Nexus of Good

Times have changed, but there are some old social issues still prevailing in societies. Gender inequality has been existing all over the world for a long time back. It recognizes that men and women are not equal. Even though they do have biological differences, discrimination is done based on socially constructed divisions. Some of the common reasons that cause gender inequality are patriarchy, misogyny, religion, and self-interests. A gender discriminated victim goes through pressure, poor-treatment, stress, and disrespected other times.Women are the one that suffers a lot because of gender discrimination against men of society. It’s an old folk tale when we talk about how women have faced a lot of problems in different communities due to gender biases. Many times a woman is not given the same respect or inclusion in family-related decisions at home, or not equal pay or position as compared to men professionally, treated as subordinate and harassed, not given equal opportunities in education or another field. They are also prone to being a victim of a brutal rape, molestation & harassment. Even though the world is becoming modern & there’s progress, the minds of the people are still taking time to understand the importance and need to eradicate gender inequality for a better society. It’s not just women now, but the LGBTQ community as well. They are still judged based on their sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression by society in all areas of public and private life.The United Nations member states adopted Sustainable Development Goals, an urgent call for action by all countries to bring prosperity & peace. To achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls is the 5th SDGs. It has also been able to achieve significant results in advancing gender equality. To look for infographics on where women stand against select SDG targets (click on the link). There have been laws by the government for equal rights to women. Also, a lot of NGOs/movements are working for protecting their rights & promoting awareness about it with people as well.To eradicate gender inequality from every society, changes from a community level should be the beginning. Evolve foundation is one such enterprise that tries to bring gender equality through their small acts. Founded by a woman, it aims to empower other women and girls from villages. The enterprise provides the village women job opportunity by asking them to make plantable products. Working for the business makes the woman self-reliant as well. It also promotes Rural Shiksha and provides workshops where they teach the kids about sustainable living and other topics. Libraries are set-up using the profit earned by the business. To become an Evolve member (click on the link).What can an individual do to reduce gender inequality?Each individual be it a girl or a boy or others should focus these key points to make sure there is gender equality.1- Listen & consider- Every woman or even any discriminated person should be vocal about their thoughts & others should listen to their opinions.2- Respect- Give equal respect to each other and always remember we are humans before our gender. Do not demean or bully anyone.3- Empower and encourage- woman & others at the workplace. Support mothers & parents as they teach the same to their kids as well.4- Help gain power- Be kind and help each other by working together.5- Watch for signs of any violence- Never allow, agree or let anything wrong happen due to gender discrimination & always stand against it if you’re in the situation. Violence against women needs to stop. They should not be objectified by anyone as well.6- Equal responsibilities at home- Help in household chorus & taking care of the child. Make sure there’s an equal division of labour at your home.

Back in March, a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country became a cause for increasing concern. Perhaps a complete nationwide lockdown was the only possible solution to flatten the steadily rising curve. However, the sudden enforcement of the lockdown and subsequent travel restrictions tremendously affected the small and marginal farmers hailing from the remote areas of Koraput District in Odisha. Sale of vegetables at the weekly markets is the primary source of income for these farmers. For nearly two weeks, there was no movement of vehicles, and people were sceptical about heading out of their homes. Farmers found themselves in distress as they neither could reach the market nor could reach the local traders to sell their produce.Tears of hopelessness swelled Harischandra Gadaba's eyes as he saw the vegetables rot in his field. He is one among many tribal farmers of Jhilimiliguda village in Borigumma block. With no cash at hand and the fear of contracting the unknown virus, he estimated a loss of INR 4000 within two weeks as the tomatoes and brinjal cultivated by him matured for selling. Like Harishchandra, the mobility of several farmers in the district was curtailed.At this critical juncture, Dangar Dei Farmers Producer Company (FPC), facilitated by Pragati Koraput, proved an angel in disguise for the farmers.The intervention brought respite for Harischandra, as well as other 18 farmers of his village. During the lockdown, he could earn INR 19000 by selling vegetables through the FPC. It was quick, easy and a hassle-free process, as one or two farmers would gather the produce and brought it to the selling centre.The FPC has created marketing