Dear friends, Greetings and good wishes!
With so much of the world beset by crises, disasters, and conflicts, what can we do
to improve stability, peace, and prosperity in some of the most fragile regions of
the world? And in emerging economies like India that are experiencing such rapid
change, what investments can we make to ensure that these economies continue to grow
with strong health and education indicators besides integrating into the global
system?
These are vital questions that governments around the world, NGOs, policymakers,
and businesses ask daily. But we know the answer, and the answer lies in
investing in people. Investing in human capital is an investment that returns
huge dividends. By improving the capacity of people to govern, educate, produce
for themselves, and reintegrate themselves into mainstream Indian society, the
Utkal welfare Trust is advancing its mission to serve the society. This Trust,
with several projects primarily in health, education and media sectors; aims at
the welfare of the most underprivileged section of our society.
The reason for the immediate attention given to education and health is to
uplift those communities which are relatively under-privileged.
The geographical areas we cover for the time being
are the rural and the urban areas of the eastern Indian state of Odisha. It is
our fervent hope that we would be able to implement our vision in the shortest
possible time. Our people have waited too long to see meaningful benefits accrue
to them. They have toiled and suffered, and yearned for many things that never
came their way. We owe it to our people to deliver to them what we can. In the
same spirit, I would request all our well-wishers including national and
international funding organizations to support and encourage us in our right
cause.
We pray to God to give us the strength and capability to achieve the tasks that
we have set for ourselves. These are challenging times for nonprofit
organizations — but they are also ripe for more meaningful examinations and new
opportunities. These times call for bold leadership guided by a moral compass.
We pledge that we will also try to better understand the needs of our community
and will be more strategic in our response. Leadership requires that we
sometimes walk a few steps ahead to identify impactful strategies; that we
sometimes walk beside you to have a better grasp of where you are coming from;
and that we sometimes follow your wise lead.
The promise to do good begins with the spirit of caring and empathy. If we can
put ourselves in our neighbor’s shoes, we understand that a community only
thrives when there is kindness, justice, equity, and inclusion. As we begin
serving the community, we celebrate the accomplishments and progress that have
only been possible because of all of you. We are inspired by current and former
trustees, fundholders, donors, nonprofit staff and board, teachers, mentors, and
all partners who believe in the simple premise of “together, we do better.” And
with great humility and unwavering commitment, we are determined to do better
every year.
The Trust’s vision for a society of equal opportunities for all, which enables
people to fully realize their potential, remained our primary priority during
2023. The traditional priority themes of our activities, such as education,
health, media ventures, protection of the environment, interfaith dialogues, and
the empowerment of civil society in India, particularly in the state of Odisha,
are being pursued as planned.
We are trying our best to partner with donor agencies, communities, government
bodies, private sector and other organizations around the world to uplift and
serve the weaker sections of society in India. No doubt, our participatory
approach will improve lives and livelihoods. We are trying to bring together
donors, civil society, government, and the private sector at the local level,
using innovative techniques to build community resilience. We hope these words
will inspire you to join us in our mission of being partners for good.
Let me share a brief profile of the trust. A group of young corporate
professionals including women came together in 2023 to set up the UWT to work
with grassroots initiatives for effecting positive changes in the lives of
underprivileged children, grown-up students, ailing adults, their families, and
communities. We are emerging fast as a premier NGO of eastern India with a
distinguished record of dedication and perseverance for the cause of education,
health, and training.
At present, the prime focus of UWT is towards quality education, health
facilities, media schools, inter-faith dialogues, and training for skills with
full transparency and accountability. The trust is committed to providing basic
education, higher education, and healthcare to underprivileged children. The NGO
believes that whether you are addressing healthcare, poverty, population
control, unemployment or human rights, there’s no better place to start than in
the corridors of education and health. Education and health are both the means
as well as the end to a better life. Our current initiatives include building a
media and television academy as well as a premier multi-disciplinary hospital
near Bhubaneswar, the capital city of the Indian state of Odisha. A few other
projects have also been conceived, whose details will be shared soon on our
website.