Saaras Impact Foundation

Saaras Foundation is working primarily in the State of Uttar Pradesh, to bring awareness to citizens about Government welfare schemes and helps eligib Read morele people get benefits from the same. It partners with the community, civil society and the Government to ensure that the benefit of appropriate initiatives reach appropriate citizens. It was actively helping out to implement food security and welfare schemes launched by the Government during the pandemic situation besides supporting senior citizens in operating the Dada Nani campaign in partnership with the district administration and the Piramal Foundation. Through project Eklavya, the Foundation aims to connect underprivileged children to free education as laid by the Right to Education policy. It observed that section 12(1)(c) of this policy lays down that twenty-five percent of seats in private unaided schools should be reserved for underprivileged children, but found that there is a gap between the volume of children and the seats available in the state of Uttar Pradesh and there also only a small percentage of children did attend school. There was lack of knowledge, insufficient resources present to map schools in district offices, lack of tracking and compensation systems which were leading to the gaps in the existing situation. Saaras Foundation intervened to address the discrepancies through setting up missed call helplines, distributing printed material and grooming individuals from the local community to spread awareness of their rights. It supports further, by documenting, distributing application forms, assisting in the admission process and getting grievances attended to. To ensure that the gaps do not recur the Foundation shares its findings and interventions with the Government to act as a direction to future policies and correction of current schemes and regulations. Project Maa is directed towards implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) in 10 districts of Uttar Pradesh. This policy lays down a provision of compensation to the expectant mother, for the work time lost due to childbirth and provide safe conditions for delivery. To address the gaps of low awareness, lack of training and knowledge in the implementers and lack of helpline or support the Foundation has initiated appropriate steps. It is training and coaching the ASHA workers, ANM and data operators, has set-up helplines and initiated campaigning in urban and rural areas to spread awareness, provides application support and handles complaints. Technology support is provided to improve software installation process and provision of application portal to enable efficiency through technology.