#Childcare NGO in Bangalore

[sampark25]

Sampark’s mission is to help vulnerable and poor people, especially women, to gain direct control over and improve their lives. This is achieved through educational interventions primarily aimed at increasing people’s income earning ability

[samparkngobangalore]

Best Childcare NGO in Bangalore - Sampark Ngo

Huge numbers of poverty-stricken migrant populations move to cities for income earning opportunities and the needs of their children are neglected. The construction sector in India is one of the largest employers of labour in the country, and about 10% of its workforce constitute women.

[iim-bangalore-blog]

IIMB’S INCUBATION HUB OFFERS WORKSHOPS, NETWORKING SESSIONS AND REVIEWS TO ITS FIRST BATCH OF 8 SOCIAL VENTURES

Anchor-mentors will guide the start-ups through their 18-month incubation journey at the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning

18 September, 2017, Bengaluru: The eight early-stage organizations selected by IIM Bangalore’s N. S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL), under the social ventures program for incubation over the next 18 months, were inducted on September 15 (Friday), 2017, in the presence of IIMB faculty, mentors and NSRCEL members.

Rajiv Sawhney, Chief Operating Officer, NSRCEL, said: “A review system will be in place for periodic intervention to monitor your progress. We need to get into a far more frequent Q&A mode. There will be many speaker sessions and workshops to engage you in high gear. Access to online platforms will help boost interaction with a larger community. To make you successful is our own test as well.”

The entrepreneurship and innovation hub of IIM Bangalore – NSRCEL – had launched its social ventures incubator in April this year, to nurture early stage non-profit organizations.

Through this initiative, NSRCEL Social aims to address the lack of an effective support system for early stage NGOs that are offered little or no technical assistance for fund raising, legal issues and operational challenges. One of the first social incubators of India exclusively for non-profit organizations, it aims to help create a pool of high-performing organizations that can create large-scale social impact. The social ventures incubation program is currently supported by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. These selected ventures will be incubated for a period of 18 months and given financial support of INR 18 lakhs.

The goal of the NSRCEL Social Ventures Program is to help the ventures build a mindset to scale and impact. NSRCEL will put in place an M&E framework to periodically track progress of the ventures through joint goal setting efforts ofmentors and ventures and enable a three pronged mechanism of self, peer to peer and mentor review system in place. NSRCEL also intends to foster cross learnings and sharing of best practices through the mix of programs and other incubatees under its fold.

The selection process for the program started early April this year. The centre received over 160 applications, out of which 24 were selected spanning diverse sectors like education, livelihood, financial inclusion, etc. The 12-week pre-incubation program for these ventures included mentoring, classroom sessions on critical strategies, field visits, boot camp, networking and intensive review sessions.

Shortlisted ventures were pitched to an advisory committee before the final eight were selected. The incubation will give the ventures access to resources at IIMB and leverage the support system created for non-profits. The incubator is guided by an eight-member advisory committee comprising established non-profit and business leaders and faculty of IIMB. It leverages the expertise of NSRCEL-IIMB in nurturing for-profit organizations for over a decade, faculty members and student communities at IIMB.

The induction event, on September 15, was organized for the very first batch of incubatees. All the ventures have been assigned an anchor-mentor who will guide them throughout the program. The incubatees will also have access to the large pool of industry experts, IIMB faculty, alumni and resources at NSRCEL during the program.

Other than the agreements and documentation formalities, the day’s activities included walking the ventures through the incubation plan brief, designating anchor mentors, followed by a goal-setting workshop that will facilitate the formulation of the M&E framework to track their progress.

Professor Sourav Mukherji, Dean of Academic Programmes at IIMB and one of the mentors, congratulated the incubatees for having taken up, what he described as, ‘the bold and difficult journey of entrepreneurship’. “Being a social entrepreneur is even tougher. There has to be internal balance between social impact and financial sustainability. However, no learning or experience is great unless it is difficult!”

Prof. Mukherji’s advice of maintaining this balance was echoed by the mentors as well. They advised the incubatees to be rooted in reality while trying to think beyond the norm, take risks, disrupt, and identify and solve difficult problems.

Details of the selected ventures and anchor-mentor profiles

Selected Ventures

1. i-Saksham: Founded by ex-Gandhi fellows Ravi Dhanuka, Aditya Tyagi and Shravan Jha, it aims to enhance learning outcomes by training community youth educators using technology as the main facilitator. It enables these educators to run their own learning centres and meaningfully engage in various other educational activities.

