Silver Jubilee Gala Dinner – Sat, June 22nd 2019
Friends Of ARCH celebrated over 25 years of dedicated service to humanity this weekend.
In 1993, Friends of ARCH (FOA) was formed as a U.S. based non-profit organization with the intention of supporting the activities of ARCH India. Funds Raised Go Towards Improving Health, Education & Welfare of the Tribal Population in the areas of Primary Health Care, TB Care Program, Education Activities, Women Health Program & Health Education, Land & Community Forest Rights andForest Conservation & Soil-Moisture Conservation, empowering tribal people from the remote areas of Gujarat, India -Mangrol, Taluka Rajpipla, District Narmada, Dharampur, District Valsad, Serving Tribal villages of Narmada (Dediapada), Vadodra and other tribal districts of Gujarat. Several under nourished children and women are treated regularly for malnutrition.
ARCH, established in 1982, is a non-profit charitable organization that works to improve the health, education and welfare of the tribal population residing in Gujarat, India. Our work began in a small village of Mangrol. Now, after almost 35 years, ARCH and its core group of founding members have expanded their work to 3 areas —Mangrol, Dharampur and Dediapada/Kawant. ARCH, in the truest sense, is committed to work for the benefit of the downtrodden and the poor.
Dharampur dispensary now provided medical care to patients from surrounding 350 villages. Low cost laboratory tests and ultrasonogram continue to be in great demand with approx. 685 sonographies and 37,000 plus laboratory tests last year and the number keeps on growing. Mobile health camps treated over 1800 patients. This year we have added more villages to the community health program, making a total of 30 villages with about 40,000 population. ARCH has reached out to approx. 6500 children across more than 7 locations involving about 150 teachers directly or indirectly through other NGO’s. Several new programs like mobile Active Library Program – “Mari Vachan Gadi – Vanche Dharampur”, Teaching with Tablets, have been launched to nurture children education.
Several dedicated committee members and volunteers under the leadership of President Rajesh Patel have been working diligently since inception towards this noble cause. Committee members including Kaushika Patel, Drs. Chhaya & Mahendra Patel, Flora & Paresh Parekh, Dr. Jyoti & Rajni Gandhi, Dr. Surekha Patel, Jagruti & Krupesh Shah, Madhu & Kamlesh Parekh, Saumyika & Akash Patel, Shashi & Subhash Kapadia,Vandana & Anil Shah, (Late) Vasumati & Sukhdev Vyas , Manjari & Dr. Harshad Bhatt , Hitesh Panchmatia & Pritam Shah and several other volunteers helped make this a huge success. Sufi Shehanshah Bhavin Shashtri spell bounded the audience holding them to their chairs until midnight!Bhavin Shashtri sings from the soul supporting various charities and a very important initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Additional information can be located on our websites at www.friendsofarch.org, www.archgujarat.org and www.arch-vahini.org.