opportunities for 2805 farmers from 32 villages. Stalls operate every day as per the schedule set by the district administration. Few farmers take the initiative to bring their vegetables to market. It relieves the pressure on farmers travelling from one place to another, especially at the time of COVID-19. While selling their produce, FPC members strictly ensure precautionary measures like the use of masks, social distancing and hygiene.During the Kharif season, the farmers could access agri-inputs – seeds, organic manures, farm equipment with the FPC's assistance. "I no longer worry for the marketing of my produce or purchase inputs as I am a shareholder of Dangar Dei FPC. I also got the opportunity to hire threshing machine at a subsidized price during the lockdown," says Harischandra.The success of DangarDei FPC has inspired and paved the way for 5 other FPCs facilitated by Pragati in Koraput District, Kotpad and Nandapur Block. As the country is still reeling under the COVID-19 crisis, the FPC model can be a successful intervention in addressing the hardships faced by small and marginal farmers.About Pragati KoraputEstablished in 1994, Pragati Koraput has been working in the remote areas of South Odisha with the base of pyramid population, the tribal communities and among them the small and marginal farmers for ensuring their nutritional food security and economic well-being. Pragati Koraput’s interventions are focussed on Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction.We believe in working with Community-Based Organisations and in collaboration with Government Departments and PRIs. In a wake-up call to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have responded to immediate needs like awareness of precautionary measures and distribution of essentials to families in need. However, we continue to focus on the livelihood of communities passing through this critical stage. EdelGive Foundation has been supporting Pragati from 2018 to ensure the nutritional food security of the small and marginal farmers in Koraput District of South Odisha through sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient farming systems and eco-friendly irrigation.Visit http://www.pragatikoraput.org/ for more information. 

Every year, thousands of people migrate to the city of Mumbai in search of a better life and better employment opportunities. Unfortunately, many fall prey to unemployment and poverty and end up living on roads. The children are expected to move from one traffic signal to another to beg or sell knick-knacks and do whatever else is needed to bring back some food for the family.Government laws like the Right to Education Act have seemed to elude them, with nearly one out of four in the school-going age, remaining illiterate.At the time of inception, Signal Shala had four full-time teachers, one attendant and several volunteers who kept dropping by to help.The students were not just taught but bathed, groomed and fed a healthy meal every day. Apart from learning regular subjects, the students also participate in arts and crafts activities. A regular reading habit was also being inculcated in all children.In 2016, The Better India along with Samarth Bharat Vyaspith, launched a campaign to identify families and children staying at Teen Hath Naka signal in Thane and raise awareness and funds for the Signal Shala school.Check : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH2vtmQCInM[/embedyt]They shared the stories of parents living on the streets, stories of their children, stories of how Signal Shala’s task was not only to set up a school but also empower these families and show them the need to send their kids to schools.With the support of our readers, who generously contributed towards the cause, we were successfully able to raise over Rs 6 lakh for Signal Shala to take care of initial costs. The funds were used towards the salaries, healthy food, stationery and toiletries for children and commuting expenses for signal kids.A similar situation existed at the Teen Hath Naka signal in Thane, as several drought-hit families from Beed in Maharashtra’s Usmanabad district had migrated there. In some cases, as many as three generations of a family have grown up here without access to good health and sanitation, healthy living conditions and education for their kids.As a step to overcome this issue, a Pune NGO named Samarth Bharat Vyaspith set up Signal Shala, India’s first-ever registered Signal School under a signal flyover in a shipping container that was turned into a classroom.What started as one classroom in a shipment container now has four classrooms, a science lab for grades 4th to 10th and a computer lab. The school has also started a sports compound where a lot of games like kho-kho and kabaddi are played.The Cultural Ministry has recently awarded Signal Shala with the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Best Practices Award. This is presented to organisations or models that have roots and history of achieving success while working at the grassroots. They were also given the title of a ‘Model School’ by the Maharashtra State government, for bringing street children into mainstream education.The story has been extracted from https://www.nexusofgood.org.in/stories/how-tbi-readers-helped-fund-indias-first-signal-school