2. Meraki: Brainchild of Seemant Dadwal and Co-founder Ghajal Gulati, it offers solutions for intergenerational burdens that disadvantaged families carry, by equipping parents with knowledge skills and mindset to be able to transform their children’s lives.

3. Mantra4change: It works through school transformation. Khushboo and Santosh, founders of Mantra4Change, explain that through an intensive two-year partnership with schools, Mantra4Change aims to transform the aspects of instructional leadership, teaching-learning processes and the school culture.

4. Tarkeybein Education Foundation (TEF): It develops English language learning tools and training programs for students and teachers. Learning tools are being co-created with children from low-income groups. The core focus is on children building skills of observation, interpretation and expression, and acquiring English language skills in this learning process.

5. Superheros Incorporated: It aims to develop success-oriented mindset and career readiness, along with strengthening technical skills in vocational trainees, in order to provide industries with skilled workforce. Operating through various programs designed for the students at ITIs, it aims to bridge the gap between the supply and demand of the skilled and trained workforce with enhanced employability.

6. Guardians of Dream: It is working towards building an anchor institution to define and consolidate the childcare sector. It is also working to solve critical gaps in research, intervention design, implementation capacity and resource mobilization. In the initial phase, Guardians aims to create and deliver interventions within an institutional framework (children’s homes and orphanages).

7. Bridges of Sports: Founded by Nitish M Chiniwar, it works with children from economically and socially backward communities in the age group of 8-14 years. A network of high quality volunteers, athletes and teachers dedicate two years of their life to the fellowship program and post fellowship, Bridges of Sports supports the fellows to become micro entrepreneurs with a focus on building and accelerating the vibrant sports ecosystem.

8. Anthills Creations: At Anthills Creations, Pooja Rai and Nancy Charaya, alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, are determined to bring back play for kids through building sustainable playscapes by using recyclable material.

Profile of Mentors

1. Professor Sourav Mukherji is the Dean of Academic Programmes at IIMB. Professor Mukherji teaches postgraduate courses on Organization Design and Inclusive Business Models. His current research focus is on inclusive business models – businesses that address the needs of the poor in a financially sustainable manner. In this domain, he has authored many case studies, several of which have been published online by the Harvard Business Press. He has been a consultant to organizations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, advising them on organization design and financial sustainability.

2. Samina Bano: Founder RightWalk, where she is building an inclusive and accountable education system, opening up access for children to an equitable education irrespective of socio-economic status. To do this Samina is building a movement of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and government officials who are demanding an inclusive education system through policy and implementing it through accountability mechanisms.

3. Rajesh Navaneetham: Rajesh is a Founder-partner in Katalytics Growth Consultants. He works with organizations to help them scale up their operations in India. In doing this, he brings his practical knowledge of more than two decades in the corporate world, where he has successfully set up / scaled up engineering teams and businesses in India.

4. Dipesh Sutariya: Dipesh Sutariya is the Co-founder and CEO of Enable India, a non-profit organization that has been working for the economic independence and dignity of persons with disability across India, since 1999. Dipesh is transforming attitudes towards the employment of people with disability through a growing group of professionals with disability who meet the needs of the corporate sector and who dispel the myths and stereotypes about hiring persons with disability.

5. Rajiv Kuchhal Rajiv is an active angel investor and mentor to multiple start-ups in the social enterprise and technology space. He is an advisor and board member of many such companies and a general partner at Exfinity fund.

6. Naghnma Mulla: Naghma works towards creating and maintaining a sustainable philanthropy network to support the EdelGive investee portfolio with the funder community. She is responsible for and heads the three divisions at EdelGive, namely Investment and Programmes, Fundraising and Partnerships, and Employee Engagement Programme.

7. Naga Prakasam: Nagaraja (Naga) Prakasam is a full-time angel investor who has invested in 16 start-ups and seen three exits. He has spearheaded Impact thinking in Indian Angel Network and co-founded IANImpact. A partner at Acumen Fund, a New York based $100M impact-venture fund, he serves as an Independent Director in one of its portfolio companies. In addition, he directs boards in Uniphore Software Systems, GoCoop – Social Marketplace, Saahas Zero Waste, FreshWorld, Lumiere Organic, SP ROBOTIC WORKS Pvt. Ltd and is a board observer at Happy Hens Farm.

Photo Gallery:

IIMB’s incubation and innovation hub – the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) – welcomes the first ever batch of eight social ventures to the NSRCEL Social Program on September 15, 2017.

Anchor-mentors and incubatees of NSRCEL Social at the Induction Program.

