Voluntary Institute For Rural Development (VIRD)

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In 1988 a group of social activists, led by Bhabani Sankar Mahapatra, Manoj Satapathy and Manasa Kumar Rout, initiated a total sanitation programme for the Kondh tribe in the Athmallick Block of Angul District. In the same year the Voluntary Institute For Rural Development (VIRD) was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act XXI 1860, by which time its operational area had extended to 50 villages in four Gram Panchayats of the same Block.
VIRD is a non-political, non profit and secular organization working on community development with a holistic approach. It operates in the most marginalized communities in two districts of Orissa, Angul and Deogarh; who, because of their caste, religion, culture, gender or economic status, have been excluded from the social, political, economic and cultural mainstream; in partnership with people and institutions. Disempowered, they are highly vulnerable to extreme poverty, inequality and to oppression.

Vision
Sustainable improvement in the socio-economic status and self-reliance of disadvantaged community

Mission
To create a sphere for the new generation where women and children have a say in decision making process, a new social structure where individuals join together as communities to realize their individual and collective well-being

Goal
An empowered community with capabilities of addressing their own problems and leave behind sustainable options for their forbearers.

Activities:
• Women Welfare/Empowerment: Women Help Line; Ujjawala (Prevention); Swadhar Home; Women-led Agriculture Based Livelihood Promotion; Rural Tribal Women Support Programme; Establishment of Hostel for Girl Students with Single Parent; Training on Collective Marketing; Running of ‘One Stop Centre’ at Deogarh
• Child Welfare: Crèche; Education for Child Labour
• Social Welfare: Day Care Center; Campaign against Female Feticide; AIDS Awareness Programme; Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign; Immunization and Health Check up Camps; Environment Awareness Programme
• Livelihoods development through Natural Resource Management
• Skill Development: Vocational Training for Disabled Youth; Design Training Development Workshop
• Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES)
• Miscellaneous: IEC material development and distribution; VIRD Public Library; Cultural Program

Namita Satapathy is the Director of the Voluntary Institute For Rural Development (VIRD).

For other net participants we can give an expert opinion in the field of our work.