Shanti Hastkala   functions to empathically understand the local community's perspective on their current needs; and in that context to help it achieve better income, a sense of financial security through development of occupational skills, and assistance in developing business acumen and sales promotion; towards

• Creating for the village folk newer opportunities for gainful work in their home environment instead of going out to big towns in search of employment.
• Empowering women: 90 percent of the work under Shanti Hastkala auspices is done by the womenfolk, who are in a real sense endeavoring to improve the health and socio-economic condition of their families.
• Enhancing environment consciousness by using recycled or sustainably harvested raw material, providing opportunity to work in their natural contexts, and creating incentives to protect their natural surroundings.

Community organization, socio-cultural and character building ghars

• Creating awareness against certain evils, such as social discrimination (like unsociability), occupational exploitation, habitual drunkenness and indebtedness, dowry and child- marriage, superstition, etc.
• Conducting character and values- building exercises that generate cultural organizing celebrations on festival days of significance to the villagers .
• Through community effort, motivating villagers to build healthy and hygienic infrastructure for wells, ponds, panchayat, etc.

Education

• Classes for adolescent males and females (3 Rs) leading to elementary written and/ or spoken Gujarati and Hindi, elementary arithmetic, as well as elementary book- keeping.
• Computer literacy for the language literates-enough to do simple word-processing, or to seek work in e- chaupals, etc. For all ages, males and females.
• Income Generation
• Vocational training in handicrafts, tailoring, plumbing, electrical wireman, nursing, etc. depending on the age, preparedness and attitude of males and females of different age-groups.
• Occupational counseling: Help and advise those trained to set up their own income-generation activities- jointly or individually; or in suitable job placements, whatever seems more possible. Assisting them to link with institutions that can help in their projects; governmental, banks, etc.
• Help and consultancy in existing occupational areas, including agriculture, with a view to improving quality, productivity and marketability of their outputs.
• Marketing support for handicrafts and other produce – during training or otherwise, thereby strengthening or opening up opportunities for income generating mini-projects.

Credit

• Helping women form self- help groups to encourage small savings; and using them (a) to reduce existing indebtedness by extending loans to pay-off high interest money – lender loans, (b) to obviate indebtedness by helping members and others plan for high expense events such as marriages, and (c) to promote collective income – generating projects around local produce/ skills.

Health and Environment

• Creating overarching awareness on health, hygiene and ecological issues, including use plastics; either on a stand- alone basis, or as part of other SHK initiatives.
• Providing preventive counseling and help for better health –particularly to mothers and children; including immunization.
• Providing curative health services through SM's mobile dispensary and/ or otherwise.
• Providing know –how and experimental exposures in areas like organic farming towards soil preservation, healthier foods, and sustainable cultivation.
• Organizing sport and yoga groups.

EDUCATION FIELD (Long Term Aims)

• Classes for adolescent males
• Further strengthen the age-old Indian system of Parents supporting Education of children to the highest level.
• Start Schools & colleges covering a wide range from Basic education to Management level-To suit changing times.
• Enlighten students about Importance of Spiritual discipline & practices to succeed in Life & as a result turn out students better suited to withstand changing times of high stress & become leaders in their own field.
• Anticipating shortage of skilled & Managerial level manpower – Plan for Innovative system to promote free Higher level (Post graduate) education through tie-ups with Corporates for a mutually beneficial arrangement.