Visit @ IIM Bangalore

[sampark25]

Sampark Recommendations for Future Policy Action and Rights Advocacy for Devadasis

Devadasis face many challenges when it comes to accessing their rights. These challenges present themselves in every sphere of their lives – employment opportunities, access to education, savings and security, healthcare, and even extend to familial tensions and lack of support systems for their children. Where governmental schemes exist, their execution within the community is minimal.

Recommendations – What Can and Needs to be Done

The following recommendations have been prepared by the Sampark team, keeping in mind the multitude of challenges that Devadasis face. With the Government being a key stakeholder, the majority of these are directed towards it while some recommendations would also require the support of other stakeholders such as Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations.      

Developing a Comprehensive Policy Framework

Conducting Frequent Surveys and Enumeration

Legitimizing Maintenance and Inheritance Rights

Building and Financially Empowering Community-based Organisations

Improved IEC and Sensitization Efforts

Enabling Social Mobility for Future Generations

Conducting Frequent Surveys and Enumeration

In order to effectively address the challenges of the Devadasi system, it is crucial to understand the current situation appropriately. It has been over a decade since the last official survey was conducted and the multiple studies conducted in-between point to significant gaps in identifying and curbing the Devadasi system. Conducting a new survey and frequent enumerations subsequently, can go a long way in tackling these challenges, if carried out effectively. Any benefit that can be given to the Devadasis, especially at a time when the socio-economic situation across the country has taken a hit due to Covid 19, would positively support those who are currently not a part of the beneficiaries list but are suffering.

Empowering the Future

Empowerment to women . At a time when the country is focusing on StandUp India and Atmarirbhar Bharat, it is important to ensure that those who are discriminated against also get appropriate support to be a part of this drive. When it comes to Devadasis, this would require a two-fold approach – livelihood support and skill training, and not a single-track approach.

This is because, on the one hand, Devadasis who are above the age of 50 may not be interested in upskilling themselves and may require more direct support. Apart from effectively delivering pensions, the Government must thus ensure that loans to start businesses be made more accessible to Devadasis. According to the survey conducted by Sampark, quite a few Devadasis mentioned the idea of setting up their own business, if given loans. On the other hand, there are Devadasis who are in their 30s who could take up good livelihood opportunities if they are provided with the right skills and training. With the help of Civil Society Organizations working in this field, interest and need-based skill training programs can be undertaken and provided to them.

Enabling Support for Children

An important element in curbing the Devadasi system is ensuring that their children have an improved outlook towards their future. Given that they receive very little or no support from their fathers, and to ensure that they do not fall into the vicious cycle of poverty and dedication, it is important that the children of Devadasis are given the right platform, especially with regards to education and livelihood opportunities. 

Support for the Devadasis

Devadasis have limited support systems which stop them from leading healthy and secure lives. While the pension provided by the Government helps to a certain extent, more such systems need to be in place. One mechanism is to ensure that the Devadasi community can be channelized in support of each other. While the Government can play some role on this front, an important stakeholder to take this forward would be the Civil Society Organizations. Apart from this, steps must be taken to legally ensure that Devadasis receive support from their partners. This can be done by recognizing the partners of Devadasis as has been done in the case of the Domestic Violence Act in the case of live-in relationships.

Creating Awareness

The data collected as part of the Sampark study suggests that awareness regarding the presence of legislation banning the Devadasi system has been created. This, however, does not mean that Devadasi dedications have completely stopped. Not only are the Devadasi numbers much higher than officially recorded ones, but dedications also have continued post the law coming into force. This means that a lot more needs to be done in terms of raising social awareness. This would require dedicated IEC campaigns by the government, which effectively involve the local community. Plays, acts and local tools can be used to promote this further. Additionally, there is also little awareness among Devadasis regarding the various schemes running for their benefit. The government must therefore make use of its on-ground resources to advance this further. Through actors such as ASHA and Anganwadi Workers, scheme details may be disseminated to Devadasis such that awareness, as well as their uptake amongst the community, improves.

For there to be a just, fair, and discrimination-free India, it is a must that neglected and ostracised communities like the Devadasis be given a helping hand and receive a respectable position in society, as is deserving of any citizen of India.

Contact us:

Address; #39, 1st Avenue, Teacher’s Colony, 1st Block Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560034

Phone no-+91 080 2553 0196 

[sampark25]

Children of Devadasis: Challenges and the Need for Future Reforms

While the existing devadasis continue to suffer repercussions of their dedication, the children of Devadasis too face and grapple with the undeserved struggles that have become bitter remnants of the past – a past which risks ruining their present and future.

