Cluster #7 : Grass-roots relief

The DoGoodNow canvas is far wider than the specific projects onboarded the Samriddhi Project. As suggested in the enterprise organization structure, this is where the NGO/SHG Council works closely with fund raising and mobilization arms, to connect concerned citizens and institutions with projects where their contribution can make a difference.

The coming together of right projects, right delivery agencies, and right funding, all at the right time, is only possible with clarity of purpose, preparedness and design detailing.

Given the central role of delivery agencies (in the form of NGOs, self help groups, trusts, corporate CSR initiatives, etc.), at the heart of DoGoodNow efforts is a dynamic Registry of delivery agencies. This is the central allocation and monitoring hub that matches projects and agencies with resources.

FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE : DROUGHT RELIEF ; WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ; WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT ; FLOOD RELIEF; AND THE ONGOING MANAGEMENT OF THE NGO REGISTRY AND PROJECT-SPECIFIC DONOR CONNECT.

Working with carefully selected NGOs and Self Help Groups (SHGs). The good news is that numerous NGOs and SHGs are already working on the ground, across the country, piloting and scaling up projects that are directly impacting lives and livelihoods. There are concerted efforts in scientific agriculture and irrigation ; water management ; healthcare ; sanitation ; education ; vocational skills development ; and more. The DoGoodNow team works with carefully selected implementation partners, assisting them with the resources they need, monitoring efficacy, using technology to improve programme design, and enabling the spread of successful initiatives to other regions.

If you are an NGO or a SHG, register with DoGoodNow. The empanelment process involves a review of your organisation background, your project experience, and your future focus areas. Be a part of a nationwide ecosystem where knowledge is pooled and shared, and your contributions recognised. Gain from the ResourceBank™ for your projects. Work in partnership with like-minded organisations. Build your enterprise profile on the Implementation Partner Grid complete with project documentation tools, social impact measures, directories, collaborative rooms, and archival vaults.

If you want make a difference, sign up as a Donor. Contribute to specific projects, or sign up as a Donor. Apart from financial contributions, there is opportunity for hands-on involvement in various project activities. Mark your presence on the Donor Wall. DoGoodNow assigns funds to specific projects and oversees implementation by trusted partners. This is a non-profit focussed on social development projects. District and State-level Coordinators review projects across implementation partners and provide inputs for direction setting by the apex lead team and domain specialist advisory council.

THE 2 MONTHS INTENSIVE DROUGHT RELIEF INTERVENTION

Semi arid regions (about two-thirds of the country) are rain-fed and acutely vulnerable to monsoon failure. Maharashtra, Bundelkand and parts of central India are routinely drought hit. By March/April 2016, Latur received the first water train, and Yavatmal was declared the suicide capital, with desperate farmers pushed to extreme measures, faced with crop failure, lack of food grain and fodder. The collapse of the sugarcane industry aggravated the situation with the loss of typical seasonal employment opportunities. Poor crop selection, lack of scientific agriculture practices, inadequate attention to watershed management and irrigation practices contributed to the annual recurring problem.

Government relief operations involved water supply tankers, cattle camps, food grain distribution and the creation of employment opportunities. Due to a variety of reasons, the people most impacted did not benefit from these measures. Local NGOs are often better equipped to handle last mile delivery and manage sustained engagement with local communities. They have a better grasp of ground realities and the agility to respond to immediate crises.

After a site visit to Yavatamal and adjoining areas in early May 2016, the Samriddhi Project team quickly drew up an intervention framework that involved :

Working with local delivery agencies.
Invite and review requests for assistance from these agencies, and even directly from villagers.
Deconstruct the assistance to be provided into a variety of offerings to address diverse sets of needs of the community.
Connect donors with local delivery agencies and end beneficiaries.
Build an efficient, transparent work process where trust is backed up withoversight.

A DoGoodNow portal was developed and delivery agencies were encouraged to register on line or through a call centre, along with their requests for support on specific projects. Approval for projects involved agreement on principles of execution, monitoring and reporting. Project completion reports with photo documentation and direct verification with end beneficiaries was part of the development process.

Word of mouth and response to a pressing need

121 delivery agencies registered on the DoGoodNow portal from 29 districts across five states (Maharashtra, MP, UP, Chattisgarh and Telangana). 158 specific project support

requests were made, al related to combating drought conditions.

Screen grab of project support requests (‘demand’s) received on the DoGoodNow portal :

24 DELIVERY AGENCIES SUPPORTED. DROUGHT RELIEF TO 60,000 PEOPLE ACROSS 71 VILLAGES

Within a 2-month period high priority projects identified by registered partners were supported. The focus was on providing drinking water to families with no access to water, by water tankers, and sometimes even by cycle. Well deepening works was another focus area.

Site visits and meetings with local NGOs across districts of Aurangabad, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad and Solapur quickly established a pattern of projects that require consistent support into the future :

Handpump and borewell repair
Kitchen gardens set up
Seed packets for monsoon crops
PVC tank for community watersupply
Direct-to-home water supply
Construction / revival of rainwater harvesting systems for groundwater recharge
Water purification
Grain bank
Children’s Education Fund
Hydroponic feedproduction

The 24 delivery agencies supported by the DoGoodNow drought relief plan

There were several heartening learnings and developments from the drought relief effort

We met more than forty delivery agencies and organized five group meetings in different locations.

We identified four district level coordination agencies to extend support in expanding the DoGoodNow work and assist in grounding the programme.

We have a better understanding of the situation in different districts, its impact on the community, and have identified ways to deal with immediate challenges.

We have explored drought-proofing measures that have the potential to scale under the next phase of our drought relief plan.

Lack of drinking water for days, endless waiting without hope in the blazing h at, and long distances to get a single pot of (poor quality – fluoride/TDS/nitrates) water was a recurrent theme.