Vibha’s partner project HEARDS (Health Education Adoption Rehabilitation Development Society) received an award at the SWAG (Social Welfare and Growth) Awards 2016. Mr. K. Sajan, the chairman of HERDS, on behalf of the organization, accepted the award. 
Nominated by Vibha under the category of “Women Empowerment and Child Welfare”, HEARDS was awarded the 2nd prize in the category. The 1st prize in the category went to Love2Learn’s Gabriel Project. The other categories of awards were Education and Skill Training, Environment and Agriculture, Sports, Health and Sanitation. Held on 8th of July, at Mumbai, SWAG is a platform initiated by The CSR Journal – leading news and information portal on CSR in India – to highlight and promote impactful initiatives in the development space.
Supported by Vibha since 2005, HEARDS has been working towards the socio-economic, educational, cultural, health and medical needs of the backward communities of Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The organization implements development initiatives for the benefit of all age groups of the target population.
Vibha, quite specifically, has been supporting HEARDS towards the following initiatives in the area:
- Rescue of children from hazardous working environment
- Rehabilitation of vulnerable, at risk children
- Providing quality education in special schools, mainstreaming them into formal education system, collaborating with Government schools to make sure of their retention
- Providing support classes to help mainstreamed children cope with public education system
- Providing livelihood opportunities for mothers of these children
To date, HEARDS has rescued 696 children from child labor and 281 vulnerable children have been prevented from becoming child laborers. The psychological support, opportunity to develop social skills, healthy nutritious meal, conducive learning environment and age appropriate quality education through bridge schools, rendered by the organization has put these children back on track. To retain them in education, alternative livelihood is being provided to their mothers, thus increasing overall family income, and family counselling has also played a major role.
HEARDS has also successfully mainstreamed 725 children into regular Government schools and hostels and 560 of them have completed schooling with final 10th grade board exams. Total 470 children have taken up jobs and now living better lives. Out of 25 slums, HEARDS has successfully eradicated child labor from 9 slums, and by end of 2017, 6 more slums will be child labor free.
Vibha is proud to support HEARDS in this noble endeavor and be a catalyst to their excellent work.
To know more about Vibha’s work, visit www.vibha.org.