From environmental sustainability, uplifting life of underprivileged, education to defending human rights, NGOs are improving the lives of people across the globe. Sustainability, poverty, and education are now serious problems, and thoughtful leaders can’t depend on government to solve them. With a motto of “Service to Man is Service to God and Service to Humanity is the Best work of Life”, Janaseva Foundation is a Pune based NGO serving Poor, Destitute, Elderly, and Needy people of the society through its exceptional services.
Since its inception in 1988, Janaseva Foundation is dedicated to uplift the life of underprivileged section of the society. Foundation has many national and international recognition to its credit, National Award winner for ‘Best Institution in the service of Senior Citizens and Advocacy’ in 2016 at the hands of then President of India Hon’ble Shri Pranab Mukherjee, has been awarded Special Consultative Status by United Nations. It has establishments including head office at Pune, Complex at village AMBI (Ranwadi) in Velhe taluka spread over five acres of land housing old age home for 200 Senior Citizens, 80 beds capacity state of the Art hospital, Rural Hub, Nursing School, girls’ hostel, Regional Resource and Training Center (RRTC) and Katraj having Destitute Rehabilitation Center, Skill Development Hub and Training Center.
A Thoughtful Leader
A renowned Gastroenterologist, Dr. Vinod Shah is the Founder Chairman of Janaseva Foundation. Doctor by profession (M.D), Vinod has been an honorary Physician to the honourable Governor of Maharashtra. Deriving inspiration from great personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi, Honourable Sane Guruji and Mother Teresa, he has started social service at a very young age. He truly believes in the philosophy of – “Service is not a Sacrifice but an opportunity to multiply your own Happiness”. He has been awarded for “Excellence in Social Work” by World Foundation on Reverence for all Life by hands of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India and “Ambassador of Goodwill”, the highest award by Lions Club International. He has been appointed member on South East Asia Regional Expert Panel on Healthy Ageing by World Health Organisation and Chairman of Adhoc Committee on “Basic Medical Sciences” by Pune University.
Meena Shah, the Chief Administrator of the foundation and wife of Dr. Vinod Shah, is the driving force behind effective management of the foundations’ day to day operations. She is the recipient of award for “Excellence in Social Work” by Top Management Consortium at the hands of Hon’ble Governor of Goa in 2015. A woman of great substance matching every step of Vinod handling family, social engagements, organizational matters, finance and stakeholder relations, She supports Vinod in every aspect of life.
Exceptional Services fulfilling Societal Needs
Janaseva Foundation is into Social Service covering, Health Care, Elderly Care, Destitute Care, Century Club for people of 75 yrs. Care & Education for Street Children, Village Development, Skill Development, Education and Research. Foundation is working for noble cause of betterment of people and society, strongly believing in continual improvement in the standard and quality of services and aims to be a Role Model for others in the field.
Serving for the Good
Over the past three decades, Janaseva Foundation has created huge impact through its contribution to society offering free of charge services to the beneficiaries. Today, 50000 people from 100 villages in Velhe are receiving health care services through its mobile medicals units every year. Ambi hospital offers IPD, OPD, Diagnostic and Dental services performing 1200 free cataract surgeries every year. Foundation has installed seven RO plants, distributed 1200water filters for providing pure drinking water and constructed 2000 toilets in Velhe under village development programme.
Foundation is providing shelter and fulfilling all needs of 200 senior citizens at Old Age Home, 150 orphan children and women at Destitute Rehabilitation center, it has adopted 2,200 children begging on the street all over Pune taking responsibility for education, providing school kit, books, uniform, upkeep kit and special coaching at school for self-development. Foundation has undertaken construction of hostel at Katraj with major grant from Bajaj Foundation for ensuring continuity of education in congenial atmosphere for 400 meritorious students for their bright future. This highly ambitious initiative of foundation is perceived and personally monitored by Mrs. Meena Shah to support their higher education and empower them of good earning and better life taking a major step towards “Beggars Free Pune” and Poverty Alleviation.
Foundation’s Research center is recognized by the Savitribai Phule Pune University. Many research papers and articles are published in national and international journals. Currently a major research project on “Tobacco Cessation” is underway in collaboration with Public Health Foundation of India involving education and survey at Schools, Colleges and Corporates. It has a Memorandum of Understanding for Ph.D. students and research with Dukes University, North Carolina, USA.
Overcoming challenges
No journey to success is without its share of difficulties and hurdles but nothing seems difficult for those committed to a goal. As the foundation set up its old age home in a rented premise about 40 km away from the city of Pune, logistics was the main challenge due to limited resources, bad roads, inadequate transportation, etc. But with the committed team, the NGO overcomes all the challenges with proficiency. “NGOs are not running only because of Donation but because of Devotion” says Meena Shah, that says it all, for overcoming challenges of any kind even today,”.
A Road Ahead
As RRTC – responsible for Old Age Homes located in Gujarat, Diu, Daman, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra receiving Grant-in-Aid from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, foundation conducts awareness and training programmes for sensitizing youth at School and Colleges, personnel of Police and Panchayat Raj Institutions, Old Age Homes, National Programme for Health Care of Elderly and elected representatives etc. towards Elderly Issues and creating awareness on importance of Geriatric Care for Healthy Ageing.
Deriving benefits from the treasure of resources of its Patrons, Advisors, Collaborators, Donors, Associates, Trustees, Executive Committee and well-wishers, Janaseva Foundation has a roadmap for “Journey to Excellence”, envisaging networking and collaborative approach between NGOs, Institutions, Corporates and Government for creating Age friendly environment and inclusive society to achieve Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 i.e. “No one should be left Behind”
Janaseva Foundation: Making the World a Better Place to Live in
