Actress-turned-social activist Shabana Azmi said Indians, especially the corporate sector, should come forward to fund projects to abolish social ills so that dependence on foreign grants was reduced.

"The spirit of philantrophy in the West where they reach out to needy people with either financial help or social network needs to be emulated by Indians on a large scale", Azmi said at the launch of Yeh Dosti Zindagi Bhar Ki, an initiative of SOS Children's Villages of India to build up a network of friends for the children it looks after.

Azmi was today named as the first official Goodwill Ambassador and Volunteer of SOS Children's Villages of India, which is celebrating its 40th foundation year.

She said citizen should take initiative in helping institutes which were working to redress the social concerns instead of leaving it to the government.

"India has a large fund of resources which should be utilised properly," Azmi said adding the corporate sector should do its bit.

The multi-faceted Azmi, who was also a Member of Parliament, said her new "role" would not be any different from her present work of rehabilitation of slum dwellers in Mumbai.

"My role as an SOS volunteer would only be a continuation of the work that I am already doing. Being a part of SOS family's netork would facilitate in reaching out to a large number of people," Azmi said.