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NGOs

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Explore the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with international recognition that are committed to bringing about a change in the world one life at a time, where you can contribute or work too.

As human beings whose various needs are fulfilled through societal resources, responsibility lies on our shoulders to give back to that very society. It can be done in the form of repaying the underprivileged strata which cannot avail the resources that we easily can. A few weeks or months of our lives can bring about a paradigm shift in a person’s life for which they will be grateful forever. Plus, acknowledging and contributing to a noble cause looks good on one’s Resume/CV. Here are some NGOs that are committed to improving the lives of destitute children, women, and elderly.

Smile Foundation:

Founded by young corporate professionals in 2002, Smile Foundation works at the grassroots level with numerous initiatives in child education, healthcare, and livelihood programmes benefitting 400000 underprivileged children and families each year. For providing free healthcare facilities to rural people, Smile on Wheels was started in 2006 with urban doctors, paramedics, and surgeons contributing in each round of project. A small amount of money donated each month can ensure a child’s proper education.

Goonj:

Goonj is an NGO that started out as a clothes distribution organisation 18 years ago but has won several awards and accolades nationally as well as internationally. It deals in 3000 tons of cloth material and initiates 1500 developmental activities under its ‘Cloth for Work(CFW)’ flagship annually. It has succeeded in producing 4 tons of sanitary napkins out of waste cloth which has reached rural women and girls. Their Green by Goonj project of upcycling waste cloth material and promotion of entrepreneurship by small communities has garnered much appreciation. It has various ways for individuals as well organisations to contribute money to the NGO and volunteering activities youngsters.

HelpAge India:

Established in 1978 by the HelpAge International, it aims to provide an active, healthy and dignified life to the 3 million elderly citizens of the country right now. Their main programs include mobile healthcare, physio care, cataract surgeries, cancer care, health camps, disaster management, old age homes, livelihood support and elder helplines amongst others. The organisation has won many Excellence and Social Impact awards over the years.

Robin Hood Army:

“The challenge is not the lack of food – it is making food consistently available to everyone who needs it.” Reads the first line on the official website of RHA. The Robin Hood Army is a volunteer organisation of students and young professionals that go about taking the leftover food from restaurants around Delhi and distributing it amongst the poor people who usually go to the sleep without a full stomach. The organisation doesn’t require any donations, only a few hours of your day. Thinking of helping in the fight against hunger.

Teach for India:

Teach for India is part of the Teach for All Network, an expanding group of independent organisations working in the field of educational opportunities spread across 40 countries. The organisation selects the brightest and the most promising individuals for their fellowship programs. Applications for this year’s fellowship program are open for those aspiring to bring a change in the society via their teaching.

Feeling motivated? A meager amount of monthly donation won’t hurt your pocket and would help save someone’s life or future.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat 

 

Prachi Mehra

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Stories and tales of ‘how hard work will change one’s future and fate’ seemed not be working for the members of a deaf and mute community in Delhi. Their dedication and willingness to fight the society by earning their own bread was all visible in their beautiful handicrafts, paintings, gift items and other items but the filled cupboards told another story of lost hope. Their hard work and products which were supposed to change their lives couldn’t reach the market.

“It was just another appalling sight of the plight that any college student who takes up a project on social welfare will surely encounter”, says Saurabh Patel one of the co-founders of Lithics.in. “The condition was such that even one of the heads of the NGO, which worked for these communities had to cut down on staff and take up a part time job to generate money for the organisations”, he says as he recalls the past times.

Taking lessons from one of their college projects at Cluster Innovation Centre and doing some further research, these students realised that the situation was not much different for other NGOs in the country. After days of pondering over the problem of market access to these communities, they came up with an idea of a creating a social enterprise that could help these marginalised communities sell their products at a full price to its customers. Aiming to end this plight, three students Desh Deepak Dwivedi, Saurabh Patel and Kirti Krishan started Lithics.in in order to provide an online marketplace for helping various NGOs and Co-Operative of weaker sections of the society like organisations of differently abled people, jail inmates, marginalised women from rural areas, local artisans, and war widows among many. Currently being housed in the Technology Business Incubator of Cluster Innovation Centre of the University of Delhi (DU).

Today more than thirty small and big organisations sell their products through their web portal. Ms.Sujata Kumari, the founder of Agrima Foundation who earlier had to cut down on the staff as she was unable to sell her products now has recruited several new of them. “Now I am busy packing products for the orders that I receive from as far as Darbhanga in Bihar to Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Now I know that I am receiving my due recognition”, says Sujata.

Within six months Lithics has gone forward to win several accolades. From winning the Pollination Project Grant, receiving special appreciation at DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge Asia 2016 and was selected for entrepreneurship training at DO School Brazil. One of the co-founders got selected for Younus and Youth Fellowship program.

“We are planning to expand our reach of NGOs outside Delhi. Currently, we are eyeing towards Mumbai and Bangalore”, says Kirti Krishan who is one of the co-founders.

On being asked about what motivates them to work day in and day out, Desh Deepak says “Many people come across pain of marginalised people and go back by just showing sympathy. We wanted to do something more than that, so we empowered them. Their happiness is our sole currency.”

 

*Special Note

The start-up has made it to the final rounds the International Entrepreneurship for Good Program 2017, Brazil. You can make them win this competition by voting for them by clicking on the link given below.

https://thedoschool.org/ventures/lithics/

(You would need to enter your email and confirm the same on the mail that you receive in your mailbox)

*You can buy any of their products here to support weaker communities to earn a living.

 

Feature Image credits: Lithics.in fb page

 

Srivedant Kar

[email protected]

 

While many NGO’s have been cropping up recently with the vision to spread awareness among the youth of the country, the minds at YUVA have identified the issues faced by the community; they know how to address them and have already started working on their agenda. In a conversation with Shantanu Gupta, the Founder of YUVA Foundation, said, “The youth in this country has a lot of potential. However, even after securing a seat in top Delhi University colleges, they remain completely unaware of their civic duties, political environment and policies in the economy.’

At Young United Volunteer Action (YUVA) Foundation, the aim is to empower the youth so that they can tackle economic, social and environmental issues through reforms in education, livelihood and governance. Its activities include community workshops, slum connect (academic redevelopment) and YUVA communications 2.0 (commercial consultancy).

Recently, YUVA has launched an internship which comprises of all the elements required by a student/scholar to conduct research or to prepare a thesis or to take important policy decisions. The internship’s primary deliverable is to conduct a research on the history and politics of public policy and how it has impacted the implementation over time.

Students will get to learn about –

  1. Basic information of Public Policy
  2. Desk Research on the history and politics of Public Policy
  3. Field research
  4. Documentation and Publishing Research

Interns will work for research for Centre for Uttar Pradesh Policy Studies (CUPS) and selected quality articles will be published. The first batch has started from 1st July. It’s a rolling registration process and students can enrol at any point during the year. This internship is a huge boost to students interested in public policy, legislative research and civic awareness.

 

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]