Gram Bharati Samiti or Society for Rural Development is an Indian non-governmental organisation working in the Jaipur

Jaipur

Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....

 district of Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

 with the aim of "establishing a society based on humanitarian, democratic values and ecologically balanced habitat". Gram Bharati Samiti means Society for Rural Development in Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

.

History

Gram Bharati Samiti was founded in 1984, and registered under the Rajasthan Societies Registration Act. In 1991 it became the first organisation in Rajasthan to recognise and react to the growing problem of HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

/AIDs

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 among the population.
GBS is exempt from Income Tax

Income tax

An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...

 under the Income Tax Act 1961 of India. It has been accredited by the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) process and also enjoys special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESOC).

Structure

GBS has a council of 370 members who meet every 3 years to elect the 30 member Executive Board.
The Executive Board consists of five main office-bearers, president, vice-president, secretary, joint-secretary and assistant secretary. The Executive Board meets on a quarterly basis, with the purpose of:
Considering applications for GBS membership
Overseeing the running of GBS sub-committees
Recruiting and dismissing GBS personnel
Proposing amendments to the GBS constitution
Developing and implementing GBS' programs and activities
Raising funds and accepting grants
Overseeing the GBS bank account

Policy of non-discrimination
GBS maintains a policy of non-discrimination and will not be prejudiced by race, caste, gender

Gender

Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...

 or religious belief. In particular, GBS has a strong emphasis on gender equality, with a minimum third of its Executive Committee consisting of women. In addition, GBS is also involved in a range of projects designed to empower the women.

Projects and activities

GBS works to improve the living standards and environment of Rajasthan. Their work can be divided into three main categories:

• Women's empowerment

• The environment

• HIV/AIDs prevention and relief

However GBS also works in the broader realms of healthcare, education, sanitation and safe water supply and research. GBS ultimately tries to provide the help that the surrounding community need and would otherwise be unable to attain.

Women's empowerment

GBS's women's empowerment programme attempts to reduce gender inequality and improve the lifestyles of rural, impoverished women in Rajasthan.

Its main operations in this field to date are the formations of Self Help Group

Self help group

Self help group may refer to:* Another name for a member-run Support Group.* Self-help group The Indian self-help group movement in microfinance.* Kudumbashree An organisational structure for slf help groups in Kerala...

s (SHGs). These are groups of 10-20 women (and sometimes men) who save money together to build enough collateral to take out loans. This banking model is based on microfinance

Microfinance

Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....

 and is supported by the Indian government, in particular the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development is an apex development bank in India having headquarters based in Mumbai and other branches are all over the country...

 (NABARD). They can then get a low interest loan, from a bank to buy income generating products or whatever else they may require. This gives women financial independence and in turn a community voice and higher social standing.
To date GBS has facilitated the formation of over 750 SHGs.

In 2007 GBS opened its own not-for-profit bank, The Gram Bharati Mahila Bank (GBMB) which provides bank accounts and low interest loans to individuals and SHGs in rural Rajasthan.

The environment

Since 1991 GBS has been working in the area of Todaladi in an effort to develop a wasteland area of 8 hectares. This area was renamed Gandhivan (meaning forest of Gandhi) and is now an agriculturally productive success.

The aim of this project was to halt desertification and work with the local people to rejuvenate the environment. It can now boast many new species of plants and trees after many years of hard work and attracts much wildlife.

GBS also works with the local communities to improve their living standards and in 2008 opened a Sunday school providing free teaching and resources to children who may not go to school (especially girls) and are instead encouraged or even forced to work for their families shepherding animals.

The area is exemplery and has been recognised so by many international agencies, who have given GBS' Gandhivan project awards and recognition.

Prevention of HIV/AIDS

Gram Bharati Samiti was the first NGO in Rajasthan to recognise and react to the increasing problem of HIV/AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 in the area. GBS started its HIV/AIDS prevention and relief project in 1991 and since has implemented programs on HIV/AIDS awareness and education, the treatment of STIs/RTIs, and care and support for women and children affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.

Awards and recognitions

• The Ford Conservation and Environment Grant
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  

• The Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Award

• Prize for women's creativity in rural life

• Award for Eradication of Leprosy
  Leprosy
  Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
  
  

• UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board

Collaborations

• Intersect Worldwide

• RIOD

• Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)

• ActALIVE

• AIESEC
  AIESEC
  AIESEC is a global youth organisation that develops leadership capabilities through their internal leadership programmes and engaging students and graduates in international student exchange and internship programmes for profit and non-profit organisations. Its international office is in...
  
  

External links

• http://www.gbsjp.org
• http://www.intersectworldwide.org
• http://www.youthaidscoalition.org
• http://www.actalive.org
• http://www.aiesec.org
• http://www.un.org