In most of our homes, in some corner, packed inside cardboard boxes, we have toys that lay unused and useless.  Have you thought that they could bring joy to the life of children who never had toys to play with? Take them out of those boxes, wrap them up and send across to Toybank – you’ll feel a silent satisfaction sweep inside you.

Toybank is about gifting toys to those children who have been deprived of so many things, let alone the ‘luxury’ of toys. Agreed there is poverty and misery around, but can we afford to have children around us growing up unhappy? Shweta Chari, a young and energetic Electronics engineer, found a calling inside her and decided that she will bring fun and play into the lives of disadvantaged children. She founded ‘Toybank’ with an honest vision of placing a toy in the hands of every child in India and the world.

Shweta and her team of volunteers at Toybank started off gathering toys for street children in Mumbai. The very innocence of this initiative attracted fabulous response from people. Toys started flooding in and Toybank gift wrapped the donated toys with love and placed them in the hands of these kids. It might seem like a simple toy gifting idea, but there is an enormous mental, emotional and creative development that these toys trigger. Toybank started noticing that the kids were slowly opening up, began to feel important and wanted, and started expressing themselves better. Most of all, they had something that they could say was their own – a strong sense of belonging came along. As they grow, like we all remember some toy or the other that we played with, these children will also have a special toy to remember.

As Toybank takes up the role of an angel, they are very clear about one thing – we are not doing any charity, we are just giving the children access to their right. It’s the right of every child to have an enjoyable childhood and grow in the magical and imaginary world that toys create for them. “We at Toybank think that we are all pieces of a large jig saw puzzle; some fulfill basic needs of food, clothing and education while some like us focus on bringing happiness through play into the lives of children. The day all the pieces are put in perfectly and the picture is crystal clear, will be the day Toybank can shut shop.”

In the last six years, Toybank has made it possible for over 8000 kids to own a toy for themselves. Going one step further, Toybank is also taking initiatives to sensitize privileged kids about giving and joy of giving. They go to various schools and spread the good spirit of Toybank. Now that they have toy banks in Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, Bhutan and in the UK, Shweta wants Toybank to make a difference to the lives of children in rural India.

It’s a simple and beautiful contribution – donate toys and make a child smile. Visit www.toybank.org or write to mail@toybank.org.

Libraries are as the shrine where all the relics of the ancient saints, full of true virtue, and that without delusion or imposture, are preserved and reposed. That is a famous quote by Francis Bacon.

Most of us who love reading cherish the time we spent as children in libraries scanning through books of various shapes and sizes with vivid covers and enticing titles. Libraries are the repositories of knowledge. But a large number of children are deprived of this wonderful experience; they don’t get to read which in effect does not inculcate in them the habit of studying.

AWIC, Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children, is a voluntary organisation working towards the promotion and development of literature for children in India. It represents writers, illustrators, librarians, editors and publishers. Founded by late K.Shankar Pillai in 1981, AWIC endorses the ethics and functions of the global organisation IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People), a non-profit which represents an international network of people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and children together.

The various projects of AWIC include the following:

Children’s Library Project

Winner of the IBBY-ASAHI Reading Promotion Award, this project was started in 1983. Today 114 libraries in Delhi and across India have been setup under this voluntary scheme to promote reading. Each library is provided with free books. The project aims at making good books available to children who have no access to books .

Most of the libraries are managed by AWIC members on a voluntary basis. While most libraries function from the homes of AWIC members, some libraries have also been set up in parks, hospitals, railway platforms and slum areas for underprivileged children. Each year AWIC gives out one Best Librarian award and two Reader of the Year awards!

AWIC initiated IBBY library project – creating children’s libraries at Madi Village in Delhi (NCR), at Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, at Jaipur, Rajasthan and Daman in Goa.

Literacy Project

In 1995 AWIC launched its Literacy Project and has published two Hindi alphabet books under its schemes, ‘Buy, Teach and Gift’ and ‘Teach and Gift’. Under the second scheme, AWIC distributes these books free in all Indian states, including remote areas where children have no access to good books.

