A

Case Analysis of

Nandgopal Charitable Trust

Submitted by
Vanila Mehta (p40049)
Bhavya Desai (p40012)
Nivedita Naik (p40028)
Suman (p40043)
Yogesh Prasher (p40055)
Sudipto Raj (p40042)

To

Dr. S. N. Biswas
Professor
Individual and Group Behavior

Institute of Rural Management Anand

 A CASE ANALYSIS OF NANDGOPAL CHARITABLE TRUST
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Nandgopal charitable trust (NCT) has been working in south Gujarat for nearly 2 decades on
various issues related to development such as ‘Mother-Child’ Programme, formation of self-help
group of women and Mahila Mandals. Two years back it received a project from National AIDS
Control Organization (NACO) to work on AIDS/HIV control and related issues.Mr. Dinshaw
Shah, who had taken charge of the organization five years back as chief executive of NCT had to
think of future course of action to reduce the risk of further spread of HIV/AIDS It was observed
that the people of other states living in slums and truck drivers are at a high risk of contracting
HIV, AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) due to their indulgence in unprotected sex
with commercial sex workers.
Some of the objectives of the project are: 1) identifying the groups which are at high risk, chiefly
commercial sex trade workers, truck drivers and migrant workers. 2) Promoting safe sex methods.
3) Train primary Health Care providers and counselors in condom use. 3) Conducting awareness
programme geared towards youth and college students. 4) Providing voluntary testing and
counseling. A team was formed to manage the project which included five experts to overcome
the problem and various steps were taken such as promotion and marketing of condoms by
installing the vending machines at strategic locations and also female condoms were introduced.
The organization also launched some awareness building programme among the high risk behavior
group to use safe sex methods. Even after all these interventions, the sales figures of condom were
not encouraging.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Steps to be taken to promote the use of condoms amongst the high risk behavior group (truckers,
migrant workers and sex workers) in Surat city to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and STIs
amongst them.
CRITERIA
1) Safety of sex workers.
2) Reduce the stigma and taboo related to condom use.

ALTERNATIVES
1) Since more than 50 % of the adult male population of the slums engage in commercial sex,
a pressure situation needs to be created for them to indulge in safe sex since they are less
likely to know about the risks associated with unprotected sex. This can be done by having
different rates for unprotected and protected sex. High rates can be charged for unprotected
sex and low/existing rates for protected sex. As these customers belong to low income
groups, they may not be able to afford the unprotected sex and hence will be forced to
choose the latter option. To promote this habit, uniform rates need to be charged by the sex
 workers and it is only possible if they are organized. Hence, the volunteers of NCT should
form small self-help groups amongst the sex workers (in which this organization has a prior
experience) and help them carry out their business as a group/union.

2) Some of the customers have cited reasons like lessening of pleasure for non-usage of
condoms. The alternative for this problem could be the introduction of thinner variant of
the existing condom instead of spending money on flavored condoms which have no
significant use whatsoever. The hoardings and posters which are used at strategic positions
are conveying the message of “safe- sex” which may uninteresting to the reader and hence
can be replaced with posters and hoardings signifying how using the new range of “Thin
Condoms” will give advantages of safe sex with the pleasure of unsafe sex.

3) One of the major reasons cited by sex-workers for not carrying condoms with them is that
if caught they are harassed and exploited by the policemen. To reduce this problem, as
stated in Alternative 1, the sex workers can form a group and pool a very small part of their
monthly income to create a fund to be given to policemen as bribe. At the same time the
practice of keeping a large number of condoms with them at a time should be discouraged.
The sex workers can keep the condoms in a very small number with them or try to conceal
it through sleek packaging.

4) To lessen the stigma associated with buying condoms publicly or carrying them, the
condoms should be sold in the vending machines which will have other commodities like
chips, beverages, etc. Also all of this should come out covered in the same kind of outer
packaging like a brown paper bag so that it can’t be distinguished separately.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We select the alternative wherein the condoms will be sold in the vending machine in which
products other than condoms (i.e chips, softdrinks, cookies etc) will be sold in a concealed
packaging in order to reduce the stigma related to buying condoms. To reduce the false perception
of condoms reducing the pleasure, a condom range of “Thin” variant will also be introduced and
its advantage will be promoted.

CONTINGENCY PLAN

If the sales and use of condoms are not increased by this measures we will continue with the current
efforts of spreading awareness and sensitization towards usage of condoms and at the same time
enhance the efforts to organize the sex-workers and promote the idea of differential pricing.