An Overview of Community’s Economic Situation in India

This is an India Centric note, prepared with the intent to acquaint global leaders of the abysmal financially constrained situation that increasing numbers of our community members in India are finding themselves in.

 

The growing downhill trend of the financial condition of community members is akin to our demographics, that of being on a very slippery slope.

 

Due to our depleting numbers, the dependency rate in families has risen to 1:4, which means 4 members of a family are dependent on only one earning member (spouse, child or children, elderly parent/s and in some instances grandparents).

 

For only one earning member in a family having to support 4 others and his/her own self can indeed be very daunting in present days and times with inflation and spiraling prices.

 

Though Covid-19 has thankfully subsided, it has left in its wake untold financial hardships for families; salaries that were substantially reduced during the pandemic years (mid-2019 to mid-2022) have not been fully reinstated, and businesses have not fully recovered, some even have had to shut down.

 

Though the dependency and declining population are issues not within our ambit to control we can at best endeavour to alleviate to the extent possible, the continuously increasing financial needs of Zoroastrians in India.

 

The WZO Trust Funds have been involved in amelioration and rehabilitation measures of our community members in various areas of need on a Pan India over the last three decades.

 

Whilst some Trusts in India do extend support to applicants for various causes, the extent to which they do so are not shared in the public domain and hence it is not possible to quantify.

 

However, WZO Trusts depending on donor’s support for their multifarious welfare activities have always pursued the policy of being transparent in their dealings and accountable to donors at all times.

 

We are pleased to share with GCZT / GWG Trustees & Regional Representatives a table below which provides a break up of assistance extended to various beneficiaries during course of financial year April 2021- March 2022, and the first ten months of the current financial year (April 2022 – January 2023):

 

 

 

SR. NO. PRODUCT / PURPOSE APRIL 2021 TO MARCH 2022 APRIL 2022 TO JANUARY 2023
No.

of         of beneficiaries

Amount (Rs) No. of beneficiaries       Amount

          (Rs)

 

 

             (Rs)

 
1 MEDICAL 544 51,247,499 443            39,181,532  
2 EDUCATION

Economically challenged Senior Citizens

163 10,805,164 152            13,895,798  
3 RELIEF FROM POVERTY (Lumpsum) 367 5,215,500 390              5,931,300  
4 QUARTERLY FINANCIAL HELP  

553

 

32,254,500

 

583

 

           35,412,000

 
a) Relief From Poverty  
b) Senior Mobeds 117 10,530,000 117            10,530,000  
c) Senior Widows of Mobeds 31 2,232,000 31              2,232,000  
d) Economically challenged Senior Citizens 213 12,780,000 202            12,120,000  
e) Pall Bearers 70 6,300,000 77              6,930,000  
TOTAL 984 64,096,500 1010            67,224,000  
5 FINANCIAL HELP FOR COVID PANDEMIC  

189

 

12,825,994

 

90

 

             3,697,440

 
a) Medical  
b) Relief From Poverty 130 2,907,000 72              1,466,600  
c) Others 604 12,035,270 21              1,067,535  
d) Ventilators to Hospitals 2 5,725,000 0  
e) Laptop Distributed to needy students 30 1,128,000 0  
TOTAL 955 34,621,264 183              6,231,575  
6 F FFOOD GRAINS DISTRIBUTED 944 5,216,686 212              1,507,950  
7 FIRE RETARDENT ATTIRES SUPPLIED TO MOBEDS 800 1,840,211 0  
8 FARMERS WELFARE / REHABILITATION 12 1,036,915 15              2,230,000  
9 SELF EMPLOYMENT 8 3,100,000 10              4,255,000  
10 RURAL HOUSING  

9

 

1,450,000

 

6

 

             1,911,000

 
a) For converting Huts to Cottages  
b) For Repairs to Cottages 9 840,000 9              1,327,000  
TOTAL 18 2,290,000 15              3,238,000  
11 DONATIONS TO FIRE TEMPLES FOR REPAIRS / KATHI 15 4,130,213 10              2,470,922  
12 GENERAL CHARITIES 0 1,541,122 0              2,470,360  
13 BOOKS & PERIODICALS 0 559,588 0                 366,802  
14 YOUTH ACTIVITIES 0 1,908,200 0              2,825,000  
15 SENIOR CITIZENS CENTRE, NAVSARI 0 8,694,252 0              7,245,210  
16 SANJAN SANATORIUM 0 842,115 0              1,007,338  
17 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES 0 2,888,526 0              3,563,866  
% Of administrative expenses 1.44%               2.18%  
to total disbursements/expenses  
   

GRAND TOTAL

 

     4810

 

200,033,755

 

    2440

 

         163,644,653

 

 

 

 

 

A multi-pronged approach is generally followed by WZO Trusts:

 

  1. To provide relief as in the case of providing financial support towards the pursuit of education, providing relief from poverty through quarterly and lumpsum disbursements and towards supporting hospitalisation and medical needs.

 

With regards to hospitalisation, it needs to be understood that quite many of our community members are not insured under the Mediclaim Schemes as some cannot afford to pay the annual premiums, whilst others being in their 80’s cannot avail of Mediclaim facilities.

 

  1. To rehabilitate and motivate community members to become self-sufficient and stand on their own feet by providing them interest free financial support to be self-employed in disciplines of their choice.

 

(As a matter of interest, it needs to be mentioned that since the self-employment project was launched in 1995, 1214 Zoroastrians have been extended interest free financial support up to a maximum of Rs.500,000/= that has to be repaid in 40 equated monthly instalments of Rs.12,500 per month. Generally, a two to three months moratorium on repayments is considered depending on type of the profession pursued. In some instances, those involved in professions such as driving auto rickshaws, taxis etc. have repaid the amounts and been provided additional loans to enable them to change their vehicles after years of use).

 

  1. Around 450 Zoroastrians residing in the villages of Gujarat and Maharashtra have been extended interest free financial support towards pursuing agricultural farming, fish farming, dairy farms and poultry farms.

 

Repayments for these beneficiaries are based on their enhanced earnings than before and are generally on an annual basis.

 

The purpose of providing interest free financial support to beneficiaries as per b) & c) is to wean them away from being dependent on charity, become self-sufficient and live with self-respect and dignity.

 

WZO Trusts undertakes and executes all projects by expending 100% of amounts received as donation to beneficiaries without levying any administrative charge. The administrative expenses such as staff salaries, office expenditure, travels to beneficiary’s locations are all borne by us.

 

Donations:

 

The community has been very fortunate to have been blessed with benefactors from all parts of the world, especially from Hong Kong.

 

Donations received from The Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao upon the approval of Neville Shroff constitute around 55% of donations received by WZO Trusts.

 

FEZANA, ZTFE, AZA Sydney, WZO also extend support whenever an appeal is circulated.

 

Individuals from overseas as well as from within India also contribute whenever an appeal is made.

 

WZO Trusts also receive funds from time to time through Executors of WILLs based on bequests made by individuals.

 

 

In Conclusion:

 

Whilst the inflow of donations and quantum of support extended may appear to be substantial, the needs of the community are continuing to increase on account of our aging and falling numbers and dependency ratios.

 

The purpose of this note has been to make global community leadership aware of the ground realities prevailing in India and to seek continuing and additional support for various welfare projects that are underway as well as for emergency situations that arise from time to time.

 

 

Best Wishes,

 

Dinshaw K. Tamboly,

WZO Trusts.

 

 

 

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