Announcements

Maybe true travel is not the transportation of the body, but a change of perception, renewing the mind. 

— Ben Okri,  Nigerian Poet and Novelist

Programmes / Campaigns

An overview of the on-going campaigns of SPRAT. Clicking any slide opens up pages on that programme.
AZMAT
Self-help Groups for women to generate cooperative, sustainable, modest livelihood by rendering easily learnable services from their own vicinity.SPRAT offers backward linkages – like basic literacy – and forward linkages including, where possible, interest-free credit for productive assets, managerial, administrative and marketing support.
Credentials
SPRAT has enviable credentials: Registrations: * As public charitable trust and society * IT Sn 80-G and FCRA. Affiliation/Funding: * Credibility Alliance * US Govt * Gujarat Govt * ONGC BSNL * IOC * RGF * Ford Foundation * Give Foundation. Governance/ Patronage: * 2 former PMs * Distinguished...
E-ZINES
Edutaining e-Magazines: Highly excerpted, very brief, credible and authentic news, information and inspiration capsules, written in simple and lucid English, for busy people like you, delivered straight onto your mobile / desktop, on a variety of selected themes. Completely for free!
JAREEDA [Publications]
SPRAT’s publishing division – JAREEDA – prepares, produces and distributes all print and digital output for SPRAT. These include social network platforms, e-Zines, pamphlets, posters, bill-boards, books, DVDs, videos, blogs, websites and portals…
Joyrides
SPRAT's JoyRides – free tours of Gandhi Ashram, a major mall with escalator and elevator, and happening parts of Ahmedabad, with complimentary snacks, for senior citizens who never sat in a car before, in air-conditioned cars. This may be modified for primary school children of city slums.
KHOJ (Research)
Small research projects, primary and/or secondary – either commissioned or undertaken by SPRAT pro bono – bearing synergy with its other services, specially concerning rationality, communal harmony, human rights, and empowerment of the impoverished. SPRAT’s studies of Hindu-Muslim perception in Gujarat, and condition of Imams in Ahmedabad are available.
MAHAAZ
Social activism sometimes draws us out onto the roads in protests, sit-ins, rallies etc – on our own, or in solidarity with other CSOs – on nationally important and urgent causes, to draw policy maker’s attention or to sensitize people. MAHAAZ handles these.
MAJLIS
Organizing life-changing workshops in campuses and corporates on how cosmos works, conducting study visits - such as star-gazing – holding educational exhibitions for schools, running mobile science van for eradicating superstition and educating the poor… MAJLIS is SPRAT’s division for non-formal and continuing education at your door!
MUSKAAN
A multipurpose park to promote adventure, health, harmony, everyday science and culture, built largely using recycled material, at the junction of two communally sensitive localities of Ahmedabad
SAFAR- Audio Recording
Basic Literacy Programme for the completely unlettered, in Gujarati reading and writing, basic mathematics and English alphabet in SPRAT’s 90 minute/day, 4-month long programme. TALEEM has taught over 13,500 out-of-school women and children. Meet some students and teachers.
TALEEM
Basic Literacy Programme for the completely unlettered, in Gujarati reading and writing, basic mathematics and English alphabet in SPRAT’s 90 minute/day, 4-month long programme. TALEEM has taught over 13,500 out-of-school women and children. Meet some students and teachers.
VR1
We Are One - a campaign for promoting harmony across the nation, amongst people of diverse faiths, castes, regions and other divisive lines, endorsed enthusiastically by international cricketers.

Inspiration and Learning

This section is dedicated to knowledge: of nature, our world and it's heroes. It informs, shocks, inspires, and educates.

MYTH-BUSTERS

Stories exposing and demystifying myths, biases, popular misconceptions that damage public education, perception, health and psychology …Read more

STARTLING FACTS

Scientific facts and discoveries that have an element of shock or surprise, facts that defy popular understanding and belief and bust popular myths …Read more

DOING SCIENCE

Learning science the doing way! Short write-ups, videos, models, charts, illustrations, limericks etc focusing everyday phenomenon,focusing hands-on learning, participation, and multi-sensory involvement  …Read more

KUDOS INDIA!

