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World NGO Day is celebrated annually on February 27th to recognise the efforts of non-government organisations (NGOs) in promoting social change, alleviating poverty, and improving the quality of life for people around the world. NGOs play a vital role in making a positive impact in the society.

Role of rural development NGOs

Rural development NGOs are organisations that work towards the economic and social improvement of rural communities. These organisations provide essential services such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development in villages and remote areas. They work to empower communities by providing skills training, promoting sustainable agriculture practices, education, and the like.

This World NGO Day, choose to celebrate the efforts and recognize the contributions of rural development NGOs by associating with one of the impact-creating NGOs, i.e., Centre For Transforming India (CFTI).

Get to know CFTI

CFTI is a registered rural development NGO established in 2009. CFTI works to bring about a positive change in rural communities, focusing on improving their standard of living by implementing various rural development programmes such as:
●      Bicycles for girl students: CFTI provides bicycles to rural girl students to ease their commute to school and continue their education. So far, 14,623 bicycles have been distributed.

●      Education: CFTI supports education of rural children by giving scholarships, providing infrastructure support to revamp rural schools, computers, and academic kits.

●      Women empowerment: CFTI is working to empower women through various projects, including distributing cycles to rural girl students to improve education access, providing skill development courses and creating awareness on menstrual hygiene.

●      Skill development: In their effort to bring a sustainable change, CFTI provides several skills training to rural women and youth. Tailoring, candle-making, digital marketing and graphic design courses are some of their interventions.

●      Healthcare: CFTI supports healthcare needs of the rural people by providing financial support during emergencies, cancer treatment, and other health conditions.

●      Water conservation: CFTI is dedicated to water conservation and has undertaken a project in the coastal village Shenwai and plans to implement this successful project in over 100 villages in coastal Maharashtra.

Success stories

As a rural development NGO, CFTI has been working tirelessly to bring a positive change in the lives of rural communities. Here’s sharing two life-transforming NGO success stories:

●      Nikhat Hafiz Saiyyad is a student in her second year of a Bachelor of Commerce degree from a small village in Maharashtra called Shaikhache Gaon. When CFTI started their initiative to skill women through tailoring, Nikhat enrolled and successfully completed the program. She firmly believes that clothing is an essential requirement for all people.

Nikhat expresses her appreciation for the tailoring training provided by CFTI, saying it is unique compared to other training centres. While other institutes charge high fees of up to ₹30,000 for the same course, CFTI offers it at a low cost of ₹1,000 with a more comprehensive syllabus. Moreover, CFTI gives each successful trainee a free sewing machine.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, job opportunities were limited, but Nikhat is now a skilled tailor and can start her own business. This will allow her to support her family and finance her siblings' education.

The second success story highlights CFTI's bicycle distribution program for girl students.

●      CFTI primarily runs bicycle distribution programmes for female students in rural areas of Maharashtra to prevent them from dropping out of school due to transportation issues. During this effort, the organisation met a girl named Karuna from rural Maharashtra. Her father was incarcerated and she was living with her aunt, relying on her for funds to travel to school. The aunt was hesitant to provide the money, but Karuna was passionate about education. The lack of transportation was hindering her school attendance and grades. However, after receiving a bicycle from CFTI, her life changed and she was able to attend school regularly and see improvement in her grades. CFTI provides bicycles to thousands of similarly situated girls in need.

NGO success stories demonstrate the positive impact that non-profit organisations can have on communities in need. They inspire and motivate us to continue supporting and contributing to their causes.

Conclusion

As a leading rural development NGO, CFTI has been making a significant impact in rural areas of Maharashtra. On this World NGO Day, we encourage you to support CFTI's mission by making a donation, volunteering your time, partnering with the organisation, or organising a fundraiser. Your support can play a crucial role in bringing about sustainable change in rural communities and improving the quality of life for those living in these areas. Do your bit in making a difference today!

Author Profile:

Centre For Transforming India (CFTI) was established in 2009. It is a registered NGO under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882 and founded by passionate young individuals to bring in change by elevating the rural communities. With a team of over 700 volunteers, CFTI works for education, women empowerment, disaster relief, healthcare, etc. for the underprivileged. All contributions of ₹500 and above towards CFTI are applicable for exemption from income tax as per section 80G of the Income Tax Act.