The World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) Trust Funds have given a summary of donations received and disbursements done during the year 2024-2025, expressing gratitude to donors, big and small, for entrusting their hard-earned funds to the Trust to be utilized for multifarious welfare activities.
The WZO Trust Funds, The WZO Trust for Women and Children and the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust received a grand total of Rs 30.5 crores, of which Rs 21.02 crores came from overseas and Rs 9.51 from within India, notes an email sent by the chairman, Dinshaw Tamboly. Of this, Rs 25.4 crores were used for various schemes and Rs 55.9 lakhs for administrative expenses.
Medical relief to the tune of Rs 6.5 crores was extended to 824 persons; educational assistance of Rs 1.57 crores was provided to 214; one time assistance amounting to Rs 1.17 crores was given to 550 and quarterly financial assistance of Rs 4.55 crores to 753 economically challenged Zoroastrians; food packets worth Rs 73.4 lakhs were distributed to 973 persons.
Mobeds and agiaries received a total of Rs 4.83 crores. Of this amount, Rs 1.75 crores were used for giving quarterly financial assistance to 117 senior mobeds, Rs 48.3 lakhs to 31 senior widows of mobeds, Rs 57.6 lakhs to 64 pallbearers and Rs 90 lakhs to helpers in agiaries and atash behrams. In addition, 92 mobeds received one-time assistance collectively amounting to Rs 78.7 lakhs. Donations totaling Rs 33 lakhs were also made to nine agiaries for repairs and kathi.
The WZO Senior Citizens Centre in Navsari received Rs 1.32 crores during the year and the Sanjan Sanatorium Rs 16.68 lakhs for the same period. A total of Rs 1.38 crores was spent on housing and shelter. Two huts were converted into cottages at a cost of seven lakh rupees, 18 houses needed repairs amounting to Rs 40.8 lakhs while housing worth Rs 90.4 lakhs was provided at Navsari.
A sum of Rs 12.7 lakhs was expended for the welfare of six farmers; Rs 99.4 lakhs to help 23 persons for self-employment; youth activities accounted for Rs 60.2 lakhs; books and periodicals cost Rs 62,980; and support to other Parsi institutions worked out to Rs 86 lakhs. S. V.