Stories of India’s/Indian’s achievements as a nation / society, where Indians may derive justifiable pride and become an example for other nations. This is opposite of Act, India!…Read more

ACT INDIA

Stories of India’s/Indian’s failure as a nation / society where Indians may be called upon to introspect and take corrective action. This is Opposite of Kudos, India…Read more

INSPIRING INDIANS

Profiling Indians of modest background whose achievements inspire and set an example. Unsung heroes, unusually empowered people who fought odds to reach heights…Read more

GOOD SAMARITANS

Ordinary, everyday Indians whose acts of sheer goodness driven by honesty, chivalry, selflessness, may motivate us. Unsung heroes whose actions – regular or sporadic – spread goodness, harmony and peace in the society…Read more

INDIAN RATIONALISTS

Stories profiling Indian Rationalists aimed at promoting rationality, anti-superstition and scientific approach and introducing and celebrating the heroism of acclaimed Indian rationalists – thereby helping suppress religious hatred, myth, superstition etc…Read more

USEFUL URLs

A sorted collection of credible URLs on Rationality, popular science, Communal / inter-faith harmony and for empowerment of the impoverished…Read  more

NUMBER-SPEAK

Tables, Charts and Graphs that startle, inform and educate. Data from all over the world, showing human achievements and failures…Read more

GUEST-SPEAK

Writings and blogs of distinguished writers and thinkers brought to you by SPRAT with their permission…Read more

YOU-SPEAK

Here are your ideas on how to serve our nation, influence our society and generally remedy what ails around us. This is SPRAT’s platform for its readers …Read more

JO-SPEAK

Writings and blogs of SPRAT’s President, Mr Hasan Jowher, a former banker turned management consultant, and now a full time social activist  …Read more

Causes Deserving of Your Support

Do your bit.

DONATE TODAY!

Events and Projects

A brief introduction to some of the major projects and events executed by SPRAT over the years.
Relief And Rehabilitation
To the victims of the gruesome riots of 2002, SPRAT reached out with urgent relief and rehabilitation mobilized from across India: medicines for hospitals, clothes for the victims, office stationery for camp organizes, huts and cements for those whose houses were burnt or damaged... and so on.
Satya Satyagrah
The public sit-in of the President, Mr. Hasan Jowher, for 12 days, without solid foods in the quest of intern-faith harmony, until 5000 written declarations of solidarity were received from both, Hindus and Muslims. Click the above image for more photos and the Declaration
Sah Nirman Rally
A mega rally – almost a kilometre long - attended by nearly three thousand victims of riots, and those in solidarity with them, patronized by over a hundred NGO's, to seek justice and fair compensation for loss of life, limbs and livelihoods for victims, and for promoting communal harmony.
Tripartite Convention
A powerful, day-long, tightly-packed, widely-represented 3-party interface, presided by CM’s Security Advisor, KPS Gill, and chaired by SPRAT’s Governing Chair, Dr Y K Alagh, sought, and achieved to a large extent, coordination between Riot Relief Camp organizers, NGOs and Govt Agencies.
Anjolie Painting Competition
Painting competitions held annually for school children of various grades, in honour of the famous painter and a great benefactor of SPRAT, Ms Anjolie Ela Menon. The themes inspired young painters to think and paint in harmony with their surroundings, using both their observation and imagination.
Inter- School Competition
For several years SPRAT organized in its MUSKAAN Park ’s MARKAZ Auditorium, competitions for students of primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, on science, harmony, painting and cultural events. Students of nearly 200 schools competed, for prizes for themselves and for their schools.
India NGO Awards
Resource Alliance – Nand Jeet & Khemka Foundation adjudged SPRAT as the best small-size NGO of Western India and one of 13 best NGOs nation-wide, for professional management, local resource mobilization and program effectiveness. The award was presented by M/s P Chidambaram and Narayan Murthy.
CARAVAN ME Centers
Launched in the backdrop of Gujarat’s heinous communal riots, these multipurpose empowerment centres promoted understanding and harmony even while helping empower about 1.5 lakh youth in six cities.
Muslim Manifesto
A Draft Charter to present both, the demands and wish list of Indian Muslims from the Indian state, Hindu majority, and from Muslim leadership. It would also acknowledge assurances and obligations of the community to the stake holders.