Samarth tells Toybank's Program Officer, “I miss my friends and my teachers. Summer vacations at the Play Centers were all about playing for long hours, but that is missing. I have difficulty understanding anything in our online classes. I want people to visit us; but then again, I don't want them to because I am scared. Didi, will you call me tomorrow also?" This resonates with not only every Toybank beneficiary but also other at-risk children in the lockdown due to COVID—surviving amid economic hardships, away from learning, playtime and social interactions. So, as soon as India was on lockdown in March, we knew we had to mitigate these adversities. Ergo, we pivoted into action with great alacrity and modified our Play2Learn Program into a digital model as #ToybankPlayAtHomeKit.  Even though times are unprecedented, our one-point focus hasn’t shifted from promoting our children’s mental well-being and holistic development through Play. We are making sure they do not lose out on playtime, learning and most importantly, they become resilient to face this crisis and any adversity with grit, self-confidence and skill.In the throes of tough timesFrom spending time in the safe spaces of our Play2Learn Centers, our beneficiaries had to be indoors—usually one-room facilities with heightened risks of infection and no scope for physical distancing. Loss of livelihood, fear of uncertain future and frustrations exposed these children to anxiety and stress. School shutdown and separation from peers threaten their socio-emotional development. And the repercussions are already becoming visible. A study in a recent webinar (Charcha 2020) revealed that 37% of parents have confessed that the pandemic and lockdown have adversely affected their children's mental well-being and happiness.  Other numbers are just as alarming: 31% increment in unemployment may push more children into child labor, which as it is, stands at 10 million (Census 2011). Despite homeschooling, inadequate education among 77% urban and 70% rural population is preventing their learning. Taking all this into account, we collaborated with our partner organizations and formed support groups on WhatsApp consisting of teachers and parents. Through these, we deliver two activities daily to our children, in the morning and evening, to keep them engaged and distracted from negativity caused by the pandemic.Adjusting to the new normalDuring the initial phase of the lockdown, our beneficiaries were still making sense of upended routines and the new normal. So, our  activities such as Make a Routine and DIY games such as Sock Toss kept them engaged, brought them mental relief and a healthy schedule. As Parth says, “I like games that make me move,” as he indulged in ‘Tail the Animal’ several times back-to-back for three days. Or Kavi, who had turned lethargic and unhelpful at home had her energy restored when she started doing the activities. Our PlaytHome Kit enabled our beneficiaries to adjust for more than two months with meaningful engagement, mental stimulation, and helped them build a routine. In June, the activities have graduated to continued learning and aligned with academics as they would have returned to classrooms by now.  Curbing learning lossesA UNICEF report has revealed that the pandemic and lockdown have impacted 247 million Indian children in elementary and secondary education, besides 28 million children in Anganwadi centres. Our beneficiaries' learning has also been affected, and to bridge that gap, we have carefully curated activities that include shape, colour, number and letter recognition as well as categorize and sort things. The Toybank PlayAtHome Kit is also packed with Science experiments about air pressure, water molecules and suchlike, Word Search puzzles on States and Capitals to revise geography, and puzzles to enhance numerical and literacy skills among others. Just like at our Play2Learn Sessions, children are learning about managing their emotions and forming good habits through ‘What am I feeling?’ and ‘Good Habit or Bad Habit?’ and many such activities.  Simple yet impactful#ToybankPlayAtHomeKit playsheets have had a profound impact on our kids. While Vikas from a tribal region in Madhya Pradesh enjoys games that he had never before played, kids in Latur were excited by the colourful drawings on the playsheets. A teacher states, “Initially confused about online studies, students rarely responded to notes and homework. But the exciting play activities caught their attention. They recognized the Toybank logo, and it made them so happy that they started completing the activities.” Primary school students struggled to recognize shapes from their text-based online class. But Toybank’s activities on shape recognition encouraged them to practically draw, cut the shapes, and colour them by themselves. “Giving the children control of their learning makes it more exciting for them,” one teacher observes.We’re going the distanceAt the moment, we are impacting 44,000+ children every day (as of 24 July, 2020). We have gone beyond Maharashtra and are reaching out to children in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Ladakh. We have formed a nexus between 1,943 teachers, 6,501 parents in 383 support groups and us. Going back to school will need readjustment after months of being at home in a lockdown. Since our Play interventions have kept the children patiently engaged, the transition will be easier. After the disconcerting experience of the pandemic, children will need to be strong in more than just academics. Equipped with resilience and mental relief, they will be not only school-ready but also life-ready. 