Book Promotion

Book Promotion Cell promotes the cause of children’s books written by Indian authors by conducting book talks. Besides this, the organization participates in national and international children’s books fairs.

AWIC Book Therapy project

The Book Therapy Project is a particularly interesting one and was started after the 26/11 terrorist violence in Mumbai. It was started in order to promote the use of books to help children during those difficult times. Reading can be therapeutic; helping children come to grips with situations that create turmoil in their minds. Book Therapy helps children cope with such stressful situations, and even prepares them for further eventualities. Through workshops AWIC aims to train facilitators to administer book therapy and also develop books, including picture books and anthologies, which provide a healing effect to children.

If you have some free space in your home or office, you too can start a library for the underprivileged! For becoming a member of AWIC, all you need to do is download this application form http://www.awic.in/about-awic/AWIC-Membership-Form.pdf and fill it up and mail to the address provided in the form. 

So what are the options you look at when you go out to buy furniture? Wood, metal, even plastic? How about getting home some bamboo furniture the next time you go shopping? Not only will you be making an environmentally friendly choice, you will also be providing employment opportunities to millions of rural and tnribal artisans living in abject povevrty in the bamboo belt of India. Thanks to the research and efforts by two young entrepreneurs, Prashant Lingam and Aruna, this is now a possibility.

With the idea germiating from their own search for an eco-friendly furniture option, Bamboo House India came into being officially in May 2008, after the founders spent about 9 months on study and experimentation. In this time, Prashant and Aruna Kappagantula were exposed to the miserable living conditions of the bamboo artisans of North-East India and decided that the aim of their enterprise would not only be to create a space for bamboo in the Indian furniture market, but also to generate employment for 5 million artisans. Lofty as it might sound, they went ahead and created a tangible business plan which included building expertise and spreading awareness about bamboo and its uses, creatively utilizing bamboo in multiple scenarios including furniture, structure and flooring, and setting up a chain of bamboo showrooms all across the country for retailing the products created by these artisans.

Their journey towards creating “green livelihoods” was not an easy one. There were several hurdles faced by these entrepreneurs, and not just from one source. Firstly, there is not much information available on bamboo and its properties and uses, and the duo had to almost start from scratch and build their own data bank through study and experimentation. They lost almost 4 lakh rupees on bamboo furniture they built initially because they were not aware that bamboo traps moisture and cracks. They gained a lot of knowledge from the artisans in North East who have been in the trade from centuries. However, communicating with these artisans and uniting them under one banner posed its own callenges. The severe lack of infrastructure in the areas where they reside caused great delays in execution. It sometimes took 25 days for the furniture design to reach the artisan by post, and he had to travel 40kms to inform Prashant or Aruna that he had received it. The provision of mobile phones, the internet and cameras has eased the situation now.

Not the least of the problems was convincing the government authorities and finding support for the venture. After considerable persuasion, Bamboo House India managed to get support from Confederation of Indian Industries (CII-Hyderabad) for setting up the stores, starting the first one in Hyderabad. They have also partnered with institutions like IIT-Delhi, National Institute of Design and National Mission on Bamboo Application to set up model homes and instill confidence in the utility of bamboo. Aid from entities like IL&FS and APTDC went a long way in providing the impetus and helping them to spread the word about their work.

Bamboo Furniture by Bamboo House India

Prashant and Aruna have great plans for the future. They hope to set up 3-5 exclusive bamboo outlets in the next 3-5 years and also expand into niche segments like bamboo flooring and clothing. We wish them luck and encourage you to support their cause by visiting their store today. Find out more about them on their website: http://www.bamboohouseindia.org/

We hear a lot about corporate social responsibility where companies contribute to the welfare of the society. But here is an organization where social responsibility is not just a residue of its profits, but the core purpose that guides its existence. Mirakle Couriers was born with a business idea that will support the livelihood of deaf adults.

