed hungry.
HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE:
1. Ration Kits to COVID warrior families - Rs. 1500 per family
2. Medical & Testing Support - Rs. 3,500 per individual.
- Alternatively, you could also support one microentrepreneur in re-booting his/her livelihood by donating Rs. 5000/-
The need is immense, and we need your support now more than ever! You can donate here at http://saath.org/donate-now/
Februrary 28, 2021
Saath celebrating its 32nd Foundation Day. A day set aside to celebrate the history and revisit and bond with each other on continuing journey of Saath.
We take this opportunity to thank each and every individual associated with the organization for joining hands with us.
Thankyou and keep supporting us in Creating Inclusive Societies!!
May 25, 2020
So what’s next? With 59% Workers Not Paid Wages in Maharashtra, 92% in Gujarat, many are expected to move to options of self-employed. Micro entrepreneurs involved in informal sector activities are anticipated to have a very struggling time in the post-lockdown phase, especially because they have exhausted the business capital to survive the last 60 days!
The nationwide lockdown, while necessary, unfortunately triggered a reverse exodus of migrant labourers, the magnitude of which has not been witnessed in our times. Thousands of migrant labourers, abandoned by their employers and contractors, found themselves in a desperate situation where basic necessities of food and shelter were taken away from them. Many are left stranded in the city away from their families. The ones involved in daily transaction businesses are the most vulnerable and many have lost their capital in absence of a daily income. To make livelihoods resilient, we believe in a multi-pronged approach to encompass skills, recapitalization of working capital and creating networks. Mapping of skills for livelihoods in a post COVID market will have to cater to both; formal employment and informal entrepreneur.
Unorganized businesses like beauty & wellness sector, construction work, plumbing, electrical work, rickshaw pullers, vegetable sellers etc will not just see a change in the customer pattern, but the overall supply chain will experience alterations post COVID. In the post Lockdown phase, the need for supporting micro-entrepreneurs will include;
1. Identifying businesses and understanding the pattern of change
2. Understanding the need of capital to re-boot micro-enterprises
3. To hand-hold, mentor, and provide guidance for changing patterns of livelihoods
Rebooting Nano Business Fund aims at providing seed funds to Nano scale business who operate on a small scale with daily transactions and small to non-existent profit margins. Their businesses are precarious, at constant risk of stagnation or complete failure. In these trying times, we request you to come forward & contribute in BUILDING THEIR BUSINESSES AGAIN! Saath will work on effective strategies for administering their business and increasing their productivity, digitize the daily transactions and other supply chain parameters.
Help support the ones who have lost their means of livelihood.
To Donate, please visit on Donate Now.
Since the lockdown, SAATH has reached out to more than 7250+ families by providing Ration Kits and daily meals.
May 20, 2020
Ration Kits Support for the families affected by the COVID-19 lockdown:
The COVID-19 pandemic marks an unprecedented time in modern history that will require each and every one of us to come together. Amidst the pandemic of Coronavirus, there is lack of awareness, accurate factual information and proper guidance for precautionary and preventive measures in under privileged communities and with authorities shutting down key institutions nationally for a period of 21 days, sputtering economy hurts the most vulnerable and leaves the daily wage earner with no livelihood. In order to combat this crisis, Saath is committed to provide this support till the last mile by procuring and disbursing Ration Kits to the most vulnerable ones.
Strategic Preparedness for distribution of Ration Kits:
Saath, through its various initiatives is engaged with over 1, 00,000 families residing in the urban slum areas of Vasna, Behrampura, Juhapura, Sanklitnagar, Vatva and Old city. These communities mainly comprise of informal sector whose earning is based on daily work received.
We are working together to generate an effective response strategy to combat the pandemic for the marginalized sections of society.
• SAATH proposes to procure and distribute Ration Kits including (oil, grains, pulses, sugar, salt, spices, tea, jaggery, flat rice and basic essential supplies) to families residing in the slum areas.
• To meet these immediate need of ration and basic supplies , each Ration Kit costs Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,200/- or $17 and will cater to the need of one household.