Lakshmi Menon is a well-known eco-innovator in Ernakulam, Kerala and the founder of Pure Living, an organisation focussed on finding sustainable livelihood solutions. After crafting pens made from waste paper, she has yet again come up with a new invention — an eco-friendly mattress named Shayya, that aims to solve two pressing issues: waste management and the lack of bedding at many COVID care centres.“In Kerala alone, there are more than 900 panchayats, and each has a varying number of care centres, with a minimum capacity of 50 beds. In these areas, mattresses are the need of the hour for every patient. One mattress costs somewhere between Rs 500-700, and it has to be replaced for each infected patient, or it has to be washed properly. In fact, this is not the case only in Kerala, but all over India,” says Lakshmi.Shayya – The Mindful MattressAbout ShayyaThe lightweight bedroll is made from the scraps of the material used to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gowns.With a sharp rise in demand for PPE gowns in hospitals, and among individuals, many textile manufacturers and tailors have turned to stitching these gowns. According to Lakshmi, some tailors in Kerala have been receiving orders for 20,000 gowns every day.“While they work day and night to make these garments, there is also a large quantity of scrap material left behind from making them. The waterproof material contains small amounts of plastic, and cannot be recycled easily. It has to be disposed of or recycled by a professional agency which small tailors cannot afford, so they burn it to get rid of the large quantities that pile up every day. It was quite disturbing to see that, and I had to do something,” says Lakshmi.How is the ‘Shayya’ made?Step 1: Three pieces of the scrap cloth are placed next to each other and braided together.Step2: As the cloth reaches the end, more scraps of cloth are added and braided until it reaches 25 meters in length.Step 3: This is placed in a zigzag pattern, and tied together using more scrap cloth. The bed has to be at a length of 6ft, and a width of 2.5 ft.Step 4: Finally, identify the loose ends and tie them with each other“The method requires no thread or needle, and the bed remains strong and sturdy. The material is water-proof, and it can be cleaned by washing in soap water and allowing it to dry, ” says Lakshmi. Lakshmi claims that from a small production unit which has a stock of 6 tonnes of cut-waste, 2400 Shayyas can be made, adding that it would cost Rs.12 lakh to purchase the same as cloth bedding.Apart from using these bedrolls at COVID care centres, it can also be distributed among homeless people who are forced to sleep on hard surfaces.Women arranging scrap cloth to make Shayyas Providing EmploymentA few weeks ago, she identified tailors who were stitching PPE gowns in Kerala and approached them to collect the scrap cloth. She also engaged local women from her neighbourhood who had lost their jobs during the lockdown, to make the Shayyas.“I have employed ten women for Rs 300/day, and they make one Shayya each. Earlier, three women were required to make one bed — one to braid it, and two to hold the other ends to align it in place. But, now we have introduced a 6×4 ft plywood fitted with nails on either side of the frame. This helps to hold the cloth in place while one lady braids, and aligns it together. With this upgrade in our mini production unit, each lady can make two Shayyas in one day,” says Lakshmi.The production of Shayyas started three days ago, and more than 15 pieces have already been made. Her plan is not to sell the product, but to distribute them for free across panchayats in Kerala.The Covid Care Centre at Amballur Panchayat in Kerala has received 5 beds from Lakshmi. Beena Mukundan, the Standing Committee Chairperson of the Panchayat says, “Earlier we were using the regular variety of cloth mattresses which had to be disposed of after the treatment of one patient. With Lakshmi’s ingenious idea we are able to reduce the waste generated, expenses incurred, and offer patients comfortable bedding.”After Lakshmi shared this over social media, she was approached by some corporate companies (who do not wish to be named) who wished to purchase the beds from her and distribute it for free across different Panchayats in Kerala.“For them, I charged Rs 300 for one bed, which is the charge of employing one worker for the day,” says Lakshmi.If there are individuals or companies who wish to purchase beds from Pure Living and distribute them across COVID Care Centres in India, you can contact Lakshmi Menon at +91 8330021192.The story has been extracted from https://www.thebetterindia.com/233989/coronavirus-cheap-disposable-beds-recycling-ppe-material-covid19-care-centres-ros174/

