Empowerment

With fast paced life and major shift in societal values the urban slum dwellers are finding it even more difficult to sustain and survive, first due to more and more migration from the rural areas sharing the limited resources with the existing infrastructure, then due to further deterioration existing facilities, to help them and survive is the reason why Polaris Trust is continually working in these areas and helping them with small initiatives at the grass root level.

Urban slums are expanding rapidly

Slums in all cities are gradually growing across the world, with more than half of world’s population now living in the urban areas, these urban localities without proper facilities are emerging as the place for the underprivileged to live, especially in the developing countries where they are living in even worst conditions, no hygiene, sanitation, food and shelter.

Who is a slum dweller?

According to the United Nations, durable walls with secured lease or title of the property, adequate living space and access to safe drinking water and toilets are the conditions that differentiate between a city dweller and a slum dweller. 

How Polaris Trust connect with them and support

We at Polaris understands the people living in these areas and are helping them get into mainstream by providing with with basic amenities, helping in organizing funds for their emergencies, food and clothing during tough times and winters and mainly work with them on their documents to be proper so that they stay well connected with the various government schemes and benefits.

These people, being coming from rural areas, at times are completely unaware of the government’s initiatives and support system to help the citizens pass their toughest time. The commitment of the government is often not reach them due to their own ignorance, once they get in touch with us, our volunteers working with them understand their need for education, shelter, healthcare, documentation, scholarships for their children, pension for their poor family members, pension for widows, mid-day meal and lactating mother’s allowance etc. are directly helping their lives.

Connection with the mainstream opens up the benefits

If they have proper documentation, their Adhaar card in place, bank account opened, Adhaar linked with bank, they know to use the ATM card, have updated and correct ration card, domicile certificates, birth and death certificates etc. they are entitled to various benefits under large number of government run schemes for poor. 

We are just educating them by organizing camps in these areas, our volunteers tell them about these benefits and empower them to get those.