Comfort Inn Sunset Hotel Ahmedabad

Vikash, a graduate of this institute - Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India - put together an incredible day with these professors and students. I first had an hour with the faculty members getting to know each other, learn about what each was focusing on and share a bit of what I am doing. They had prepared a special PowerPoint presentation to orient me. I then spoke to the NGO Management program where 18 graduate students are studying NGO management and will be moving into NGO's ...

I spent the day with Rajesh Shah, Managing Director of SAVE. After graduating from college with an Architect degree, Rajesh felt drawn to the development sector and has been working to help others since then - he is now 57. Rajesh focuses on creating independent and sustainable programs that he and his organization launches and then steps back as they move to full independence - and then they move on to new initiatives. One of his current key focuses at this time is water purification to prov...

This afternoon I had another peak experience as I visited Gandhi's Ashram in Ahmedabad. Please click on the link that will take you to the photo album which I will let tell you the story of the Ashram. On the grounds I came across Manav Sadhna - Service to Mankind and incredible program for youth. My life is a little richer for being with these kids and spending time in their website - I invite you to experience them through their website. This kids have performed over much of the United Stat...

Today I visited with Jayshree Vyas, Managing Director of SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) Bank. Jayshree had been a financial analyst for a bank until she joined SEWA in 1986. Ela R. Bhatt was the Bank's founder and wrote a book "We Are Poor but So Many - the story of self-employed women in India." Jayshree gave me a copy of this very interesting book. SEWA has created a holistic approach to helping women achieve independence through microcredit SHG loans, health programs, education p...

Apoorva Oza Chief Executive Officer Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) This is a Muslim Charity that is inclusive of all religions in who they serve and who they hire. I was particularly interested in their work in creating energy from BioGas. Although I had heard/read about this very simple technology - I didn't really understand it. In its simplest form, a professional mason is hired to put in the ground a 10 foot diameter tank, an input for a variety of waste - particularly cow or bu...

SAATH SAATH focuses on people who live in the slums and have proven that these people are excellent credit risks and will pay back their loans. With SAATH I was particularly interested in their Home Manager Program - which is another great MicroFranchising Program. The program attempts to bridge the gap between domestic servants and urban households with an aim to provide urban households with a reliable, efficient and professional Home Manager. SAATH trains housemaids according to rigorous s...