There is no charity here, it is business, it is employment for the deaf. Mirakle simply touched the biggest pain point in the lives of the disabled, their employment. Their talents are all hidden and forgotten. The possibility of them being able to do something is never given a thought and we have them excluded from the mainstream. Moved by this very stigma, Dhruv Lakra founded Mirakle Couriers and invested his trust on the abilities of the deaf.

Based out of Mumbai, this organization started off with just two deaf boys in their team. Now the team has grown to 35 boys and 15 girls. The boys are entrusted with the responsibility of delivering the couriers while the girls work at the office. The employees at Mirakle have come in from different backgrounds and have stories to share that will tear our hearts apart. Abusive families, exploiting work environments, seclusion and what not. But their lives have changed. They are today earning members of their families. They are respected, independent and they love the job they are doing.

Bhupesh, an employee at Mirakle who has suffered a horrific past says: “I asked a deaf friend if he could help me find a job. He took me to meet Dhruv. Now that I am at Mirakle, I can finally feed my brother and myself. I give thanks to my God everyday for this opportunity. I am the only deaf person in my whole village and I have no friends. Life is stressing there. Mirakle provides me with friends who are all deaf like me. I can finally talk to someone like me, share a joke and just enjoy life.”

The biggest success of Mirakle Couriers lies in being able to give a respectable livelihood to the deaf. Mirakle goes to schools for the deaf to hire its people. The word about the opportunity at Mirakle has spread among the deaf with more and more people coming to join in. This unique people force is bringing success to the business which in return is spreading silent smiles of happiness.

You could help Mirakle Couriers by urging your company to use the services of this novel initiative. Know more about them at http://www.miraklecouriers.com/. Also, read their blog http://miraklecouriers.wordpress.com/.

Introducing ‘AVAZ’ – a product created by Invention Labs, Chennai. AVAZ provides a ‘voice’ to a non-verbal child with Cerebral Palsy, allowing him/her to communicate with friends, family and teachers. By enabling speech-impaired children to communicate easily, this device is helping them become much more independent and free from their existing barriers.

AVAZ The product

Cerebral Palsy – The Problem

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a congenital condition in which the motor cortex of the brain is damaged. People with cerebral palsy are unable to achieve muscle control and coordination. Cerebral palsy is non-progressive, non-contagious and permanent. The incidence of Cerebral palsy is 2-2.5 persons per 1000 live births, and the estimated population of CP cases in India is approximately 25 lakhs (cited from publicly available information).
Approximately 40-55% of people with CP are affected in all muscles below the head (quadriplegia and diplegia). In most of these cases, these include the muscles that produce speech, and such persons are consequently non-verbal. In conjunction with their inability to move their hands or feet in a coordinated manner, this impairment means that they do not have access to any of the traditional ways of communication.

Most children with CP are of normal intelligence, and are handicapped in education and employment primarily due to their lack of communication abilities.

AVAZ

AVAZ is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). AVAZ is a portable speech synthesizer which can be controlled by gross motor movements of a child with CP, such as approximate movement of the head or of large muscle groups. These movements are captured by the use of a touch-screen or an external switch to allow the child to create text sentences on the device using predictive software, and this text is read out by the device. AVAZ is thus an artificial voice for the child.

How did AVAZ achieve this?

Invention Labs began engaging with IIT Madras and Vidya Sagar to develop commercially viable Voice Output Communication Aids in 2008. Sustained research and development on the device began in May 2008 in collaboration with Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Departments at IIT Madras. Invention Labs received a grant of Rs 10 lakhs under the Technopreneur Promotion Programme (TePP) from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, in February 2009, which was used to fund the development of AVAZ in part.

Invention Labs continuously engaged with Vidya Sagar’s teachers and students to validate the usability and impact of the prototypes of the device. After a couple of rounds of prototyping and based on feedback from children as well as teachers, the design was finalized, and the beta version of the device went into production. AVAZ was launched in February 2010 and has been warmly welcomed by the community of special educators as a step in the right direction.

