Our HERO 2017 is the Indian women’s rights organisation Jagori Rural Charitable Trust, which works towards a more just society. The HERO is the award of the TOOLS FOR LIFE foundation, which annually recognises social engagement and supports organisations with financial resources from the “Sponsor instead of giving” campaign by organisations close to the foundation.
Three representatives of the organisation were invited as guests on 23rd July 2018 in Kelkheim, the home of the foundation. Dr. Sandra Rothenberger, 1st President of the TOOLS FOR LIFE foundation, and Philipp Kannengießer, Chair of ROTHENBERGER AG handed Abha Bhaiya the cheque for HERO 2017.
Abha Bhaiya is co-founder of the women’s rights organisation Jagori Rural Charitable Trust, which is being recognised for its social engagement. She will take 12,000 Euro back to Northern India with her, 8,000 Euro prize money for the HERO and 4,000 Euro of further donations.
The money is a welcome resource for financing training projects for young people in the agricultural state of Himachal Pradesh in North India. Around 60 women and men work in 150 villages of the mountainous region and help 25,000 people with these training projects.
Abha Bhaiya, Chanter Kanta and Anoop Kumar presented the organisation’s work as part of the award ceremony. Their aims are ambitious: they are striving to transform the patriarchal Indian society– and are driving this forward with, for example, so-called women’s courts. These help people affected by violence. Through conversations with victims, or perpetrators, male or female, the immediate and wider families and, if necessary, the police or other state bodies, those affected agree a solution. In most cases, these conversations are successful and lasting.
The TOOLS FOR LIFE foundation has been supporting Jagori Rural Charitable Trust projects since 2015.
Further Information about Jagori and how they plan to use the prize money.