A Time To Give Back – Compass Charity Project (An Ideal Way To Help Those In Need)

At a time when many avid travelers are scaling back due to guilt brought on by the impression that travel is indulgent and insensitive to others who may be struggling to get by, COMPASS INDIA INC. offers the ideal solution; incorporating meaningful community service into an amazing travel experience.

Compass India Inc. is offering its tours as special charity events to benefit

A. The OXFAM – a UK based organization into empowering women and girl children and

B. A community school in the village of Rajasthan.

We were always working with various charities but from 2009 we decided to take it forward to the "grassroots level" since it was first, becoming difficult to commit higher figures for all the children and women who are struggling for better life and second, to monitor the projects continuously or to find out if the charity is helping the needy in a manner that we want.

The 2009 CHARITY DECISION will be followed by more successful and higher commitments in 2010.

From The Heart of Founder Director & Business Head,
Mr. Durjay Sengupta:

“It is part of Compass India Inc.’s mission to plan an exhaustive charity program as one aspect of our commitment to sustainable tourism. For Compass, social responsibility is about making a meaningful difference and seeking innovative ways to help others through our resources by partnering with various non-governmental organizations. Every tour that we do, a certain amount from it will go towards our charity programs.

 There are a number of projects that we looked into before narrowing down to Oxfam & the school in Jaipur.

Oxfam works with women’s groups, to develop specific actions to help redress women’s historic disadvantage. Ensuring equality and justice, and unlocking women’s potential, is to the benefit of everyone.

As for our school project, well, education is a basic necessity in today’s day and age. We need to facilitate education as much as possible in order to completely eradicate illiteracy, which is the root cause of several other social problems.

The Jaipur school is in need of renovation, restoration, books, additional teachers, furniture, stationary and almost everything which is required to impart the right education to children. Our target is to donate 5000 $ US to the project. That and the time our guests will spend working, will help the community to accomplish this important goal.”

Compass India Inc. – Community Development Team
Sanjay Puri, Director, Operations; responsible for community development programmes for the company decided to volunteer with Mr. Rahul Kumar, Assistant Manager , Contracts & Co-ordination.

“When I was given the responsibility to select the right organization for 2009 – 2010, for charity, other than the school project which is more “hands – on” and only for children, what came to my mind was the underprivileged women population in the backyards of my country. I selected OXFAM because of their commitment to empower women in India. The cause may seem very simple and fundamental but there is a lot to be done, not only in India but in the other countries of the world as well.

I travelled and observed Oxfam’s projects which really moved me. The sincerity and dedication at the project sites made me want to reach out & contribute. Their perspective is unique. Gender mainstreaming, or considering gender issues in every aspect of work, is one of Oxfam’s corporate priorities. Gender discrimination, or the denial of women’s basic human rights, is a major cause of poverty. Men and women experience many aspects of poverty differently and ignoring these differences risks further entrenching poverty and the subordination of women. This is what Oxfam is working to change. And we want to help bring about that change.

The humanistic approach prompted our association with Oxfam, resulting in them becoming our SPECIAL CHARITY PARTNER for this year.

How you can get involved:
While opting a tour from Compass India Inc.; your contribution by default is registered towards a noble cause and it covers the following:

OXFAM PROJECTS:
Day visits can be paid to the ongoing project sites to enrich your experience in short span of time to encourage and motivate the affected ones from the poorest of the poor communities.

SCHOOL VISIT:
One day optional tour passes through the area to work at the school teaching children, interacting with the teachers and may be help in painting furniture and general work. This would make the project immensely successful and all of us will get the feeling of actually working on a project rather than writing a cheque. All the travelers who pass through the route in which the school falls will have the opportunity to:

1. Spend a day working side by side with the villagers, assisting electricians, carpenters, painters and masons to complete the community school renovation project (no construction experience is necessary, just a desire to help out and a willingness to get a little dirt under your nails).
2. Spend the night camping with the village community, giving participant’s time to get to know the villagers better, and enjoying a traditional party to celebrate the completion of the project.
3. Stop for lunch and enjoy the place with the community and see the work going on or completed.

For all tours between April 2009 till March 2010 we will earmark 5000$ US to the school project while another 5000$ US will be donated to OXFAM and this works out to approximately 50$ US per person only. This is over and above the contributions we make to the WORLD WILDLIFE FUND, CRY and UNICEF.

All our guests would be given certificates for being part of the development program and we plan to send a report with pictures for your album – if you made a difference you ought to know about it. No, may be you would not feel too good helping others since it is a duty but you will be glad to know that your contribution helped people smile.

Guests’ like yours gives us the power to make a difference in the lives of people. We are confident that you have the will to give and would help us to uplift communities through your tours.

Let’s make a difference this year – visit India for a noble cause.

Compass Aided Community School in Rajasthan

Helping to make a difference.

Our constant endeavour here is to bring a positive change to the underprivileged communities by supporting a wide range of socio-economic and educational initiatives.

Education has been our main focus as part of our social responsibility initiatives in the small village of Boraj located 50 kms north from pink city i.e. Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan. It is said that education reduces inequality and we put this belief into action by taking up this very initiative.

When Compass first came to know about the school, Gayatri Vidya Mandir (Privately run & managed by Mr. Panna Lal Sankhla, registered and approved by Government of Rajasthan) we were eager to help the natives of a state which is one the most popular destinations among all tourists headed here. Education forms the basis of an individual’s life, it lays down the foundation of a person’s future and to be able to help children do that is just the most noble cause we could think of.

OXFAM INDIA

What is Oxfam India?

Oxfam India works towards putting an end to poverty and injustice. For over 50 years, Oxfam has been actively partnering communities and like-minded organizations to bring in a global movement of change. Oxfam India is India’s representation with Oxfam International, which works in over 110 countries on issues related to people living in poverty andhelping them take control of their rights.

As India becomes an increasingly important global influence, Oxfam India aims to be a larger force and a stronger voice in bringing positive changes to people’s lives. It strives to build bridges between India and the rest of the world, especially on global issues such as climate change and trade. With a population of over 300 million poor people, anda growing rich and middle class of a further 300 million who can afford to be engaged in and contribute to India’s development, Oxfam India believes it has a significant role to play by working with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering.

Oxfam India has a three-pronged approach to fight poverty:

Campaigns to put pressure on leaders to bring lasting change.
Supports communities with long-term development work so that they can rely on themselves for a better future.

Through its partners, works during natural disasters and conflict situations for saving lives, delivering aid, and works closely to prepare for any future crises

Oxfam works on four priority areas in India

Earning a better income (Economic Justice) –
Oxfam, through its partners, works with people to give them more stable and long-term opportunities to earn a reliable income.
It campaigns for trade policies to be fair and for people to be prepared for the effects of climate change.

Unlocking women’s potential (Gender Justice) –
Oxfam India’s work on gender aims to create a shift in the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of women and men.
Incorporatinggender issues in every aspect of its works is one of Oxfam India’s priorities.

The ABC of overcoming poverty (Essential Services) –
Oxfam promotes girls education because of the discrimination they face. Its initiatives on education are therefore closely linked to its gender equality work. Oxfam promotes girl’s education through schools that focus on marginalized communities.

Preparing to survive (Humanitarian Work) –
Through its partners, Oxfam India works with communities to equip them with the necessary skills, information, and knowledge to survive and be prepared for disasters.

Volunteering and support for a cause could be the best experience of your life!