Tarkik Sadan

Welcome to the Abode of Reason! Being built to offer a PG Academy, Digital outreach, Science promotion, Rural support and other services, 39 KMs from Ahmedabad
AAINA
Mirroring the reality of life, these imaginative stickers, posters, bill-boards, banners and hoardings inform, provoke and inspire rethink and action. Decorated with a large image and a few words – customized for campuses and corporates – these are available in diverse materials, sizes and languages
Academy Hostel
The functional and elegant Hostel for the proposed CARAVAN ACADEMY – designed by Ar Yatin Pandya - not just for comfort and facilitation, but also to stimulate and foster intellectual curiosity, respect individuality even while encouraging community living, and optimally harness natural resources
Amphitheatre
A multipurpose open-air theatre offering generous, natural space for CARAVAN Academy students and Tarkik Sadan’s staff for guest lectures and debates, making videos and for relaxed studies. Periodically it will hold public lectures, social theatre, and screen edutaining films for rural neighbourhood.
CARAVAN ACADEMY
Housed in the Tarkik Sadan, this futuristic, residential PG School of Excellence, will sprout rationality, foster intellectual curiosity and unquenchable learning and demand community service. It shall produce brilliant, humane and passionate public administrators, lobbyists and advocacy experts.
E-ZINES
Edutaining e-Magazines: Highly excerpted, very brief, credible and authentic news, information and inspiration capsules, written in simple and lucid English, for busy people like you, delivered straight onto your mobile / desktop, on a variety of selected themes. Completely for free!
IDARA (Basic Skill Training Centre)
While the Academy caters to brilliant youth of Gujarat, for the less educated youth of the neighbouring villages, this innovative basic skill training centre will provide a sorely missing facility, with forward linkages for sustainable livelihood and rational literacy.
Incubator
To spark indigenous innovation and foster creativity, SPRAT will provide hospitality and material and intellectual support to anyone – including the non-degree holders – with feasible ideas, to create gadgets and processes that minimize pain of the poor, and optimize effectiveness in everyday living
Rural Services Centre
Not only will SPRAT’s outreach personnel but, later, the students of CARAVAN ACADEMY, will serve the rural population around Tarkik Sadan. Starting with basic literacy nearby, the service will cover all villages within a radius of 10 KMs and include sanitation, busting superstition, and livelihood.
Science Lab
Engaging students and professionals from nearby cities, the Lab will explain everyday scientific principles governing the cosmos, by physically handling imaginatively designed models. This lab will popularize science and also supplement high school science labs.

AAINA Messages for Change

If a picture is worth more than a thousand words these social message posters, banners and stickers should excite you: from corporates to campuses, in buses and trains to waiting rooms.

CORPORATE

Messages for social change specially customized for customer’s lobbies, executive chambers, staff area, officers’ mess, recreation areas, factories and service stations.

CAMPUSES

Posters and placards designed to suit the needs of junior and senior students of college and university campuses. Promoters of products youth consume find this an ideal medium to sponsor

SIGN BOARDS

Large hoardings with crisp social message and eye-catching graphic – sponsored by you would stand your brand out from the run-of-the-mill advertisements.

FIXED POSTERS

Placards displayed in waiting rooms, lobbies, parlours, clinics, inside trains or buses… with a guaranteed viewing time, are certain to promote your brand even while earning you respect

MOVING

Posters and stickers on auto-rickshaws, bikes, buses and cars – or special advertisement rickshaws run by the handicapped – catch the attention of many without tax hassles.

Videos That Inspire

Moving pictures communicate far better. The videos below - both promotional and inspirational - have stories to tell. Please help us to expand their scope.
SPRAT’s Intro Video
These amateurish Videos – made at different times by our Interns – tell you what SPRAT did and intended to do. They capture the angst of the period. Over time, they will hopefully offer useful footage to develop an appropriate documentary, as a credible chronicler of our time in...
SAMVAD [GUFTAGU]
With a few pilot videos, SPRAT launches this series of dialogues with thinkers and other achievers that have influenced our life in at least our region and our times. These videos will not only inform and inspire the youth but will also salute our heroes, some unsung others celebrated....
KHITAB-E-NAU
These videos, also hosted on YouTube, each of about 15-20 minutes, cover about 10-15 pages each, of the Urdu book, Khitab-e-Nau, written for Muslim introspection and reform, by SPRAT’s President Mr Hasan Jowher. Its printed version in Urdu, Hindi and Gujarati scripts is available on scribd.com.
Doing Science
Engaging students and professionals from nearby cities, the Lab will explain everyday scientific principles governing the cosmos, by physically handling imaginatively designed models. This lab will popularize science and also supplement high school science labs.
Student Journalists
Shoot with the smartphone things and actions in the college, bazars, offices, on the roads….that the journalist inside you wants to report. We’ll buy short videos for a token price and promote them, with your credits - or anonymously if you wish.

