Vatavaran is a small (strictly) not-for-profit organization that has decided that it simply must be hands on about the betterment of the world around us.
We’re not sitting here for one issue or the other, but for fighting things that bother us in our everyday lives. Mostly, however, we work to reduce, remove and recycle waste. We also work with urban villages, employment issues, welfare of animals and people, and plant trees wherever we go.
Basically - we’re determined to make a difference.
Here are a few things that will give you an idea of who we are and what we do:
1. Vatavaran was founded in 1994 by Dr. Iqbal Malik.
2. We work with sensitivity, passion, commitment and use a multi-pronged, down to earth approach to stop exploitation of natural resources, excessive waste generation, disposable culture and to resolve problems like disorderliness, congestion, noise pollution, solid waste and sewage mismanagement, barren and desolate lands, water woes, unkempt historic structures and upkeep of the stray dogs in the areas we work in.
3. We are strictly not for profit
4. We believe in decentralization. We create models for people to replicate and spread the word with. This could relate to something as big as working with a whole urban village or teaching you how to make a vermin-pit. We promote self-sustenance.
5. We believe in fair trade. Everything we do is geared towards generating more for people (in terms of amenities, employment), and more for the environment (more trees, less waste).
6. Vatavaran works with individuals, communities, organizations, families, kids, teachers, fortunate, less fortunate, educated, not-so-educated, and anyone who wants to get their hands dirty!
7. We train, we teach, we maintain, we check up, and we also leave you to your devices when we know you’re good to go!
To put it simply, we want to live in an ideal world, where we give back what we consume from nature, where we don’t interfere in the natural workings of the environment, where we respect our ‘vatavaran’ and live in it, as a part of it, not trying to conquer and alter it all the time!
However, we understand that life is unbearable for us without luxuries that we take for granted – like technology, like fancy packaging, like disposable cutlery, like hot water. So we choose to accept this but figure out how best to use these with minimal damage to the environment.
We are a part of this eco system, and we work to preserve everything about it:
Plants, trees, forests
Animals, insects and people
Water, soil and air
We try and understand what is it that is obstructing the natural flow of events and try and innovate solutions. We help to minimize wastage and re-use the waste as best as possible.
If there’s something you want to know about us and can’t find on the website, email us and we’ll try and get the information to you!
Sit tight! We're putting it all together!
PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE BRAINS –
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Dr. Ms. Iqbal Malik, Founder & Executive Director Dr. Iqbal Malik, an action woman with a multi-faceted personality, flamboyant appearance and a mission to reach out to people, works for a fair, equal, environmentally conscious, self-sustaining society. She has 35 reports, many book chapters and over 300 popular articles in Indian and international Newsprint to her credit Her concerns are vast. Poor garbage management and the increasing use of plastics upsets her. So does noise and vehicular pollution or carelessly discarded hospital syringes and bandages which return to medical system in fresh packages, or Indian blood banks selling infected blood. Malik is a phenomenon because she is a doer. Though she has given over 200 talks on radio, television, universities, schools, communities, clubs, and corporate houses, Iqbal is a shy, hard working, warm, compassionate, well-traveled, innovative person determined to lead a model life. She is the first woman primatologist in India who chose the wild monkeys as her subject for her doctorate. When the whole country was talking about langurs as the answer to monkey problems, she, as member Wildlife Board of India, was the lone voice who said the langur experiment was another of the government's many mistakes. She has spent 30 years studying and rehabilitating monkeys. She has the privilege of being the founder member of CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals), CZA (Central Zoo Authority) and Vatavaran NGO. She is famous in India. Apart from being written about, tens of thousands viewers have seen her talking of her concerns on TV. |
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Dr. Shamsher Singh Babra, Advisor Director Dr. Shamsher Singh Babra is an eminent Economist. He was with the World Bank where he served in an eminent position for 26 years. He has also been Economic Advisor to Governments of various countries. He has authored several books including "Unblossomed Bud". Caring deeply for the environment, he is disturbed by the plundering of natural resources and the increased use of chemicals in our food chain. |
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Ms. Seema Arora, Advisor Director Seema Arora has been with the Clinton Foundation Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for five years, working across a number of program areas including increasing access to HIV/AIDS medicines and emergency foods for malnourished children across Asia and Africa. Currently, she is a Partner Relationship Manager at CHAI, interacting with major donors and supporting CHAI’s fundraising efforts. Prior to CHAI, Seema worked for L.E.K. Consulting, a London-based management consulting firm, where she consulted on projects ranging from biotechnology to publishing. She also interned with the United Nations Development Program in South Africa and focused on HIV/AIDS programming. Seema is a graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard University, where she received a master’s degree in international development. She currently resides in New York City. |