Hailing from a rural village Annadanam in the Nalgonda district of Telangana, Uma (28) was very passionate to be a part of Politics. Though she is well educated and worked extensively in the social sector for a decade, she couldn't find a way to the active politics as she hardly had any support and guidance.  Meenakshi (24) from Delhi is running an NGO for education and social development, wants to be a politician and to become a minister, again clueless having experienced the dearth of platforms handholding her dream. However, there was a paradigm shift in the pathways of people like Uma and Menakshi after "She Represents'' - a seven day immersive programme hosted by a Delhi based political leadership development organization Indian School of Democracy (ISD). Politics is good but we have less politics of good, so we feel politics is dirty. The feeling of politics is dirty, makes it more dirty and keeps good people at bay. In a February 2020 judgement the supreme court asked the political parties  to  specify why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates. In 2019 as many as 43% of MPs had criminal cases pending against them. A very recent report by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) finds that 24% of Rajya sabha members face criminal cases. The analysis also found that 203 of the 229 MPs or 89% of those analysed had declared assets over ₹1crore. The nexus of corruption and politics is also a pressing concern. Does it mean that politics is only for corrupted, criminals and affluent people ? Would it be a hindrance to attract people with integrity and commitment to be a part of the political process in this country ? Answers to this question remains elusive. Nevertheless, we have sprouts of hope. Indian School of Democracy (ISD) a budding organization founded by two young visionaries is one in such direction. Aiming high to build a community of principled public leaders, working to make India a global inspiration for inclusive democracy; Hemakshi Meghani graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School in public policy and Prakahr Bhartiya completed his masters in public administration from Columbia University are in a daring pursuit.  After successfully organizing Democracy Express and She Represents- a week long programme introducing youth to different pathways to politics and building a community of future principled leaders, Indian School of Democracy is venturing into an year long programme. After seven decades of independence, we are not at a stage to say that our democracy is working for all. As we reflect, one of the many reasons is the dearth of principled leadership in public service. "Today, India needs its best hearts and heads to serve, and nurture them as a cadre of enterprising and moral public servants", says Prakhar Bhartiya, one of the founders.  Hemakshi, co-founder of ISD believes that every generation needs its own leaders and our generation is struggling to find principled leaders in the public and political landscape. Today, a lot of motivated and talented young leaders often do not choose the path of public service. We need to bring a change.The recently concluded She Represents exudes confidence among the young team at ISD. “I have learnt that age doesn't define wisdom, I have got the reaffirmation that "naive optimism" is the way to go forward, I have learnt that the present policy work I do is only as effective as the results on ground lest it will only be a badge on my CV”; Spurti, one of the participants of She Represents shares her experiences. Uma says it's her life changing journey with ISD, Meenakshi undoubtedly decided to choose his tryst with politics, and Reeta wants to contribute more to her native community. Many more young people resolved to pursue their passion for national development through politics.The notion of politics is dirty anyhow to be changed and the need of this hour is to create principal leaders who can color the tapestry of democracy with vision, commitment and values.