Deseeya Sevabharathi Keralam is an NGO, committed to catering to the unity, integrity, and self-reliance of the nation. We have been active in all the fields of social development since 1982 with a mission to serve the poor and the marginalised segments of society like tribal and indigenous communities. Veteran social activist Shri Balasaheb Deoras motivated the audience to act for the welfare of the marginalised segments of society in 1978 in a huge gathering of volunteers in Ambedkar stadium at Delhi. He motivated the audience to support the weaker sections of Indian society to up-bring their self-respect. This historical address inspired the formation of Rashtreeya Sevabharathi in 1979, which switched to Deseeya Sevabharathi by 1982. Our parent organisation has a pan-India presence today, with a broad spectrum of community services numbering above 157000 and service organisations in more than 602 districts.
Sevabharathi has been supporting its service user community to better access the government and public sector schemes to meet their unmet needs. Deseeya Sevabharathi Keralam is currently a mother NGO, coordinating the services of more than 1061 sub-organisations in the State. This decentralised approach helps us to reach the needy at the grassroots level promptly and support them effectively. Out of the 1044 local bodies in Kerala, we have active units in 1046 places today and are growing fast. With a present strength of more than 100,000 active trained volunteers and a handful of development projects, we hope to reach all the locations in the state in the near future.
Our mission is motivated by the Vedic preaching, "Shatha Hastha Samaahaara, Sahasra Hasthena Sankira. Krutasya karya asya cheha sfathim samaavah" (Atharva Veda 3.24.6). Our organisational structure includes eminent leaders from all walks of life, think tanks, professionals, and trained, committed volunteers. Together, as change agents, we serve and protect humanity without discrimination based on caste, estate, or class. Quality education for the underprivileged, support for women and the vulnerable segments of society, health promotion interventions, environmental protection programs, up-skilling of the youth, and disaster services are some of our ongoing grassroots interventions.
We initiated a drive to plant one million trees on World Environment Day 2021, inaugurated by His Excellency Arif Muhammed Khan, the Honourable Governor of Kerala, which earned widespread appreciation and participation. The Pettimudi landslide of August 2020 which took 80 precious lives was another situation where our volunteers were widely appreciated for their selfless services despite extreme weather and a highly dangerous disaster scene. Our services ranged from disaster response to the management of PTSD in the affected. We have been among the frontline Covid-19 fighters since its outbreak in 2020. We are at the forefront of the battle, providing help desks, quarantine centers, telemedicine and counselling, supplies to the needy, preventive medicine distribution, vaccination help desk, sanitization of public places, ambulance services, funeral support, and provision for oxygen, ventilators, and oxygen concentrators.