Fraternity

These are entities and people that helped SPRAT, or those that work with it, to serve you. Our Salaams to them!
Assisted NGOs
To very small NGOs and social servants, we extend a Helping Hand, usually with managerial or technical support. Our Safar programme invites retired professionals to render voluntary service at our expense.
Donors of Goods
Fresh or used computers and peripherals, books, DVDs, vehicles, furniture, construction material ranging from steel to cement, electrical and plumbing material… Check the range.
Endowments
Large donations received in the honour of a dear one - or to commemorate a special occasion - provide financial stability while their accretion / interest funds running expenses
Money Donors
Program grants by NGOs and Corporates, CSR Funding, donations by good Samaritans, payroll and Zakawt givers constitute the most common source of NGO funding. Meet some Donors.
Partners in Cause
SPRAT has been partnered / patronized by dedicated NGOs like MKSS, SEWA, Darpana Academy, AMWA… in the pursuit of shared causes. Meet some here.
Patronage
SPRAT’s patrons includes individuals like Dr IG Patel, Mr L K Advani, organizations like AUDA, ONGC, BSNL, Ford Foundation; US Govt and software giants like Microsoft and Google. And how?
Software Support Received
SPRAT can’t thank Microsoft, AutoDESK, Google… enough, as it can’t many small software vendors that gifted their valuable software in the social cause. Please say, Hello!
Useful NGO Resources
Contained here are listings of NGOs that matter. Your easy path to some very fine non-profits and resources for non-profits.

Thoughts For The Day

The Power of the Ideas is enormous. Ponder these words of wisdom; some have the potential to change your life for even better.

Maybe true travel is not the transportation of the body, but a change of perception, renewing the mind. 

— Ben Okri,  Nigerian Poet and Novelist

RATIONALITY QUOTES

Where there is love there is life.

GANDHI SPEAK

No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its sustenance or promotion.

— A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Former Indian President

VOX POPULI

If you are reading this you can’t possibly complain: mobile phone, internet, English, time to read, friends…Count blessings!

JO-THINK

People

Humans of SPRAT are heroes of our times. Meet our Trustees, Governors, Advisers, Professionals, Interns, Volunteers...
Governance
SPRAT is led by a Board of Trustees and supervised by a Board of Governors. Various Advisory boards and councils exercise oversight on its centres, thus ensuring transparency and democratic management. Meet SPRAT’s leaders here.
Internship
SPRAT’s Interns constitute its most important human resource. Interns – mandatory or voluntary – may reside in our hostels, live on their own but work at SPRAT, or work from home/campus through the cloud. Learning and productivity are both factored. As are satisfaction and fun. Join the gang!
Volunteers
Students, Home-makers and Professionals can all volunteer for SPRAT – working at SPRAT, or from their own place, on regular programmes or specific projects, on daily, weekly, fortnightly or ad-hoc basis, in areas ranging from physical work to intellectual and technical work. Join the band!
Campus Ambassador
Leadership development, team work, great practical learning, critically important social service…all rolled into one! If you are likely to be on the campus for at least one year, come, join the league!
Corporate Ambassadors
Got a degree, a job, a house, a car… but when will you REPAY to the society, Mr Manager? Represent us at your HQ - and in the fraternity – as our partner in critically important social services, in the fields suited to you.
Professionals
SPRAT’s stability is ensured by its professionals: trained, dedicated and disciplined. Most come for the joy of social service and for learning. Meet some here {link} and join the Force. SPRAT also invites corporates to loan an officer as their CSR-HR initiative.
Members
Members are what the corporates call Shareholders. Your solidarity and support sustain us. Come, partner in a cause - as a Virtual, Associate or Ordinary member; as an individual or as an institution, and perhaps by setting up an Endowment or becoming a Patron Member.

SPRAT's Impact

Yes, we have miles to go, and volumes to learn. But sometimes it pays to recall that we made a difference, howsoever small!
Satya Satyagrah
The public sit-in of the President, Mr. Hasan Jowher, for 12 days, without solid foods in the quest of intern-faith harmony, until 5000 written declarations of solidarity were received from both, Hindus and Muslims. Click the above image for more photos and the Declaration
Tripartite Convention
A powerful, day-long, tightly-packed, widely-represented 3-party interface, presided by CM’s Security Advisor, KPS Gill, and chaired by SPRAT’s Governing Chair, Dr Y K Alagh, sought, and achieved to a large extent, coordination between Riot Relief Camp organizers, NGOs and Govt Agencies.
CARAVAN ME Centers
Launched in the backdrop of Gujarat’s heinous communal riots, these multipurpose empowerment centres promoted understanding and harmony even while helping empower about 1.5 lakh youth in six cities.
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