Robin Hood Army Archives - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

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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As we all celebrate the 70th year of freedom, a youth organisation is all out to battle the biggest threat to our population – hunger. The Robin Hood Army (RHA), an organisation of professionals, students, and mostly youth volunteers, works to feed the hungry every day.

The Robin Hood Army is a team of volunteers who collect surplus food which would otherwise go waste from restaurants and distributes it to the poor and homeless. In the last three years, this passionate team of individuals from different walks of life has served food to over 2.1 million people across 41 cities.

On the eve of Independence Day, they launched a campaign to fight hunger. #Mission1Million, which the Robin Hood Army calls its ‘largest war against hunger’ – aims to bring together the private sector and civil society to feed one million hungry people this Independence Day in both India and Pakistan. #Mission1Million aims to collect and facilitate a million meals that will go to orphanages, old-age homes, the homeless, and even the patients in hospitals.

The major idea behind this unprecedented project was to raise awareness about the national hunger problem (more than 200 million hungry). As a part of the initiative more than 10,000 ‘Robins’ will manage the operations across 41 cities across India and Pakistan.

Speaking to News18, Aarushi Batra, co-founder of the Robin Hood Army, said, “As the youth of our nation, it is imperative that we take the onus, stop blaming the state for everything, and use our skills and collective network to make a real difference.”

RHA works only through partnerships and volunteers and doesn’t take any donation or funds.

Meanwhile, a large number of DU students join the organisation every year. “The learning benefit and the social, as well as EQ that we learn, is a boon for us,” says Samikshya Samantaray who works as a volunteer at RHA. “The self-satisfaction of working for the underprivileged and giving something back to the society is invaluable,” she adds.

During previous I-Day celebrations, RHA undertook two campaigns – Mission100K in 2015 and Mission500K in 2016 – and the response was massive. They shot past their target, as volunteers from all parts of the nation contributed to the initiative.

You can be a Robin too. To join Robin Hood Army, click here and follow the details.

Srivedant Kar

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