Mahesh Bhansali,
Bhansali Trust
1. Percentage of severely malnourished children came down to 3% from 15%.
2. Major epidemics of measles, whooping cough, and diphtheria considerably reduced with regular vaccination
3. Infant mortality rate reduced by 50%.
4. Maternal deaths, which were 7.5 per 1000 births, came down to 1.5 by implementing Safe Motherhood Program, training Dais (Traditional birth attendants) and by adopting other measures.
5. Childhood blindness was practically eradicated.
6. Night blindness, which was common among adults, was eradicated.
7. In the last 8 years, 12,031 laparoscopic surgeries were performed for family planning
Eye care: performed over 850,000 cataract surgeries in Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Since 2014, we are holding eye operation camps also in Jharkhand.
Education
Women’s literacy rate was extremely low; it gradually improved and today most of the children go to school. Girls have started going to high schools. Over 2,000 students from our high schools are now Teachers.
Income generation:
Apart from promoting income generation projects such as papad making, sewing, etc., we give small loans to help underprivileged families start their own business. In a relatively small area with a population of 1 million, we have formed 4,800 Self Help Groups (Micro Credit Groups). 65,000 families have been able to come out of paying high-cost debt and are receiving loans at low-interest rates. Many of them have started their own small businesses. Some of them have even sent their children for higher education by availing loans from their respective groups.
Registered in 1969, the Bhansali Trust was established by seven brothers of the Bhansali Family (Bhansali & Co). Since then, it has been carrying out various activities in Medical, Educational, Income Generation, Micro Credit, De-addiction, and other Socio-Economic fields, in addition to Relief Projects during natural calamities. The area we have selected for our various projects is one of the most socio-economically backward parts of Gujarat, bordering Rajasthan.
The eldest brother Dinesh’s cherished value was to help fellow human beings in distress. After completing his schooling from a small village in North Gujarat, he came to Mumbai in 1950 and started earning at the age of 16. From his first earnings, he decided that a minimum of 20% of his income would go to the less fortunate. This was at a time when the Family was still struggling to make both ends meet. He firmly believed that “Happiness is more in giving than keeping”. Dinesh along with his brother Mahesh pioneered the formation of the Trust and the whole family supported this cause financially.
Mahesh Bhansali, after completing his graduation in Engineering from VJTI, Mumbai, left Mumbai at the age of 25 and decided not to marry in order to devote his entire life to social work. He has been staying and working in the villages of North Gujarat for the last 50 years. Youngest of the family, Ashok with his wife Shital also started devoting five days a month to the project area, since 1983. At present, they travel 12 days a month to visit projects in various states. He devotes 90% of his time to CSR Activities & Tribal Projects. Prakash Bhansali looks after the work at the Mumbai office. The government has handed over 1,200 Anganwadis under ICDS to us over the last 20 years
Most of the projects were need-based. The mortality rate was very high due to TB and we took up a big TB Control Program covering 1,200 villages. Opium de-addiction was also taken up, as addiction was very high in nearby Rajasthan and people wanted to be free of it. Epidemics and many deaths due to epidemics were a common occurrence; immunization was taken up to reduce epidemics and infant mortality rate. Two hospitals have provided health care at a very low cost or free of cost to the most underprivileged and the needy.