Saath team has been working in the background to define and map the areas where support is required. Criteria is identified based on families whose -
• House is on rent or have only one room.
• Family income is monthly 7000 to 8000 Rs.
• All family members are daily wagers
• Women headed family
• Family having disable person
Further responsible distribution of these kits while adhering to social distancing guidelines is done by various team members, community leaders and volunteers.
Saath’s Response to the COVID-19 Lockdown:
So far, 7250+ Ration Kits have been distributed in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Palanpur, Mundra, Porbandar, Kutch, Surat, Banaras and Varanasi which will provide relief to families for at least 2 weeks. Ration Kits to TB Patients and an initiative to distribute 15000 Sanitary Napkins in association with Sparkle Innovations has also been implemented.
For Donation:
In order to contribute and support one family for one month, you could choose to donate via a bank transfer on the following accounts; or Donate Now.
March 28, 2020
Are you the kind of person who wants to make a difference? Have you always wanted to do something for the society, something for the nation? Have you always wanted to be an active change maker? Do you love working in challenging situations? Always wanted to work on the ground, but did not know how or with which organization? Here are the answers to your questions.
Social sector is an important sector for India’s economy and includes components such as education, health and medical care, water supply, sanitation, poverty alleviation, housing etc. that make a vital contribution in human development.
Saath Virtual Internship Program for 2 months is structured to provide significant work experiences wherein the fellows are expected to take on a great deal of responsibility. Fellows can work on scalable and sustainable projects in the fields of education, livelihoods, housing and shelter, governance, rehabilitation and resettlement, and financial inclusion. It will give skilled young professionals an opportunity to work with Saath on grassroots development issues.
Internship aims to gain the following experience:
• Provide an opportunity to interns, to put into practice and deepen their theoretical knowledge of development issues.
• Provide opportunity to involve in sessions with various universities/institutes/experts from various fields.
• Provide the interns the platform to develop a more grounded understanding of informal sector and challenges in an Indian context.
• Work with different stakeholders looking at how various partnerships work through mutual collaborations.
• Give interns an opportunity to learn advocacy, researching, campaigning, and networking skills and operational aspects of development work.
• The interns get a chance to explore, know and contribute in important mainstream work of the organization ranging from public mobilization, fact finding researches, field exposures and documentation, pilot run project ideas, learn the threads of HR, organizing events, rope in media advocacy skills and many more.
Candidates are encouraged to select the project based on their skill set and interest. A brief interview is done with all the interns/volunteers firsthand to know their potential and match them with the programmes accordingly. Each intern/volunteer coming to Saath is given a complete orientation and meets with people of all the programmes and they have an appointed supervisor, a clear work profile or study brief and support from all levels of the programme they work within.
A Completion Certificate will also be provided to the Interns after the successful completion of Internship.
Please Note: For the students whose internship stands cancelled due to this pandemic are encouraged to apply. The internship will be unpaid. To apply http://saath.org/get-involved/
For further information write to us at rdc@saath.org
February 28, 2020
Saath has completed 31 years of working with communities and partners in generating social impact. Wishing the ecosystem of Saath and all our team members Happy Saath Foundation Day!!
28 February is a day set aside to celebrate the history and revisit and bond with each other on the continuing journey of Saath. This year, we celebrated our Foundation Day by going to picnic with the Family of Saath. Everyone rejoiced the day by playing various games, dancing, singing and having meal together.
With the completion of our three decades following innovations are also pioneered.
