Over the last decade, Tara Trust, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at the upliftment of
the marginalised in Goa, has been making its presence felt through its work
with children, women, and other vulnerable groups. At the helm of affairs is Dr
Katharina Poggendorf-Kakar, academic, writer, social worker and artist, who
founded the Tara Trust in 2008, and has led it on its mission of goodwill ever
since.
The over-riding aim of the organisation is to empower, educate,
and enable marginalized groups to improve their lives through art. The primary
focus of Tara Trust is towards the upliftment of children – to encourage
children not just to stay in school, but to understand and learn to appreciate
the importance of education, to develop self-confidence enough to pursue higher
education, as well as a sense of self-determination, motivating them to create
a better life for themselves. The children the organisation works to help come
from marginalized communities, conflicted households, economically low backgrounds,
or are orphaned or abandoned – the children most in need of help.
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Having made Goa her home since the year
2001, Katharina became motivated to give back to the community in some way –
this culminated in the establishment of Tara Trust. “When I decided to start
Tara Trust, the motive was, and is, to give back to those less privileged.
India has given me so much and I truly believe, if we all stretch ourselves and
do something for others less fortunate, the world will be a better place,” says
Katharina. With the founding of the organisation, she has since worked
relentlessly to promote the education and well-being of children in Goa.
The focus of Tara Trust is on using
engagement with art to encourage children to motivate their own personal
growth; this approach is driven by the belief that traditional education alone
is not enough – honing the creative self is an integral part of the path to
self-development. “I believe in the power of art: it can transform people and
build self-esteem. So utilizing art as a tool to reach out to children is my
way of giving back – and giving joy,” says Katharina, who as an artist herself,
has direct experience with the power of art. “We conduct extensive art based
and creative workshops, along with numerous intercultural programs and
activities, which support each child’s discovery of their own abilities,
ultimately enabling them to reach full potential,” adds the organisation.
With a strongly women-centric team at her side, including Nancy
Mascarenhas, accounts and administration manager, and workshop facilitators
Geeta Jamuni and Priscilla D’Silva, Katharina, as founder and director of Tara
Trust, has been working hard to build its outreach, and has seen it grow in
leaps and bounds over the last ten years.
The organisation, in tandem with schools and institutions across
Goa, conducts creative workshops on a weekly basis, to teach children
life-skills for self-development, to help them improve their English Language
skills by creating an interest in reading and writing, as well as special
workshops for children with special needs. Additionally, Tara Trust also
organises awareness programs on a monthly basis, on topics of social
importance, including major social and environment issues, gender sensitization
and equality, and the importance of maintaining health and physical well-being.
The workshops provide the children with platforms upon which to
showcase their talent and learn new things. Some of the initiatives that have
lately thrust Tara Trust into the spotlight include the art installation that
was created by the children for the first edition of the Serendipity Arts
Festival back in 2016, and the Elephant Awareness Camp held in association with
Faber-Castell India, “a summer camp with a difference”, earlier this year.
Tara Trust has over the years extended its activities, with
programs such as the Empowerment through Art Program, that connects the
children of Goa to the rest of the country, through exchange programs that let
them to travel to various cities, living and learning with other children, in
order to become sensitized about the world outside theirs; and the women’s
livelihood program which seeks to empower women and help them towards financial
security. While the majority of their work is concentrated in Goa, Tara Trust
works alongside NGO’s and institutions in other parts of India, providing
support, fundraising and assistance.
Even with the expansion of the organisation, Katharina continues
to play a major, central role in the day-to-day activities of the Trust,
keeping in close contact with the children whom she sought to help in the first
place. “Our team, with Nancy, Priscilla and Geeta, as well as with temporary
volunteers, works with great enthusiasm, independence and commitment. My role
is to supervise, help to develop projects, discuss the needful with the team,
and fundraise. However, at times, I carry out the workshops with the team as
well, as I have recently on the Serendipity project and the elephant project,”
adds Katharina. While the members of staff working for the organisation do
receive a salary, Katharina works without one, in keeping with the
philanthropic spirit with which she launched the endeavour. And as further
testimony to the efficient and effective working of the organisation, it was certified
by Credibility Alliance for transparency and good governance in 2015.
Above
everything else, Tara Trust strives to build enduring, long-term relationships,
both with the institutions it works with, and more importantly, with the
children – the reach of Tara Trust stretches from the pre-primary level,
through their work with local Anganwadis, right through to high school,
engaging with children throughout the year. Under the guidance of Katharina,
the strongly-motivated leader striving to “make the world a better place”, Tara
Trust will continue to do good works for the children and people of Goa.
