Wheat, pulses, groundnut oil, tea, sugar, a blanket, some linen and toiletries were part of a package that was distributed by volunteers and staff of World Zoroastrian Organisation Trusts (WZOT) at 49 locations in Gujarat and Maharashtra over five days, February 13-15, 18-19 and March 11, 2018. Two hundred and eighty deserving families were aided. The program was made possible thanks to donors who contributed Rs 18 lakhs for this project, stated a note received by Parsiana from WZOT chairman Dinshaw Tamboly.
WZOT team assisting the needy in rural Gujarat and Maharashtra on Navroz
He stated that Zavda in Dangs, a predominantly tribal district of Gujarat has 15 families that were aided, as does the Maharashtra hamlet of Baripada. Particularly proud of the work done for the community members of Zavda, Tamboly stated that "each and every Zoroastrian family there is well into the process of being rehabilitated.” A video film that highlights the changes that have taken place in their lives, is being prepared for screening at the 11th World Zoroastrian Congress in Perth in June this year, he explained.
Since the start of the aid program in 1991, WZOT has been involved in rehabilitating 489 needy Zoroastrian farmers in 197 locations, having disbursed Rs 6.59 crores by way of interest free loans. "Over the last 15 years we have also converted 273 huts into brick and mortar cottages,” informed the chairman, explaining that the present cost of replacing a hut into a cottage is Rs 5,00,000. WZOT has provided interest free self employment opportunities totalling Rs 18.79 crores to 1,079 individuals at 118 locations in India. "More than 65% of these beneficiaries would be from rural areas,” noted Tamboly.
"We are blessed to enjoy the confidence of donors from all parts of the world,” he said, naming in particular the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao, the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, Pervin and Jal Shroff of Hong Kong, Bombay social worker Scylla Vatcha and Homi Bhabha of Bai Maneckbai P. B. Jeejeebhoy Deed of Settlement Fund, who "have by far been the biggest benefactors of these poor Zoroastrians.”
Tamboly appreciated the following volunteers who assisted with the distribution: Aspi Ambapardiwalla, Cyrus Vandriwalla, Rohinton Contractor, Simin Bharda and Freyaz Shroff. In addition, he listed WZO Trusts’ employees Sarosh Gazdar, Sharmin Tamboly, Sam Dharampuriwalla, Yazdi Randelia and Hoshi Parakh who "pitch in to visit the villages ever so often.”