S M Sehgal Foundation Explained

S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation) is an Indian NGO focused on rural development with its head office in Gurugram (formerly Gurgaon),[1] Haryana. It was founded as an Indian public, charitable trust in 1999 by plant geneticist Suri Sehgal (Dr. Surinder M. Sehgal) and his wife Mrs. Edda Sehgal, who together had accumulated wealth through the 1998 sale of their hybrid seed businesses, Proagro Group.[2]

The foundation implements rural development projects in semi-arid areas of districts in twelve states (Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh) in water security, food security, and social justice, with an emphasis on the empowerment of women and girls. Projects are supported by multiple sources, including individual donors, corporate sponsors, government grants, academic partnerships, and foundation funding. The organization's rural research unit conducts impact assessments and original research on development themes. Other units conduct crop research and adapt rural technologies to meet local needs.[3] [4]

History

In 1998, Suri and Edda Sehgal, American citizens, established Sehgal Family Foundation (later changed to Sehgal Foundation) in Des Moines, Iowa, as a 501(C)(3) nonprofit philanthropic organization advocating biodiversity and conservation.[5] [6] [7] The Sehgals established S M Sehgal Foundation in India, in 1999, as a public charitable trust. In the first three years, it made grants to other not-for-profit organizations. In 2002, S M Sehgal Foundation began grassroots development implementation with communities in Mewat District, now called Nuh, Haryana, and continued to expand its role.[8] [9] As programs evolved, the founders stressed that "Many approaches are needed in order to create an impact."[10] The foundation has been recognized in the past as "IRRAD (Institute for Rural Research and Development) an initiative of S M Sehgal Foundation." Some awards for their development work are presented in that name.[11] [12] S M Sehgal Foundation has a consultive status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.[13] [14]

Programs

S M Sehgal Foundation's programs are interrelated with a focus on gender equity. The organization's tagline, "Together we empower rural India," refers to empowering individuals and members of village-level institutions to participate in projects undertaken on their behalf in order to further their own development.[15] [16] [17] [18]

Water Management

Foundation staff and volunteers work alongside villagers to obtain and secure adequate local water supplies, improve sanitation, and manage wastewater in their communities. Information and awareness outreach includes door-to-door campaigns and water literacy training. Infrastructure projects include rooftop rainwater harvesting, check dams, water storage tanks, recharge wells and ponds, biosand filters, and wastewater disposal structures.[19] [20] [21] The foundation supports rejuvenating traditional wells as a more sustainable alternative to tube wells.[22] These interventions help dry villages become water sufficient.[23] In 2014, the foundation won the Millennium Alliance Award for Outstanding Work on Pressurized Recharge Wells for Creating Fresh Water Pockets in Saline Ground Water Areas.[24] The technology was recognized in September 2015 at the United Nations Solutions Summit as one of 14 "innovative" projects profiled that provide "breakthrough solutions" to help meet sustainable global development goals.[25] [26] S M Sehgal Foundation engineers designed a biosand filter that was more effective than previous versions in treating water contamination at the household level.[27] [28] The filter operates without electricity and is effective against E.coli, total coliforms, turbidity, and iron contamination. The technology integrates germicidal properties of copper with conventional filtration.[29] Sehgal Foundation technical experts collaborate with other NGOs, government bodies, and educational institutions to prepare for monsoon harvesting.[30]

Agriculture Development

The agricultural development program promotes sustainable farming practices to improve soil health and crop yield, use water efficiently, empower women farmers, and enhance farmers' income. The foundation sponsors demonstration plots and training on a crop-specific package of practices. Exposure tours, farmers’ meetings, and field days showcase methods of composting, vermicomposting, drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, the effective use of microorganisms for quality manure.[31] Information communication technology (ICT) provides voice messages to farmers on crop and livestock management.[32] Partnership projects of differing lengths with farmer groups vary by crop, strategy, location, and beneficiary. Native plants are planted in catchment areas and around check dams, ponds, and school boundaries.