The Details

AVAZ consists of two components – a wheelchair mountable speech synthesizer and text prediction software that runs on this synthesizer. The speech synthesizer has been designed to be usable by children with different abilities and has the following features:

• Large 7” LCD display with Touchscreen
• Speakers and Audio Jack – for voice output and audio prompts
• USB port – to connect non-contact switches that get activated when they sense motion
• Mono Jack port – to connect contact switches that get activated when pressed
• Rechargeable battery (in-built)
• Wheelchair mount (optional)

The text prediction software helps children do two things – creating sentences and speaking them out. Sentences are created in AVAZ using a technique called ‘scanning’. The user can select an option by pressing anywhere on the touchscreen or by using any contact or non-contact switch that is connected to the speech synthesizer. In order to speed up text creation, AVAZ features learning and prediction. It is able to remember sentences and words used by the child in the past, and it accelerates the entry of commonly used templates. AVAZ currently supports nearly 10000 words in the English language, and many more can be added by the child if needed.

The text prediction software comes with many options to enable children to customize the device to suit their needs:
a. Scan speed can be modified to suit the child’s comfort
b. Audio mode is available to help visually impaired children hear the current position of the highlight
c. New words can be added by the user to the in-built dictionary of AVAZ.
d. Frequently used sentences can be added as a ‘template’ for quick retrieval

Benefits to the Children

AVAZ provides a ‘voice’ to a non-verbal child with Cerebral Palsy, allowing him/her to communicate with friends, family and teachers.

• AVAZ enables these children to express themselves – children can convey virtually any thought in their minds by creating messages dynamically and using the speech synthesizer to ‘speak’.
• AVAZ helps them become independent – children can interact with the device based on their ability. A number of interaction switches, contact as well as non-contact, are compatible with AVAZ and can be used to operate the device.
• AVAZ allows them to communicate easily – the software adapts to the child’s vocabulary, using words that are most frequently used by him/her as well as allowing the child to create ‘template’ messages for daily use.
• AVAZ is also portable, allowing the child to carry it around and even mount it on a wheelchair.

Future Thoughts

Communication plays a very important role in our lives and enables people to make friends, influence others and interact with their communities in meaningful ways. Our goal is to enable non-verbal persons with different abilities to overcome the barriers in communication that they face with the help of assistive devices like AVAZ. Just like a person with mild visual impairment wears spectacles to correct her/his vision, we envision that most non-verbal persons will have access to and use a portable assistive device like AVAZ to ‘speak’ and communicate.
Invention Labs plans to leverage the many features of AVAZ to extend its use to an educational environment, where the children could be taught using AVAZ. Special-purpose applications could also be built that work in specific employment opportunities to help such children take up gainful employment when they graduate. AVAZ could also be interfaced to a PC or a mobile phone in order for non-verbal CP children to use these devices.
Since a child can interact with AVAZ in multiple ways, the same principles used by a child with CP to communicate can be extended to help other non-verbal children. Children with lower levels of CP, Autistic children, children with learning disabilities and children with multiple disabilities could all benefit from having an assistive device that suits their needs. With the appropriate application, AVAZ could potentially be useful by adults who have been temporarily or permanently impaired by accident, stroke, disease or even old age.

About Invention Labs

Invention Labs is a startup based out of Chennai and incubated at IIT Madras. Voted one of the hottest startups in India by Business Today in 2009, Invention Labs was founded by alumni of IIT Madras. With a diversity of experience gained from working for multinational corporations at different locations worldwide, the founding members of Invention Labs returned to India in 2007 to set up Invention Labs as an organization that invents products for the unmet needs of the Indian consumer.

Read more about Avaz (and watch their video) here: http://www.inventionlabs.in/avaz/aboutAVAZ.html

In our lives whenever there is a financial emergency we have the privilege of access to a whole gamut of banking and financial services. We could walk into a bank avail a loan , use our credit cards. But there is a vast majority in our country who don’t even have access to a bank account.

