Personal Effectiveness Management

project on

SANTULAN BHAVAN

Presented by:
Murtaza Mannan (19BSP1631)
 TABLE OF CONTENT

1. About the NGO

2. How They Function

3. How They Started

4. What Did They Look

5. What Did I Do

6. Takeaways and Learnings

7. Who is More Blessed

8. Future Plans
 1. About the NGO

Santulan Bhavan is a voluntary, social, non-profit/government organisation (NGO) formed in 1997, with an integrated
approach of developing marginalised communities and sections of the Indian society. Most of them are socio-
economically weaker sections and tribal people uprooted from traditional livelihood, indebted and unorganized workers
from across the state. It also creates development programs and rights-based advocacy for policy change for this section
of the society. Over the years, the organization has expanded its reach to other parts of Maharashtra, including
neighbouring districts in Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad and Amravati divisions across the State of Maharashtra. The primary
purpose or objective of this organisation is to work towards the rights and empowerment of socio-economically
marginalized communities. The overall goal is to fight poverty and marginalization through development and a rights-
based approach by means of Education, Organization, Struggle and
Empowerment.

The NGO our group had visited was located at Survey No. 55/2,
Tuljabhavaninagar, Nagar Road, Kharadi, Pune, Maharashtra 411014, India.
Santulan’s Pashan Shala is an innovative educational program evolved by
Santulan to promote appropriate education. The main purpose of this NGO
was to provide educational services as well as residential facilities to small
children between the age group of 8 to 15, most of which were orphans
while others just had a single parent, either mother or father .

2. How They Function

The facility provided by the NGO was exactly located in a residential area just under its office building, more like a lobby
of the building. They currently take care of around 77 children including boys and girls, providing them primary education
as well as extracurricular activities like dancing, singing etc. Below
the age of 15, these kids had aspirations to become something in
life, many of them wanted to become a Doctor, Engineer, Dancer,
Singer, Soldier, Policemen, and Businessmen. We were really
astonished to hear the kids were told to introduce themselves, which
they did in a heroic fashion “My name is ___, I want to become ____,
and Jai Hind!”. It was a great experience for us as we had never
imagined that so many kids can be helpless at this age. The kids gets
ready for school in the morning by around 8:30 am and the lecture
starts by 10:00 and goes on till 5:00 pm, after which they are sent
back to their rooms. The facility has around 6 rooms including one
big living room where they sleep and spent time with each other.
They currently have one teacher, a lady who gives them education
and all other activities, and one man who was like a caretaker for
these children. They take care of these children so well including
their food, shelter, and their behaviour, as we know kids are too
naughty due to their innocent nature which makes it difficult to
handle them. On the other hand, the office was on the 2 nd floor,
where their was a round table seating arrangement where they
mainly carry their discussion, planning and meetings. There were
two main cofounders of this NGO, Adv. Pallavi Pege, and Adv. Bastu
Pege, who has three bachelor’s degree.
 3. How They Started and Initiated Funding
The incorporation of this organisation was done on the basis of a fatal accident of a child crushed by a dumper road by
one of the member of the organisation. On the other hand, the NGO observed the situation that some of the people
faced in their neighbourhood. The organisation generates funding from Individuals, foreign as well as Indian companies,
as a charity. Sometimes they also get political support, which is just recently due to several political amendments,
because initially they face challenges in getting a green light for certain labour as well as human rights of this section of
the society. By providing these services for the children as well as family members, the organisation intends to improve
the living conditions and help them to live a better life in the society. The most prominent factors affecting the growth of
these families are the economic development in the city, lower job opportunities. Poor infrastructure which hampers the
transportation across the city. These families were not able to find jobs that could help them to fulfil their daily needs.

4. What Did They Look

They saw that many children were not getting proper food and education due to the financial instability among their
family, resulting in Malnutrition and increase in Illiteracy in Pune. They also observed that several families were suffering
from proper unemployment and were not able to attain their basic human rights. The NGO started providing them help
both in monetary terms as well as wanted them to be recognized in their society. These people were mostly migrants
coming from underdeveloped cities and villages looking for work in tier 1 and 2 cities. Adv Bastu Rege, described that he
personally overserved that there
were many families that became
victims of abuse and violence
caused by the labour men who
were the main source of their
income. They also found many
children below the age of 15,
begging roadside and between
traffics to earn a few bucks to fill
their stomach. The NGO partly
adopted these kids and started
Educating then in order to make
them better workmen.

The activities performed by this

organization are as follows:

 Innovative Education
 Residential School
 Supplementary Nutrition
 Health & Saftey
 Adolescence and Youth Development
 Women's Empowerment
 Quarry Worker's Organisation
 Community Cooperatives
 Legal Aid & Counselling
 Advocacy for Policy Change
 5. What Did We Do

We interacted with the children, they introduced themselves first and then our group introduced our self and told them
the purpose of our visit. We bought a pack full of chocolates and biscuits and distributed across the kids. We also asked
them to dance and sing, to those kids especially who had a dream of becoming one, respectively. Couple of boys stood up
and jointly performed several steps in synchronized manner, showing great unity and practice. I have never seen such
talented kids in my life, like a normal kid may be mentally brilliant but these kids were both mentally and physically
strong. The institute tries to make them active putting great efforts by conducting extracurricular activities, so than apart
from becoming a businessman or an employee, they have a choice of going into various other fields. Few kids also
beautifully sang a song of their own choice.

6. What are the Takeaways and Learnings

As a part of this project, we explored the way this NGO operates, what are their values and ethics towards the Indian
society. Their perception was completely different than any other individual who seeks to work for profit and income, but
these people were only focused on the development of the society leaving their personal desires that is to earn on hold
and work day and night towards the betterment of these kids. We learned how important and difficult it is to help these
people, in today’s fast-paced and dynamic world it is very difficult to find time to help people the way the members of this
NGO are doing. We learned that there is still a long way to go for these societies to develop entirely, and could happen
rapidly if more number of NGOs increase or the existing NGOs receive proper funding from the government and
corporates.

7. Who is More Blessed

According to us, all children were blessed with amazing talents, each kid has a potential to become a successful person
looking at the dreams they possess at this age. Surely, if they continue to get proper support form the NGO thought the
point in life when they completely become independent, each one will become what they want. We understand that
every child needs support from their parents until a certain age and for some it may be thought their life, as not everyone
has the ability to be decisive and make own decisions in life. Every person in this world is blessed with something, as
these children are being taken care off even after they don’t have parents, this only shows that there is a reason behind
what ever happens in this world. Since the government is not supporting this section of the society, they are suffering
from immense poverty. There are a lot of factors which affect the growth of these people. However, they will get what
they deserve if we collectively assist and promote the development of these society and most importantly if the
government does something. The government often overlooks this part of the country and focuses on the other activities
like signing bilateral agreements with other companies to maintain coordination with other countries and makes
development of urban cities a priority than the rural section.

8. Future Plans

With a decade and a half long struggle of working with the quarry communities and having experienced significant
achievement, Santulan has the following future plans and requirements, which includes building several training centres,
mobile health clinic, vocational skills training centre, workers co-operatives, and women’s employment cooperatives, in
addition to innovative education and residential schools. The NGO plans to expand its facility to accommodate around
100 more children in the near future, in addition to one separate educational facility for girls. This is only possible if the
NGO receives a funding of ~INR 1 Crore from institutional investors.