Shahnawaz khan Pathan – Trustee, Helping Hand,Baroda

Helping Hand for the Needy

Sometimes a good intention can snowball into a force for good that achieves much more than its initial goal. “Helping Hand” from Vadodara is a entity along those lines that have exceeded expectations. Yourstory spoke to trustee Shahnawaz khan Pathan and learnt more about Helping Hand and its work.

Five graduates passing out from university in 1988 decided to do something for the society specially the needy ones. They started initially by collecting and pooling their pocket money to help the deserving people around them.

Registered in 1990 the friends started a trust called ‘Helping Hand’ in Vadodara and did an initial survey of the city. After the survey they were clear that the Muslim ladies are the most deserving section who need immediate help. However the trust has been there to help the needy ones specially women with no religious barrier or stipulations. The trust thus started with a one room office powered by the idealism of five friends. Helping Hand is now a well known name in Vadodara in terms of women empowerment. The trust works for the benefit of women and students in many ways.

For the students: They help them with financial assistance in their studies. “We provide educational assistance through scholarships and financial aid to deserving and meritious students pursuing professional courses,” said Shahnawaz Khan Pathan. The trust also runs computer classes in different parts of the city to enhance the employability job oriented skills building courses. Around 2000 students are benefited by the computer education provided by the trust.

The trust is also organizing awareness programmes, talent search and training programmes in the city. In addition they also provide career counseling to the students and the women. They also run tuition Classes, Book banks, and note books distribution for the poor.

In terms of Medical help the trust provides medical assistance, blood donation camps, and diagnostic camps by specialists of various disciplines in various backward areas. Housing projects for riots affected people living below poverty line are also some of their works in the city.

Besides giving financial help to the students, the trust mainly works in the direction of women empowerment in the city. The trust provides vocational training and building core competencies of young women in vocations like Sewing, Embroidery, Mehndi, Jardoshi etc. to make them self reliant.

The trust is also involved in financial assistance to widows for their socio- economic rehabilitation and upliftment. Acoording to Shahnawaz  widows are more prone to the bad effects of the society so to make them self reliant we should give encouragement by way of self employment and financial assistance.

He added that around 1500 widows in Baroda are the beneficiaries. The trust also provides a special benefit card to the widows so that they can get the donation by showing that card to the donor. The trust can now boast of a computerized office and a extended network of about 200 NGO’s attached to them. Besides helping 100 families in the city around 10,000 are employed by them and 50 students have studied under their scholarships get top posts in big companies. The trust has helped many to acquire their dreams in life and continues to help many others.

Yourstory believes that Helping Hand is a positive reinforcement of the good that mankind is capable of. We wish the five founders and Shahnawaz khan Pathan success in every Endeavour they attempt in life. We urge you to visit their website and learn more about them at www.helpingtrust.org