Present Challenges

According to a study conducted by Sampark, 62 of 70 Devadasi respondents reported that they had children. When asked if they had ever considered dedicating their children, all made it clear that they would never wish such a life upon their children. Yet, the wishes of a few suffering, helpless women are not what society considers. Despite the practice being illegal, young female children are pressured to become Devadasis to support their families. More often than not, the Devadasi and her children are ostracised by the village community, forcing them to live a life of neither respect nor acceptance.   

Early years education and childcare NGO In terms of education,  the scenario isn’t great either. Even if one ignores the uncivil comments passed, these children are usually deprived of a good education. The figure below illustrates the answers to the question, “Have your children been educated?” A whopping 23 mentioned that not all of their children had completed schooling, and 12 respondents said that none of their children had. The main reasons cited for non-completion of even primary levels of education were usually a lack of financial security, which forced them to drop out and contribute economically. Another frequently cited reason was the lack of interest from students.

Additionally, the documentation process in most institutions mandates the filing of the father’s name but not the mother’s. Devadasi children are neither allowed to take the names of their fathers nor exercise a right over their properties. 

This brings forth the challenge of inheritance and maintenance. While these are important rights in civil law, in the case of Devadasis, since there is no marriage, the children traditionally are considered to be born out of wedlock and are the children of the Devadasi alone. There is an operational hurdle too. Since some Devadasis may cohabit with more than one partner, there are difficulties in ascertaining parentage, responsibility and benefits. The onus of proving parentage is also upon Devadasis which is difficult and compounded by the social dynamics (NCW 2016). 

There is thus, at least societally, no onus on the partner to provide for the child. In fact, in the study conducted by Sampark, 42% of respondents mentioned that their partners did not provide for the children at all, while some had not even seen their faces. Similarly, in the NCW study, 82% of Devadasis themselves opined that their children were not able to inherit the property of the father or use their name, while only 6% asserted that they are expected to inherit (NCW 2016). This deprives the children of crucial financial support and assets that could assist social mobility but instead places the burden of care entirely on the Devadasi who is usually already economically vulnerable herself. 

What Needs to be Done?

Out of the overall help and support that is provided to Devadasis and their children, the majority comes from NGOs and through informal sources; no absolute help is received from the government especially in terms of rights, healthcare, education and law. Consequently, Devadasis have limited support systems; while the pension provided by the Government helps to a limited extent, more such systems need to be in place. One mechanism is to ensure that the Devadasi community can be channelized in support of each other. While the Government can play some role on this front, an important stakeholder to take this forward would be Civil Society Organizations. Apart from this, steps must be taken to legally ensure that Devadasis receive support from their partners. This can be done by recognizing the partners of Devadasis as has been done in the case of the Domestic Violence Act in the case of Live-in Relationships. The support thus garnered may not necessarily be beneficial directly for Devadasis but may aid them in the development of their children.

Education-wise, these children are eligible to join any course – medical, engineering, IAS, KAS, etc. For the children to have a good foundation, the government must develop measures that ensure that no child is left behind. This must include some form of financial incentives or reservations as well as support in terms of easing their enrolment and access to schooling and higher education. The existing scheme for daughters of Devadasis also needs to be further publicized and possibly reviewed to ensure improved uptake. They also need to be added as beneficiaries of schemes that children of other backward classes are eligible for. 

Childcare NGO in Bangalore. Once a good foundation is laid through education, the next key step is to ensure access to good quality livelihoods which also ensures dignity of labour. To achieve this, there needs to be a targeted skill development approach. This will ensure that some of the challenges mentioned by Devadasis concerning their children accessing jobs can be overcome.

[sampark25]

Childhood Care and Education Programme for Migrants Children

[sampark25]

Best NGO in bangalore for education - NGO in Bangalore

Sampark org is a NGO in bangalore for education which provides a better education in Bangalore, India, Sampark is a Koramangala based NGO that works extensively in the space of education and women.It runs creche projects for over 300 kids of migrant construction workers across the city.

[sampark25]

Biggest NGO in Bangalore- Sampark Org

Biggest NGO in Bangalore. Sampark does a really a good work for humanity helping women, taking childcare and more, Now its your turn to help us to help them.

[sampark25]

The role of Early years Education and Childcare NGO- sampark

The Early years Education and Childcare NGO in Bangalore. Sampark org develop community awareness about the behavior, growth and care of the child at various stages. It can be the foundation for emotional wellbeing and learning throughout life and one of the best investments a country and these things came true by Sampark organization. Sampark’s mission is to help vulnerable and poor people, especially women, to gain direct control over and improve their lives.