The foundation's crop improvement research unit housed in Hyderabad at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.[33] The scientists and researchers work to identify elite germplasm assists scientists in public and private sectors in developing new and improved varieties and hybrids.

Local Participation and Sustainability

A good rural governance program promoting local participation and sustainability of projects trains citizens and community leaders about their rights, how to access public services, how to participate with government representatives in addressing and solving local community problems, and how to activate and strengthen community panchayats (village councils), education committees, and health, sanitation, and nutrition committees. Legal literacy camps train citizens to use systems to obtain their rightful entitlements.[34] [35] In 2014, the foundation created a telephone hotline for citizens to receive guidance on addressing concerns to government departments and village-level institutions.[36] [37] The Sushasan Abhi team works with and educates communities and panchayats to promote sanitation and eliminate open defecation in keeping with the Swachh Bharat Mission (clean India campaign).[38] Awareness is raised about government schemes and entitlements so that villagers are empowered to claim their rights.[39]

Transform Lives one school at a time

The Transform Lives program initiated by S M Sehgal Foundation offers to create a conducive environment for schoolchildren studying in government schools, by providing them various amenities, such as access to clean drinking water, improved sanitation facilities, a school environment that is conducive to learning, and training in digital and life skills awareness.[40] The program also encourages parents, teachers, and children to increase enrollment and decrease dropout rates in rural government schools, with a particular focus on girls. Additionally, School Management Committees (SMCs) are given assistance and training to enhance their abilities and ensure the school functions effectively and continuously.[41]

Outreach for Development

Outreach for Development initiatives facilitates participation and positive social change in rural communities by creating awareness and sharing knowledge. The program employs a well-balanced rural community media mix including a rural community radio station (Alfaz-e-Mewat),[42] social media, and other print, visual and interactive formats to strengthen and promote opinions favorable to the attainment of rural development goals. Reliable and timely information is shared in an easy-to-understand manner to stimulate dialogue and engagement that positively influence behavior changes. By providing a platform for grassroots communities to voice their views, people are encouraged to identify important issues affecting their lives and to work together to resolve them. Last-mile outreach activities bridge the large information divide and accelerate social change by bringing local voices and their concerns to the forefront.

Rural Research and Development

Rural Research and Development maximizes the impact of poverty alleviation initiatives for rural communities through using participatory research and impact evaluation as practical tools informing action, outcomes and learning. This focuses on integrating all components of the research process which are undertaken to design, implement and sustain the interventions by Sehgal Foundation in the rural areas of the country. These components largely include needs assessment, baseline surveys, mid-term assessment, and sustainable impact evaluation (SIA).

Community Radio

In 2012, the foundation launched a community radio station in Ghaghas village in Mewat, Haryana. Alfaz-e-Mewat (Voice of Mewat) FM 107.8 provides call-in programs for discussion of village issues and government programs. Educational and entertainment programs and children's programs are developed and shared in collaboration with other community radio stations. Community members are broadcasters and reporters.[43] [44] Informational programs address farm practices, sanitation and health issues, conservation and environmental awareness, rural governance, and the empowerment of women and girls. In areas without radio signals, villagers listen and participate by calling a toll-free number.[45] [46] Alfaz-e-Mewat creates programs that address emerging concerns for young people as well as adult villagers, including mental health issues, stress in school, girls being harassed, and information about safety as brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustainable "green" building

The main headquarters building in Gurugram, Haryana, was built in accordance with a platinum (the highest) rating of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.[47] [48] The building, by architect Ashok "Bihari" Lall, contains a solar power generation unit, a rooftop rainwater harvesting system, a 35 KW solar photovoltaic installation on the rooftop that meets 100% of the building's electricity needs, and an indoor climate control mechanism.[49] [50] This was the first institutional building in Gurgaon to use materials specifically for the purpose of minimizing its ecological footprint.[51] [52] [53] The foundation initiated the use of solar lighting as an alternative power source in rural villages to address power blackouts and provide business opportunities to villagers.[54] [55]

Grants, endowments, and collaborations

Sehgal Foundation in the US and S M Sehgal Foundation in India fund organizations and initiatives that promote biodiversity, conservation, and crop improvement.