That is where ‘Microcredit’ comes into play. Microcredit refers to providing small loans to low income households – mostly to start a micro-enterprise like livestock rearing, tailoring, grocery store etc. These income generating activities enable poor households to become self-reliant and get out of the vicious circle of poverty.

One can simply register on rangde.org to become a social investor. Choose borrowers to make a social investment of as little as Rs. 100. At the end of the repayment schedule, the investor receives a 2% interest on the investment.

Here’s an interview with Smita Ram, Co-Founder & COO , Rang De:

What was the whole idea behind starting Rang De?

The idea behind starting Rang De was to create a sustainable initiative that will address a problem at its roots. Prior to starting Rang De, we were dabbling with several ideas relating to child labor, domestic help, media etc.

But soon we realized that most of these problems had poverty as its root cause and unless we address poverty, the rest will continue to exist. While we were researching these problems, Mr. Mohammed Yunus won the Nobel Prize in December 2006. That’s how we were introduced to the concept of micro-credit. Something that intrigued us was the interest rates that the borrower paid and how little people like us knew about the concept.

Thus Rang De was born as an initiative that facilitates small loans (micro-credit) for Indians that do not have access to credit. You can lend from Rs. 100 onwards on www.rangde.org to entrepreneurs identified by our partners across India. Join us to make poverty history in India!

What kind of hurdles you had to face during setting up the organization?

There were plenty of challenges right from registering the entity, to attracting talent to getting funds. We continue to face similar and other challenges but that is what makes working for Rang De enjoyable.

Rang De has a fabulous repayment rate, how do you guys achieve that?

We follow a model that is similar to the one propagated by Mr. Mohammed Yunus. We lend money usually to individuals in groups.The group could be a self help group or a joint liability group. In both cases, the group members vet each other and the group leader signs as a guarantor. The group also agrees to pitching in with the repayments if one of them fails to repay. This is the main reason for the repayment rate. Apart from this, we have a criteria for the selection of the borrowers which our field partners follow.

What has been the response of the social investors?

Our social investor base is growing slowly but steadily. We have a little more than 1000 social investors and in some sense, we are a close-knit community. Those who invested their money first have also now begun to invest their time to make Rang De more efficient.

In how many states does the organization have its presence?

We currently have a presence in 10 states – Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,West Bengal.

Although the impact is quite evident, could you tell us some anecdotes of the social impact of Rang De, on individuals and the community in general?

Women entrepreneurs we are reaching out to in Orissa are getting access to loans for the first time. Their loan size is as small as Rs.1000. They are able to borrow money for the first time because it is affordable.

Any plans of making it a for-profit organization?

No. We do not plan to make it a for-profit organization.

How do you plan to take it forward? Where do you see it 5 years down the line?

We would like to be able to reach out to people across all states in India and go deeper into the territories where we have started to work. We would also like to provide a wide range of social investing options to the investors and make social investing a norm.

The Better India team wishes Rang De all the best of their mission to create a macro impact through micro credit.

Contact Details
Do visit www.rangde.org for more info
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rangde
Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/127485?m=96aaaf39/

In this maddening hustle bustle of the modern day, most of us dream of a vacation , set in some tranquil abode of nature, a unique experience that enriches the body , mind and soul , full of contrasts and diversity. Something that can’t really be located in a guide book.

Well, if you are looking for all of that and want to contribute to Responsible Tourism in the country Travel another India is the answer.

As traditional sources of income erode , Travel another India aims to provide an alternate means of livelihood to many rural farm and forest fringe communities , artisans and craft persons who are willing to play host.

Travel another India won the Sankalp award for emerging companies in Rural Innovations for 2009.

Here’s an interview with Ms. Gouthami, Co-Founder of Travel another India.

Contact Details

Please visit http://travelanotherindia.com to know more
Blog: http://travelanotherindia.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Travel-Another-India/120624356334

SAMAG is a registered, Non-Profit support group which is relentlessly working for the cause of “Ataxia” and “Muscular Dystrophies”- a set of Neuro Muscular degenerative disorders resulting in body imbalance and heart problems which gradually worsens until the victim becomes totally incapacitated. At present, there is no known cure in this world for this disorder.