• Museum of Work (Mehnat Manzil) inaugurated this year which is geared towards celebrating the lives of people working in the informal sector and to bring to light the realities they inhabit: from migration and livelihood to housing and infrastructure. A unique museum that aims to provide a space where this rich and bewildering reality may find expression. To know more http://mehnatmanzil.org
• “SMART CITIES – BREAKING THE POVERTY BARRIER”, a book written by Mr. Rajendra Joshi ( Founder and Managing Trustee of Saath) is launched that takes you through our 30 years’ experience of bringing social and economic change for vulnerable communities in cities and towns through innovative approaches and partnerships and touching 1.5 million lives. The book gives you an overview of an attempt by Saath that brought socio-economic change for vulnerable communities through innovation and building capacities of people. To know more http://saath.org/innovations
• RWeaves Studio- An exclusive Artisans’ Studio is set up in Ahmedabad which aims to support the rural artisans from all over India who don’t have any means to reach out to urban markets. The Studio is located at Shop No 117, Sahjanand Palace, 100 Feet Anand Nagar Rd, Opposite Rahul Tower, Satellite, Ahmedabad, and Gujarat 380015.
Our last 31 years have been pretty significant in terms of the impact created and Saath remains a beacon of hope in various communities. Our goal has always been to focus on creating inclusive societies and empowering the socially marginalized by providing them livelihood services and imparting skills leading to employment, health and education facilities.
1st February 2017
Are you the kind of person who wants to make a difference? Have you always wanted to do something for the society, something for the nation? Have you always wanted to be an active change maker? Do you love working in challenging situations? Always wanted to work on the ground, but did not know how or with which organization? Here are the answers to your questions.
Social sector is an important sector for India’s economy and includes components such as education, health and medical care, water supply, sanitation, poverty alleviation, housing etc. that make a vital contribution in human development.
Saath: Enabling Contributions to Human Development through Fellowships
Saath initiated its Integrated Community/ Slum Development Programme, which sought to rejuvenate slums into vibrant neighbourhoods through empowerment of communities, in 1989.Saath has been working with slum/ low-income settlement residents and vulnerable people in urban and rural areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana and Maharashtra. It addresses multiple needs of the socio-economically vulnerable people with one-stop solutions leading to holistic growth. Saath collaborates with the communities, which in turn co-invest with Saath and donors for implementing and scaling-up of
Saath programmes.
Saath engages with organizations, corporates, academic institutions, civil society and individuals from India and across the globe as partners and supporters.
About the Saath Fellowship
The Saath Fellowship is an immersive, volunteer service program of 2 to 3 months that is structured to provide significant work experiences wherein the fellows are expected to take on a great deal of responsibility. Fellows can work on scalable and sustainable projects in the fields of education, livelihoods, housing and shelter, governance, rehabilitation and resettlement, and financial inclusion. It will give skilled young professionals an opportunity to work with Saath on grassroots development issues.
Why apply for the Saath Fellowship
The Saath Fellowship will be an enriching experience not just for the fellow but for the organization as well in terms of learnings and knowledge sharing. Different partnerships for the fellowship will add value to the not for profit sector by accelerating the growth of potential leaders who want to work for the social good and development of communities.The Fellow will be able to gain the following experience:
• Grass root level working experience with the community;
• Exposure to the working of a not-for-profit organisation;
• Sessions with various universities/institutes/experts from various fields;
• Exposure to the unique integrated approach of Saath under the same roof, through work in varied sectors mentioned earlier
• Working with different stakeholders looking at how various partnerships work through mutual collaborations.
A Completion Certificate will be provided to the Fellows after the completion.
Eligibility
Students and Young Professionals from across the world can apply for the Saath Fellowship. Selection will be done on the basis of application form and a personal interview.
Application for the 2017 Saath Fellowship opens on 1st February 2017 and closes on 28 February 2017.
The Fellowship of 60 working daysdurationwill be in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and will start from 20/ 27 March 2017 and conclude on 17th June 2017.
Fees
There is no application fee. Upon successful selection for the Fellowship, candidates will be required to pay before starting of the Fellowship:
Indian candidates:Rs. 5,000
Non-Indian candidates: US$ 250
saath-fellowship-application-form
Do fill the internship form and send it to rdc@saath.org
July 29, 2016
Saath accredited by Credibility Alliance for good governance and promoting transparency and accountability among Social organisations for 5 years.
*Credibility Alliance is a consortium of Voluntary Organizations (VOs) committed towards enhancing Accountability and Transparency.