Awards & Recognitions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gurgaon District to be renamed Gurugram, Mewat as Nuh: Haryana Government. 13 April 2016. Express News Service 13, April 2016.
  2. Maize Genetics and Breeding in the 20th Century, ed. Peter Peterson and Angelo Bianchi, World Scientific Publishing Company, 1999.
  3. "Giving Back to Society," ICRISAT Happenings, 17 April 2015, No. 1671, p.6.
  4. News: Giving Back to Society. Issuu. 16 April 2015. ICRISAT..
  5. Web site: Sehgal Family Foundation. 9 May 2013. ProPublica Journalism in the Public Interest..
  6. Web site: Solid Foundation: Local families may give quietly, but their influence can last for generations. 27 October 2014. DSM Magazine..
  7. Web site: Sehgal Family Foundation. Bloomberg..
  8. News: Foundation releases annual report on its projects. https://web.archive.org/web/20161124011756/http://www.thehindu.com/2004/03/29/stories/2004032907530400.htm. dead. 2016-11-24. The Hindu. 2004-03-29.
  9. Web site: Rural prosperity will propel development. Shenoy. Bhamy V.. 1 January 2015. Industrial Economist..
  10. Web site: Giving for a wider meaningful impact. 5 January 2016. Live Mint, 16 January 2016..
  11. Web site: Home . smsfoundation.org.
  12. Web site: For development to be sustainable, it has to start from the roots: Jane Schukoske, CEO, Sehgal Foundation. Raizada . Munish. 12 June 2015. Newsgram..
  13. Web site: Statement from S M Sehgal Foundation (India)a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. United Nations Economic and Social Council, 1 December 2017..
  14. Web site: SM Sehgal Foundation makes presentation at 56th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development. 7 February 2018. American Bazaar, 6 February 2018..
  15. Web site: Profile: Village Voice. Shukla. Nishtha. India EMPIRE..
  16. Web site: S M Sehgal Foundation: Together we empower rural India. CSR Times..
  17. Dhaleta Surender Kuman, "Sehgal Foundation: Bringing winds of change," India Post, 39: 31 December 2004.
  18. Web site: Sehgal Foundation: Bringing Winds of Change. indiapost.com. American Bazaar, 6 February 2018..
  19. Web site: Rainwater Harvesting: An Effective Tool for Water Crises & its Management in India Scenario. Research Gate. February 2014..
  20. Web site: Mewat Development Agency, NUH: Soil Conservation and Water Harvesting Works. Mewat Development Agency, c.2010..
  21. Web site: Anicut and after.... Mehra . Preeti . 23 October 2015. The Hindu Business Line..
  22. Web site: Rajasthan villages drink deep from traditional wells . Mehra . Preeti . 10 October 2015. The Hindu Business Line..
  23. Web site: How a Village in Rajasthan Went from Dry to Water Sufficient in Just One Year. Pareek. Shreya. 19 May 2017. "The Better India" 20, May 2017.
  24. Web site: Installation of pressurized recharge wells for creating fresh water pockets in saline ground water areas to make water available for drinking and sanitation purposes in water scarce schools of Mewat Haryana. millenniumalliance.in.. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141225175735/http://www.millenniumalliance.in/Round2Awardees.aspx. 25 December 2014. dmy-all.
  25. Web site: Solutions Summit 2015. solutions-summit.org..
  26. Web site: It takes a network: People already have extraordinary solutions in progress to our most complex challenges. Smith . Megan. medium.com/the-white-house. June 2016. The Medium Corporation..
  27. Ahmed, Khusnuma Parween, "Germ-free research: JalKalp model to provide safe drinking water," Rural Marketing Magazine, 30 January 2016.
  28. Web site: Germ-free research: JalKalp model to provide safe drinking water. Ahmed . Khusnuma Parween . 28 January 2016 . ruralmarketing.in . Rural Marketing..
