News from the world of NGOs

Scholarships for girls
NGO Udayan Care has announced 200 new Udayan Shalini fellowships worth Rs 24 lakh this year for girls from low socio-economic background. A hundred beneficiaries are chosen each from class XI and the first year of colleges. The latter includes vocational courses, IT and disciplines such as nursing, medicine, engineering and chartered accountancy.

The fellowship amount will be given to them from the 2007-08 academic year and the aid will continue for one to six years or till they finish their education.

The NGO said that it would also continue the previous 355 scholarships worth about Rs 36 lakh. Udayan Shalini Fellowships are being launched in Kolkata with a separate budget from this academic session. The amount start from Rs 7,000 for school, Rs 9,000 for college, and Rs 18,000 for professional courses.

Dalits plea to Mayawati
The National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW) has protested the arrest of Dalit activists as well as women human rights activists in Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh.

The activists were demanding land rights when they were arrested. The NFFPFW has sent appeals to Chief Minister Mayawati seeking action. A women team and a group of trade unions, NGOs and various other organisations are also meeting the chief minister to seek an end to atrocities against activists.

Nirula's creamy treat for children
Food chain Nirula's has tied up with NGO Khushi to undertake various fund-raising activities to support Shikshaantra, a remedial education programme run by the NGO.

Apart from funds, the young beneficiaries of the Khushi programme would get a truck full of ice-creams from Nirula's every month. Kapil Dev, former cricketer and chairperson, Khushii, said, "More corporates need to associate with NGOs like us to make a difference in the lives of the less privileged lot."

Creating cross-border music
Nokia has tied up with NGO Routes 2 Routes to plan a unique Independence Day bash on the Indo-Pak border at Wagah.

The musical extravaganza would bring together artists from both sides including AR Rehman, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Asmat, Shah Rukh Khan, Wasim Akram and be telecast live. Routes 2 Routes is a Delhi-based NGO which works to bring together people and cultures of Saarc countries.

Save the earth from hazardous bulbs
Greenpeace activists targeted Surya Roshni, a leading bulb maker, this week by blockading its factory at Kashipur in Uttarakhand.

This was part of the NGO's ongoing "Ban the bulb" campaign which has sought time from Surya Philips and Bajaj to phase out bulb production. Greenpeace said it was surprising that the managing director of Surya Roshni, who was producing climate hazardous bulbs, was honoured with the Environmentalist of the Year award in 1998.

NGO, Eureka Forbes' flood aid
World Vision India, one of the top five foreign funded NGOs in the country, is supplying food and utensils to 5,000 flood-affected families in Darbhanga district in Bihar, and Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.

World Vision said it would provide a 7-day pack containing dry rations and tarpaulins to the affected. Eureka Forbes has also pitched in to provide water filters to the flood-affected villages of Orissa. It has installed 500 Aquasure water purifiers in the worst-affected villages.