Projects

Disha

Disha is not just about education for children. It involves holistic development of a child, allowing him or her to discover their hidden talents, encouraging them to believe in themselves and never let go of their dreams.

Disha Scholarships are provided to children who are good in academics and aim to pursue a career. Over 4000 children receive Disha scholarships annually.

For those kids who choose sports to studies, Disha encourages them in their pursuit. Disha Champions Programme is a sport programme, which aims to coach, train and develop children from disadvantaged communities into champions.Disha sports academy trains about 125 children in football, boxing and athletics.In the last 3 years it has won many golds at the national and state level.

Disha Gems focuses on academically weak children helping them with necessary study tools and exposing them to additional coaching classes at special supplementary centers. The children are identified at the 8th standrad and given holistic coaching which help them pass tenth standard. After tenth they are given vocational training. Currently Disha centres operate in 8 schools with more than 325 children.

EKAM

Ekam Foundation is an NGO incubated and supported by The Ma Foi Foundation, which aims to bring comprehensive health care to the underprivileged children.

100 paediatricians and hospitals have come together in this project to provide high quality, comprehensive and continuous healthcare to children who cannot afford to pay for specialized healthcare services. The project has roped in the support of not only paediatricians but also nutritionists, social workers & yoga instructors from across Chennai to ensure that underprivileged children have consistent and immediate access to healthcare.

Ekam’s work with children from orphanages: To reduce the prenatal & neonatal mortality rate Ekam screens children in orphanages regularly. This involves, timely identification of health problems, referrals to hospitals and constant follow up and check-ups. In cases, when children are hospitalized, Ekam takes complete care of these children and also offers the necessary financial support.

Ekam’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Children Health Project targets children under 6 years. The project aims to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity and malnutrition. Nutritionists & paediatricians from both government & private hospitals are called to do the health screening in Anganwadi centres regularly.

Ekam’s School Health Project targets school going children aged 5-17 years. A joint venture of Ekam with Corporation & Directorate of Public Health, children are regularly screened for preventable diseases and other nutritional problems.

Ekam’s Institute of Child Health Project aims to improve access of children admitted in Government hospitals to quality-assured services through Public Private Partnership model. It is joint venture of Institute of Child Health and Ekam. Through this partnership EKAM has invested more than 1.5 crs in the infrastructure, manpower and life saving equipments. Under another partnership with the TN government, EKAM recruited 350 nurses in all the district head quarter hospitals.This has reduced neo natal deaths in NICUs

Sornam

When you empower a woman, you empower the entire family. The Foundation works with women groups on three platforms:

• Micro Finance
• Vocational Training
• Entrepreneurial support

To improve the livelihoods of women and give them financial independence, Self Help Groups were initiated. In this project, women are clustered into groups and exposed to various vocational training programs that help them start their own businesses or gain employment.

Insurance coverage is also given to the women groups under the Janasri Bima Yojana (LIC). 3562 people are covered under this scheme. Each member contributes INR 75 and the Foundation compliments this by contributing INR 25 towards the coverage.

4200 Self Help Groups have been formed so far, in Central and North Chennai comprising of 60000 women.

Savings & Expenditure:

Each woman makes a small saving of INR 100-200/-. The total savings of all these women put together exceed INR 0.15 million every month. In the last 1 year, the savings of the women groups was INR 15 million. The total credit availed by the groups was INR 35 million. The members of the group also avail educational loans for their children ranging from INR 8000/- to INR 12000/-.