Contact Person: Fulvio Bonfiglietti; Telephone Number: +39 3391010833; E-mail: info@malartrust.org;
Website: www.malartrust.org
We were contacted by Fulvio Bonfiglietti, founder and head of the association Malar Trust Onlus.
Malar Trust was officially established in September 2006 as a result of the Tsunami that struck India, the country where the association usually operates, in December 2004. The headquarters is in Demonte, in the province of Cuneo.
Fulvio told us that the birth of the association took place after years of volunteer activities, many trips to India and a slow and personal growth: But it was an encounter with some Indian friends to give shape to a project in which the completion of the school education can be a way of escape from poverty.
Malar Trust Onlus is working in rural villages not far from Mamallapuram in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, 60 km south of Chennai.
Malar means flower in Tamil language.
The goal of the association is to raise funds to support the projects managed by the local mate, Malar Trust India.
The projects carried out in recent years, all in the surrounding area of Mamallapuram, were as follows:
– Educational assistance to approximately 300 children in the area, especially tribals (Irula) and Dalits, through the opening and management of 3 nurseries and 8 after-school activities;
– Support for high school and college for about 100 students through scholarships;
– Health care is free for all its students;
– Direct support to families in difficult circumstances;
– Appropriation of funds for micro-credit, in order to allow the start of small business among the poor population.
Xlestrade asked what are the plans for the future that Malar Trust Onlus would like to support.
Fulvio told us that the next project will be the start of foster homes, both for males and females, able to host and send to school orphans or children whose parents are forced to live long periods outside the area to find work.
In Italy a few fundraising initiatives have been made up to now, relying primarily on private funding.
We asked for some information for those interested in supporting the association. We have been told that there are currently only 3 people involved as volunteers and the possible approach may be done through financial support and through the willingness to do an on-site long-term experience in order to follow the evolution of the projects financed.
We finally asked to leave a message.
The message is a phrase of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “What we are doing is just a drop in the ocean but if it were not for that drop, the ocean would lack”.
Fulvio Thank you for contacting us. We will follow and support you gladly by the path of Malar Trust Onlus! Xlestrade picks up a flower today, which has been put into our backpack!
