Krishnammal Jagannathan

Gandhi disciple, women's rights activist, founder of LAFTI and Alternative Nobel Prize laureate

LAFTI (Land For Tillers' Freedom) is based on the Gandhian idea of equitable land 
distribution as a basis for rural  economic development. Located in the village of 
Kuthur, LAFTI serves hundreds of village communities throughout the 
Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur districts in India's southeastern state of Tamilnadu. 


LAFTI was founded by Krishnammal and her husband Jagannathan in 1981. It has 
its roots in Bhoodan (the Land  Gift) Movement, created by Acharya Vinoba Bave, 
the spiritual heir of Gandhi and "the first Sathyagrahi", who for  almost 20 years, 
advocated the concept of Gramdan (the Village Community ownership); it involves 
landowners  voluntarily surrendering their land for community ownership by 
Grama Sabha (Village Community). The significance of this non-violent land 
revolution is still to be recognised but Bhoodan and LAFTI movements have been  
instrumental in distributing 11,000 acres of land to 11,000 landless poor families, 
through non-violent campaigns for the purchase of land for a reasonable price, or 
the lease of temple or trust land for cultivation by the village community. 

LAFTI is committed to raising the social status and acceptability of the Dalit Caste, 
so called "the untouchables". It has negotiated with the government for land 
subsidies, and with the banks for reduced interest loans for the purchase of land. LAFTI's housing scheme was created during the drought period of 1986-87, initially 
as a means of providing alternative employment. Brick and tile making industry 
was set up in 10 centers, and later with  government subsidies, single room 
tenements were built with the bricks to replace the crumbling straw huts. It has 
created Women's Rights groups and Youth Forums in many villages.

Foundation UNESCO – Education for Children in Need

The dream of rebuilding a new and safe home for tsunami victims – particularly children – has come true. Koskoda – the UNESCO village – in Sri Lanka is now home to about 300 people.
Nurseries, schools and training centres also offer a further 300 children from the region the chance to become independent.

Aishwarya Trust saves children’s lives

Mrs. Viswanathan and her trust have made more than 420 operations possible and have saved just as many lives of children in India and Africa.

Congenital heart defects are the most common cause of death amongst infants. Inspired by friends and in memory of her daughter Aishwarya, who died because of a congenital heart defect, Chitra Viswanathan founded the Aishwarya Trust in Chennai / India in 2008.

The organisation has made it its mission to provide financial assistance to enable affected, disadvantaged children to get vital treatment and operations in private clinics. The Aishwarya Trust makes it possible for affected children to be treated by the most famous heart surgeons in India – as every child should have the right to the best possible treatment in his/her country.

SEKEM – Sustainable development is for over 30 years, the company's goal.

Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish,

Founder of the Bio-Pioneer initiative SEKEM and Right Livelihood Award Laureate in 2003.

The SEKEM initiative was founded to realise the vision of sustainable human development. SEKEM aims to contribute to the comprehensive development of the individual, society and environment. A holistic concept encompassing integrated economic, social and cultural development forms the key SEKEM vision. In 1977, Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish founded the SEKEM initiative on an untouched part of the desert (70 hectares) in an area 60 kilometers northwest of Cairo. Over the years, SEKEM became the "umbrella" of a multifaceted agro-industrial group of business companies and several NGO's encompassing a variety of socio-cultural-human development institutions and cooperative associations. Currently, SEKEM is regarded as an outstanding world-class, socio-business corporation. In fact, in August 2003, Dr. Abouleish was selected as one of the world's outstanding Social Entrepreneurs by the Schwab Foundation. In December 2003, the Right Livelihood Foundation awarded SEKEM and Dr. Abouleish the prestigious "Alternative Nobel Prize". According to the statement of the Award, "SEKEM demonstrates how a modern business model combines profitability and success in world markets with a humane and spiritual approach to people while maintaining respect for the environment."

“Herzenssache” helps children

Gitta Haucke

Journalist and Managing Director of the SWR “Herzenssache” organisation

 
The organisation
“Herzenssache” is a charitable organisation. SR and SWR, the Sparda-Bank Südwest and the Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg as well as DEVK and BHW are the basis: they finance the personnel and the organisation’s administration. This ensures that every cent of your donation gets to the children who need it.
The patron of the organisation is Lothar Späth, a former German politician. The public broadcasting services SR and SWR get “Herzenssache” noticed: they show where help is needed most and what “Herzenssache” does with your donations.



Key aims

• Our help is clearly defined and has a long-term effect – “Herzenssache”
• improves the quality of life for sick and disabled children
• is committed to equal opportunities in education
• supports children living on the breadline
• promotes healthy physical and free emotional development
• brings children back into social ‘normality’
• is committed to and promotes a world without prejudice and violence

Björn Steiger Stiftung

The Björn Steiger Stiftung has set itself the task of optimising the whole sector of emergency aid for accident victims.



The foundation was established in the 1960s by Ute and Siegfried Steiger who lost their son Björn due to delayed emergency measures after a road accident. For more than 40 years, the foundation has both supported and developed many initiatives that have ensured the continuous improvement of emergency measures in Germany. These measures include the free emergency number throughout Germany 110/112, emergency telephones, two-way radio in ambulances, the air ambulance, free mobile phone location in an emergency and the baby mobile intensive care unit. The fifth generation of the baby mobile intensive care unit was presented on 15.03.2012 and the unit was taken into active service on 30.03.2012 in Datteln, Germany.

Third MMD charity run

Every year, employees of the company MAKRO-MEDIEN-DIENST organise a charity run together with internationally acclaimed marathon runner Martin Beckmann and the sports club TSV Musberg. The run is held in the OaseWeil area of the Schönbuch natural reserve with donations being made to regional projects deemed worthy of support:



Children’s hospice in Baden-Württemberg 

1st MMD charity run on 11.09.2010

Street kid project in Stuttgart

2nd MMD charity run on 10./11.09.2011

School for disabled children in Stuttgart

3rd MMD charity run on 08.09.2012

These events are intended to provide financial support for the projects as well as bring them into the public eye. 

An event for people of all ages!

Hansa Niwas

Orphanages for at least 300 boys and girls

The HANSA NIWAS FOUNDATION is building homes for these children in Trichy. They will accommodate at least 300 children – girls and boys. A home which is not just a roof above their heads, but which provides also the feeling of being recognised and loved, a feeling which is vital for every human being. The children should have the experience of being embedded in a big family providing warmth and happiness – and learn to enjoy life again.
There also will be a school offering education for the orphans and up to 700 children from the cast of the untouchables. Only by means of education a break through the vicious circle of poverty and lack of opportunities is possible. The emphasis will be in the fostering of all creative skills and the children will be supported in developing their own talents. At the same time, they will learn to take on responsibility for themselves and others.