SAMAG was founded by Chandu George in 2006 in Hyderabad, India with a vision to spread awareness about Ataxia and to provide information and counseling to families coping with Ataxia. Journey has been difficult for this budding organization but thanks to the positive efforts of volunteers led by Chandu, SAMAG has slowly and steadily created awareness on Ataxia and has successfully paved the way to create a forum for Ataxians thus bringing in hope and voice for Ataxians in India.

Chandu George, belonging to a middle class family in Hyderabad, has grown from being a shy and introvert guy into a confident personality leading the way for better life for Ataxians. Diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia from the tender age of 14, Chandu realized very early that living with Ataxia was a part of his life and a reality. Over the years he has accepted this hard bitter truth in life and maintaining an ever optimistic attitude, he has strived relentlessly in building SAMAG, an effort to better the lives of families coping with this rare condition.

Completing 4 years of operation, SAMAG has been successful in getting attention from local organizations and volunteers who have come forward to help in its efforts by tree plantations, donation of wheelchairs, organizing fundraising activities etc. SAMAG has also been featured in local channels like Saakshi TV and TV9 along with getting published in local newspapers. It continues to act as an advocacy and lobby group for Ataxians and continues to prepare volunteers who can contribute their time and energy for the welfare of Ataxia patients and help them in obtaining essential commodities like wheelchairs, walkers, medicine etc.

However, despite all its achievements, SAMAG is still in need of funds as well as volunteers to realize many of the pending projects. One such project is SAMAG Rehabilitation Center. SAMAG aspires to build a disabled friendly rehabilitation centre where it can bring the Ataxian families together along with care givers and volunteers. Chandu truly believes that spending a weeks time in a direct interactive environment , Ataxian families can share their concerns, reduce their worries and also develop a feeling of ” togetherness” which can bring them new hope in life.

This project is yet to be realized due to the lack of funds and resources.

Another project is to open a branch of SAMAG in Bangalore which is again not been realized because of lack of volunteers and like-minded people.

I take this opportunity to remind The Better India readers that SAMAG is a registered non-profit support group which entirely depends upon donation, charity, grants and fund raising events. It needs helping hands to support the cause and funds to implement projects. Even a little help can make a huge difference.

So, please feel free to contact Chandu at sam_ataxiaindia[at]yahoo[dot]com in order to find out ways of help, how to become a volunteer, how to conduct fund-raising activities, sponsor a victim or make a donation.

Please visit www.samataxiagroup.org to know more.

Read more about Ataxis here: Ataxia on Wikipedia

Every seven minutes, a woman in India dies due to pregnancy-related complications. Over a million babies born in the country die within their first month of life. India has the unfortunate distinction of claiming more than a quarter of the total newborn deaths in the world. The majority of these deaths occur in rural areas where poverty and lack of knowledge about proper maternal and child health care are the real cause of these fatalities.

The Indian government has come up with schemes such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the soon-to-be-launched National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to address this dire situation. Both schemes give high priority to the issue of maternal and newborn health for marginalized communities, and seek to improve the availability of and access to quality health care for those at the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder. Additionally, government programs such as the Janani Suraksha Yojana incentivize delivery in hospitals by encouraging mothers to opt for institutional deliveries.

Effective development communication programs can play a pivotal role in bridging these knowledge gaps by identifying barriers to behavior change, analyzing these barriers, and developing original techniques to overcome them.

AKHA

For instance, in Assam, a collaboration between the Indian government, UNICEF, and local bodies is using a boat called Akha to reach underprivileged indigenous tribes that inhabit geographically isolated sandbars and islands called chaporis. The chapori residents, who live near the lifeline of Assam—the Brahmaputra river, are often cut off from accessing health care facilities due to floods and other natural hazards. What’s more, awareness about maternal and child health care is all but drowned out by the other concerns for survival that face this group.

