Swarna Bharath Trust, Venkatachalam, Nellore

lds of health care, education, women welfare and child development etc. It has acquired 20 more acres for establishing a school, a technical school to impart technical training. Mahatma Gandhiji’s dictum ‘Back to Villages” is the motto of the Trust. A group of eight well meaning service minded people, all friends of Sri Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, former President of the BJP have come together to form the Swarna Bharat Trust. The idea of doing something to the land which has brought them to this stage is the driving force to them to form the Trust. The main area of activities are, Cyber Grameen where computer training to rural youth is imparted, vocational training centre called as S.I.R.E.D [Swarna Bharati Institute of Rural Entrepreneurship Development] to impart training for self improvement in 18 trades. So far, more than 6000 rural youth are given training in manufacturing and servicing of TVs, ACs, Refrigerators, electrical equipments, tailoring, fashion technology, cell phone mechanism etc. The Trust also runs farmers training centre which conducts programmes like usage of pesticides, nutrition, micro irrigation, cultivation of new varieties, medicinal plants, new technology in farming to enhance output. The Trust has established a Women’s Training Centre to train women in self employment generation. The Trust also has modern Tele-education, Tele-medicine, video conferencing, digital theatre. They have a digital auditorium for video and audio educational programmes on village development activities and health related programmes. Regular programmes on health, community development, cleanliness and other social programmes are shown. There is a modern medical centre sponsored by M/s Venkateswara Hatcheries named after their founder Dr. B.V. Rao where free medical facility by prominent Doctors from Hyderabad and Chennai drawn from five corporate hospitals visit by rotation to treat the patients in the district and nearby areas. The local Red Cross and Indian Medical Association (IMA) join the Trust to conduct regular medical camps. The Trust also runs a mobile medical unit with modern medical facility like x-rays, clinical lab, pathological lab etc. It has an eye hospital in association with LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad which provides free eye treatment for those who can not afford costly treatment. A free Veterinary Hospital is also added to the Trust in Collaboration with Mandava Foundation, which conducts Veterinary camps, artificial insemination programmes, vaccination, and distribution of medicines to cattle and also conducts regular training programmes to farmers. It also has a free mobile veterinary medical unit. The Trust also conducts Prathibha Puraskar Function annually, where rural boys and girls who secure first and second ranks are awarded merit certificates and are given bicycles. The Trust has the credit of conducting seminars, interactions and face to face meets of rural youth with famous scientists, academicians, sports, cinema, music and other cultural personalities scores of Telugu film artists were among the few celebrities who visited the Trust. The Trust has a huge Kalyana Mandapam (Function Hall) where marriages of rural people and social and other cultural functions are organized. The Trust also runs a Bridge School for children who have discontinued studies due to various reasons in association with Simhapuri Vidya Seva Samiti. This school imparts education and training along with Yoga and other extra curricular activities. The Trust also conducts free legal aid and recently five eminent judges have participated in the face to face meet with the villagers. Swarna Bharat runs an Old Age Home for elderly people in the name of ‘Elders’ Home’. The Trust does not run on any aid from the Government and they have made it a point not to seek any grants. Though eight friends of Sri Venkaiah Naidu are the trustees, the driving force is Smt Deepa Venkat, daughter of Sri Venkaiah Naidu. In recognition of the services provided by the Trust under her able stewardship, the JCS has selected her as one of the TOY (Ten Outstanding Youngsters) Award under the outstanding Humanitarian and Voluntary Service Award. Smt Deepa M.A. (Economics) Gold Medalist. m

Swarna Bharat Trust is a purely apolitical organization and no political activity is allowed within the premises. Persons with affiliations to different political parties like the Telugu Desam, the Congress and the BJP take part in the Trust programmes. Officials from various levels in Central, State Governments and District Administration also participate in the programes