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Mr. Kamlesh Kumar, Advisor: Greening Mr. Kumar is the more generous person one could meet – both with his patience and his expertise. He is of course known for his green thumbs and his ability to turn anything barren into lush green space. He helps us with our composting, with daily care of plants, healthy saplings, and everything green and organic. |
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Mr. Gautam Grover, Advisor: Canine Expertise Mr. Grover is a well-known canine expert and has worked relentlessly for the safety and well being of little puppies and big brutes. He has also written a book chapter on First Aid measures for canines. His knowledge and passion are of course, inspiring, but what really means the most to us is his willingness to spare his time and other resources. |
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Mr. DevKabir Malik, Advisor:Design and Communication Dev is the man behind this beautiful website. He’s got a special talent for communicating messages to the masses via visual media and he lends us his brains almost on a daily basis. He’s behind a lot of the ideas that we execute, and not just visually. |
THE HAPPY MINIONS
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NIVIDA CHANDRA, Managing Director director@vatavaran.org All you need to know about her is that if you want to join / collaborate with Vatavaran in any way, she’s the one you need to get in touch with. She’s open to all ideas; her only criterion is that they should be good ideas. |
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ARUSHI GUPTA, Volunteer – I'd always wanted to do my bit for the environment but never really knew how to go about it. Fortunately for me, Vatavaran came along and suddenly I didn't feel so helpless anymore. Not only has my volunteering with Vatavaran made me more passionate towards the cause, it has also made me grow as a person. It has broadened my extremely narrow concept of what volunteering really means and the kind of accomplishment and happiness that comes with it. It has been more than just a leaning experience. I feel that my stint with Vatavaran is going to always help me in life, personally and professionally. I can go to the extent of saying that I believe that was indeed the kind of opportunity that I'd been waiting for for all these years! |
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EASHA GUHA,Volunteer – Well, I was always fascinated by social service and by the people who worked for such organizations. It was more about the zeal with which they worked rather than their cause that impressed me. So, here I was - a highly impressed and inspired person, trying to decide what I wanted to do with this motivation. So I stumbled upon this beautiful organization called vatavaran. The minute I entered Nivida’s office I knew that I would be privileged to be a part of this group. It not only supports an important cause, it makes sure that steps are taken for that caused to be fulfilled. And the best part is: IT DOES NOT WASTE TIME. We go about things in our own way and on our own terms. It’s liberating and fulfilling! |
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NISHTHA MOHIL, Volunteer – I have always believed the old saying that we have only borrowed Earth from future generations. I feel that to bring about changes that we think are right, no effort is too small. I truly feel that Vatavaran is an organization that genuinely wants to bring about a change in the society, and has helped me in doing so. As a volunteer, Vatavaran has taught me things that even I didn’t know about myself. It feels great to be a part of an organization that does not only believe in teamwork but gives me complete freedom to make my own decisions. And the best part is, it never feels like work! |
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SONIA PATEL, Volunteer – From a very young age, I have been interested in the environment. So when I had to choose an NGO to work with in college, Vatavaran was my first and only choice. From day one I knew this was the organization for me. Its tagline “BEAPART” is very apt. It is different from any other organization of its kind because here you are free to give all your creative ideas to help protect the environment and have them be heard. You are given responsibility of a job of your choice and are allowed to complete it in the manner YOU feel best (with the support of all your co-volunteers), and best of all you feel like you really are making a difference in the world. It’s flexibility makes you feel like anything is possible. Instead of following instructions you get the chance to decide the course of the organization’s future! Being in Vatavaran is so much fun that I have never once felt like it was work, from making vermipits to learning about saplings to strategizing about solid waste management policies – every meeting is eagerly awaited! |
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VARSHA BENNUR, Volunteer – I am currently pursuing B.com (hons.) in Jesus and Mary College. My aspiration in life is to become a good leader and want to become a successful financial executive. The idea of social work never fascinated me: EVER. But, slowly I realized that a small commitment from me could make a lot of difference to the society. Since then, I started believing in taking action rather than undermining the value of a single person’s initiative. I became a part of the NSS wing of my college, and then I got myself placed in Vatavaran, since I had a particular inclination towards environment. I learnt the essence of teamwork, and more importantly the importance of leadership, while volunteering at Vatavaran. I started off working in Vatavaran with a short but consistent goal in my mind but slowly Vatavaran has become a beautiful part of my life and the best part of it is that I feel like “BEINGAPART”. |
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