The Akha Boat

The Akha, which comes equipped with medical staff and communications materials, makes visits to these isolated regions with the mission to regularly provide facilities for maternal and child health as well as promote awareness about health-seeking behaviors. Findings suggest that the service delivery undertaken by the boat, which has been continually expanding over the last few years, has dramatically improved thousands of lives. 71 percent of the chapori mothers sought some form of antenatal care during their last pregnancy; of these, 42 percent sought care from the Akha.

This is one example of how an intervention tailored to the specific needs of a community can raise awareness and create tangible change.

SURE START

Another example is the work done by a project called Sure Start—an initiative based at PATH, an international not-for-profit organization supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project is working with rural communities in Uttar Pradesh and settlements of marginalized people in Maharashtra to help mothers and their children to survive and stay healthy.

The project’s communications program is innovative in its efforts to raise awareness and interest about maternal and child health care issues. In villages, for example, the “letter from an unborn child” campaign reached out to 40,000 fathers-to-be, educating them about the importance of taking care of their wives during pregnancy. In both Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the program uses interactive and entertaining tools including dance, music, theater, and games to create awareness.

Mr. Nirbhay Singh, the elected head of one of the villages in Uttar Pradesh where Sure Start operates, estimates that since the program began in his village in 2008, 70 to 75 percent of adults in the community have become aware of safe delivery practices and the vital importance of ensuring access to maternal and child health services. One result is that payments under the government’s Janani Suraksha Yojana (a scheme that incentivizes institutional delivery) have increased alongside the growing awareness about the health benefits of giving birth in hospitals.

In this way, projects such as these use customized communication techniques to raise awareness of maternal and newborn health issues, thus helping local communities benefit fully from existing government schemes. It has often been said that knowledge is power, and the projects mentioned above give that power back to the communities they work in.

Sure Start works to educate women in India on maternal and neonatal health. Sure Start, an initiative by PATH, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to promote safe childbirth practices in India.

Connect with PATH at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sure-Start-Project-by-Path/178629192101
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pathsurestart

Article courtesy: Vikas S from PATH Sure Start. Thanks Vikas!

We have all read comics when we were young. Many of us continue to read them due to their fascinating nature of conveying stories very easily.

But comics need not necessarily confine to the comedy genre. Can they be used to communicate an issue, a cause or a fact? World Comics India, led by Sharad Sharma, is doing exactly that – using the power of comics to bring about a social change!

World Comics India is a collective of cartoonists, media persons and grassroots activists. This organization makes use of comics to serve as a communication tool and as a mode of self-expression in remote areas of not only India, but many countries in South Asia.

Sharad Sharma, who leads World Comics India, is a cartoonist from Jaipur and has initiated numerous workshops where cartoons and comics are used to spread awareness. A novel idea indeed, considering that comics can easily cut across language barriers!

One of their campaigns was the Girl Child Right Campaign which aimed to address the issue of female infanticide in the region of Western Rajasthan. Here, they trained children and adults in comics making. These trained people in turn created over 300 comics focused on the girl child’s rights. World Comics India then conducted a road-based tour with all this material which was distributed to various villagers and local leaders. You can view all the comics created as part of this campaign here: Girl Child Right Campaign Comics

Similarly, they had also initiated a campaign against corporal punishment in Uttar Pradesh. Students of a school in Maharajganj used comics to spread awareness amongst teachers that punishment by beating is not really the right way to discipline children. Details of this campaign available here: Corporate Punishment campaign.

Their website is comprehensive with a lot of material available for people and organizations to make use of. For instance, the entire manual on how to go about creating these comics is available in both English and Hindi (both files are about 2 MB each).

If interested, you can download a series of videos available on their website which showcases how the various campaigns were initiated and also on how World Comics India trains people in the art of comics making! Click here to view and download all resources related to World Comics India, including a book written by Sharad Sharma and Leif Packalen titled “Grassroots Comics – A Development Communication Tool”.

For contact details, please visit their website www.WorldComicsIndia.com

Pointer to WCI provided by Sunandini Basu of Inktales