  29. Web site: JalKalp: Water sands impurities. Bhaduri. Amita. "India Water Portal" 13, November 2017.
  30. Web site: Get ready to harvest super monsoon or miss the bus writes Kiran Bedi. 23 May 2016. Hindustan Times..
  31. Web site: Development Cooperation: K=S KALI GmbH participates in a Village Development Project in rural India. K+S KALI GmbH, 4 February 2014..
  32. Web site: Strengthening Rural Livelihoods . 2016-02-04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150420223347/http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Resources/Publications/openebooks/517-5/index.html . 20 April 2015 . dmy-all .
  33. Web site: Directory of Recognised Scientific and Industrial Research. Government of India..
  34. "Legal Literacy Projects: Clinical Experience of Empowering the Poor in India", in Frank S. Bloch (ed.), The Global Clinical Movement: Educating Lawyers for Social Justice, New York, 2010.
  35. Web site: Access to justice for all? Now that would be a measurable good thing by Stacey Cram and Vivek Maru. January 2016. The Guardian, 1.1.16..
  36. Web site: A Study of Law-based legal services clinics. GoI and UNDP India, 2011..
  37. Web site: Experimenting with Clinical Legal Education to Address the Disconnect Between the Larger Promise of Law and its Grassroots Reality in India, by Ajay Pandey. Maryland Journal of International Law, 17 November 2011..
  38. Web site: Sanitation must go beyond shame and stigma. India Water Portal, 22 April 2016..
  39. Web site: Information helpline improves local governance in Nuh villages. 10 August 2018 . Village Square, 10 August 2018..
  40. Web site: Water, sanitation and hygiene UNICEF India . 2023-04-17 . www.unicef.org . en.
  41. Web site: 'WASH in schools will help increase enrolment' . 2023-04-17 . The New Indian Express. 31 March 2022 .
  42. Web site: 2015-07-17 . All we hear is... Alfaz-e-Mewat . 2023-05-11 . www.thehindubusinessline.com . en.
  43. Web site: All we hear is… Alfaz-e-Mewat | Business Line. thehindubusinessline.com. 17 July 2015 . 10 October 2016.
  44. Web site: Alfaz-e-Mewat 107.8. communityvoices.in. 27 November 2016.
  45. Web site: Radio Revolution-A look at the devices's reach in rural Harayana. 6 July 2014. DNA Daily News and Analysis India, 6 July 2014..
  46. Web site: Rural Voices: Unheard to empowered Report of a conference held on 3rd May 2012 by IRRAD, Sesame Workshop India Trust and UNESCO at Gurgaon. India Water Portal, 18 June 2012..
  47. Krishnamoorthy K, "Gurgaon Gets Green Building," Times of India, 2 December 2008.
  48. News: Gurgaon gets green building. The Times of India . 2 December 2008 . The Times of India, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 2 December 2008..
  49. Lall, Ashok B., "Green IRRAD Building at Gurgaon, Haryana," Akshay Urja Renewable Energy, Vol 4 Issue 5 April 2011, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, GOI p.41-43.
  50. Web site: Green IRRAD building at Gurgaon, Haryana, Leading by Example. Akshay Urja via infotech.biz, April 2011..
  51. Web site: Gurgaon realty focuses on developing Green buildings. The Economic Times, 15 June 2012..
  52. Web site: 'Green building' to house rural institute in Gurgaon. Tribune India Haryana Plus, 27 November 2008..
  53. Web site: Just add water. Motherland Magazine.
  54. Web site: Mewat village to celebrate festival with solar lanterns. 26 October 2011. Hindustan Times, 26 October 2011..
  55. News: A solar lighting initiative in villages. The Hindu. 27 October 2011. The Hindu, 27 October 2011..
