The Veerni Project was started in 1993 by Jacqueline de Chollet Towbin together with Parivar Seva Sansthan, an NGO based in Delhi, in sixteen villages located approximately 30 to 50 kms. from Jodhpur. The project was initially funded by Ms. de Chollet Towbin and since 1994 by the .Global Foundation for Humanity. The main objectives were:

• To provide low cost, high quality preventative and curative health services.

• To generate an awareness about preventive health measures and reproductive health practices.

• The project activities comprised of health care, family welfare education and IEC, community mobilization and social marketing. The health care and family welfare components included the provision of curative services through a mobile team organizing various health camps and other informative and educational activities such as baby shows. The provision of Family Planning services included counseling, IUD insertion and the supply of Family Planning methods through a mobile team and field promoters.

The Project provided treatment for common diseases at subsidized rates and concentrated on providing the following services:

(a) Distribution of delivery kits at a nominal cost. (b) Distribution of sanitary napkins at a subsidized rate. (c) Distribution of ORS packets prepared by the project at a nominal cost. (d) Distribution of plastic sheets for delivery. (e) Distribution of Iron and Folic tablets.

In January,1999, Ms.Jacqueline de Chollet Towbin of the Global Foundation for Humanity called on His Highness The Maharaja Gaj Singh II  and apprised His Highness about the Veerni Project. She explained  she was not happy with the Parivar Seva Sansthan's management and was looking for some local N.G.O. with whom she could establish a working relationship. Thus began the H.H Rajdadiji Badan Kanwar Medical Trust's involvement with the Veerni Project.

An Advisory Council comprising of five members was constituted with The Maharaja the Patron-in-Chief, Ms.Jacqueline de Chollet Towbin and Mrs.Maza Daruwala representing the Global Foundation for Humanity and Brig.Shakti Singh (Retd.) and Dr. R.N. Singh representing the Trust. The fifth member is yet to be appointed.

The Advisory Council lays down the mission statement, evolves policy guidelines, approves project planning, and monitors and inspects project implementation. The project is an autonomous activity of the Trust and the execution of the project is in consonance with the policy guidelines laid down by the Advisory Council.

The main objectives of the project is to initiate and strengthen selected social and economic factors and processes for population stabilization in the rural areas of Jodhpur by promoting reproductive health services, income generating activities and participative processes of the education and mobilization of women; thereby regulating fertility, promoting family planning acceptance and encouraging the use of modern health care facilities included under the reproductive health package.

The Trust, with funding from the Global Foundation for Humanity, aims to achieve its main objective through the following working objectives:

• To make an assessment of the reproductive health (RH) problems and needs of adolescent girls and women belonging to the reproductive age group.

• To analyze the existing socio-economic needs and current levels of health care practices in order to develop an appropriate intervention strategy.

• To provide preventive and curative services and promote reproductive and child health (RCH) services.

• To raise the awareness level through planned information, education and communication (IEC) activities, thereby upgrading the levels of knowledge and skills of the target group.

• Health education and Family Life Education (FLE) for empowerment of adolescent girls and women in the reproductive age group.

• To provide skill up-gradation and empowerment of women through income generating activities.

• To organize self-help groups and promote thrift and credit programs towards sustained economic activities by women.

• To ensure multi-sectoral coordination and strengthen primary health center services available in the area and increase utilization of these services.

• To organize Mahila Mandals or ladies' groups, adolescent girls' groups, and youth groups to participate in the improvement process and help remove social taboos and misconceptions.

         His Highness The Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Patron-in-Chief

         Ms.Jacqueline de Chollet Towbin, USA.

         Ms. Maza Daruwala, India

         Dr. R.N. Singh, Project Manager

         Brig. Shakti Singh (Retd.), Director-cum-Project Coordinator.

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