Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Dec 3: On Tuesday December 2, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) annexed two more feathers to its cap, in the form of two international awards for two of its programmes.
SKDRDP happens to be the only voluntary organization from India to have won these awards. It also has the distinction of being the first in the world to have won twin awards in a year.
In the global level competition sponsored by Asoka Foundation USA and Citi Bank, titled 'Banking on Social Change Seeking Finance Solutions for All', 'Pragatibandhu' and 'Sampoorna Suraksha' schemes of the organization were selected as the harbingers of social change at the international level.
The competition aims at identifying model schemes that have the potential to provide financial solutions to everyone and meet the needs of the 21st century and giving global recognition to such schemes. 280 models from 43 countries from all over the world were considered, before selecting the above schemes. A team of experts finalized 13 such models, which included four from India, with entries from countries like USA, Canada, Netherlands etc., also having made the grade.
Pragatibandhu is a programme which works to a blue print of financial progress spread over five years, that envisages meeting the financial needs of the small farmers, enabling them to have access to various assistances and facilities, inculcating in them a sense of financial discipline and providing managerial training. The programme is a brainchild of Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala. Asoka Foundation has hailed this programme, under which 1,32,000 farmers have been covered, as a new model that can affectively play a leading role at the global level in the upliftment of small and marginal farmers.
Sampoorna Suraksha on the other hand, is a scheme that ensures that even the poorest people get the best of medical facilities. Under the scheme, people get cover for hospital expenses, insurance, death, accidents, home treatment and insurance. Over four lac people have benefited from this scheme.
Selected 13 models were put up in the website, www.changemakers.net and people were asked to vote for the best three programmes from among them. In addition to the above two, a micro finance model from Argentina has been selected for the award.
The award comprises of Rs 2, 50,000 in cash and a global recognition. Kalpana Kaul, Indian representative of Asoka Foundation, has hailed SKDRDP for having won two global awards, which she termed as a very rare phenomenon.