  56. Cunningham, Isabel Shipley, "William Lacy Brown: Scientist, Executive, and Mentor: He left a lasting legacy to global agriculture," Diversity, Vol. 8, no 2 1992, pp 15-22.
  57. Web site: William Lacy Brown. missouribotanicalgarden.org..
  58. Web site: The William L. Brown Award for Excellence in Plant Genetic Resources Conservation. missouribotanicalgarden.org..
  59. News: Icrisat gets $1 m from Sehgal Foundation. Business Standard India. 21 November 2003. Business Standard, 21 November 2003..
  60. Web site: Icrisat gets another $1 m donation from Sehgal Foundation. The Hindu Business Line, 20 November 2003..
  61. Web site: Home . arboretum.org.in.
  62. Web site: Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. 27 November 2016.
  63. Web site: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India. United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Centre..
  64. Web site: The Water Digest Water Awards 2015-2016: Winning Expressions . wdwa.co.in. 27 November 2016.
  65. Web site: The Water Digest Water Awards 2009-2010: The Distinguished. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129023452/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/TOIBG/2010/01/23/TOIBG_2010_1_23_23.pdf. dead. 29 November 2016. epaper.timesofindia.com. 1 January 2010.
  66. Web site: Water Digest Water Awards 2009-10. karmayog.org. 1 December 2009.
  67. Web site: $1.8 Million raised towards innovative education initiative, digital equalizer American Indian Foundation: Celebrating a decade of giving. 23 June 2011. India Tribune..
  68. Web site: Our Commitments . www.rockefellerfoundation.org . 17 May 2013.
  69. Web site: Global Awards for Social Justice & Citizen Action by the people sector. karmaveerglobalawards.com..
  70. Web site: International Women's Day Celebrations conclude at Amity University. Amity University..
  71. Web site: e-Community Broadcasting Winner 2015: Giving voice to Mewat community via community radio. The Manthan Award Digital Inclusion for Development..
  72. Web site: Awards for Alfaz-e-Mewat and Waqt Ki Awaaz-UNESCO Chair on Community Media. uccommedia.in..
  73. Web site: Sehgal Foundation wins 9th Global Agriculture Leadership Award 2016. 27 September 2016 . American Bazaar..
  74. Web site: India: S. M. Sehgal Foundation wins '3rd National Ground Water Augmentation Award-2009'; Humanitarian News. humanitariannews.org. 27 November 2016.
  75. Web site: Northey Presents Secretary of Agriculture Leader Awards. Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. 8 March 2017.
  76. Web site: Sehgal Foundation's Jay Sehgal receives University of Iowa's International Impact Award. American Bazaar. 26 November 2018 . 26 November 2018.
  77. Web site: FICCI Award for SM Sehgal Foundation. The Tribune India. 18 November 2021.
  78. Web site: S M Sehgal Foundation Wins FICCI Agriculture Award 2021. KJKrishi Jagran Industry News. 22 November 2021.
  79. Web site: S M sehgal Foundation Wins Sabera Award 2021. KJKrishi Jagran Industry News. 11 December 2021.
  80. Web site: Dr Surinder Sehgal Is Awarded the Dr M S Swaminathan Award for Leadership in Agriculture for 2022 . 2023-09-04 . krishijagran.com . en.
  81. Web site: 2023-08-21 . Dr. Suri Sehgal Receives Dr. M S Swaminathan Agricultural Leadership Award . 2023-09-04 . en-US.
  82. Web site: 2023-07-24 . Alfaz-e-Mewat Community Radio Honored With National Award I S M Sehgal Foundation . 2023-09-04 . en-US.
  83. Web site: Bureau . BW Online . BW Social Impact 2023: Upholders Of Social Welfare . 2023-09-12 . BW Businessworld . en.
  84. Web site: Listen to Community Radio Connect FM 107.8 from Gurugram live on Radio Garden . 2024-04-08 . radio.garden . en.

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