The Corona crisis is a huge challenge for the population, in the Indian cities and also in the villages. Also in our project area close to Coimbatore and the villages the situation is obvious: besides the risks of the virus itself the direct and indirect consequences are huge. The income situation in many families is…
Tag: social impact
Holistic empowerment goes beyond mask distribution
The Karl Kübel foundation (KKS) and Making More Health (MMH), a social entrepreneurial initiative driven by Boehringer Ingelheim have been supporting 20 local leaders from Vimuktha Federation. They women have participated in several health and hygiene awareness training sessions as well as in digital and income generation activities, among them also the production of soap….
Soap making day to protect tribal communities
The COVID-19 virus is a huge risk to all, and even more for ethnic minorities. Tribals comprise a substantial minority population of India, making up 8.6% of India‘s population, or 104.2 million people, according to the 2011 census. One of the most impactful activities to combat infections is soap and hygiene practices. But soap is…
Moving from Local Corporate Social Responsibility to Global Social Engagement
How society and companies can practice innovative social engagement and profit from doing so In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a number of international social organizations were founded. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund increasingly broadened their scope of activity and soon began promoting “international development.” In addition to the large development…
News from the ground about life in India and the kantharis today
Let me share with you today some news from the “ground“. My friends Paul and Sabriye, who lead the kanthari center in South India, where they help social and impact entrepreneurs to grow, have sent me the following information and newsletter: “The world as we knew it, surely has changed. In these challenging days we…
Do we really invest enough and in impactful ways when it comes to developmental support for poor communities?
“This pic is of a borehole which had been left open. These boreholes you can find in many places. The communities get water from it. Often these boreholes have no cover which makes it very risky to small children and aged people. It’s all seasoned boreholes, ca. 40ft deep,” explains our local NGO partner. It…
Impressions from Mandawa today – a touristic town knocked down
It’s some years now that I have been the last time in Mandawa. It is one of the most popular spots for tourists in Rajastan. A town of ca. 25000 people, 190 km away from Jaipur. Small, not too easy to reach, but really impressive. Established in the 17th and 18th century this is a…
Health and income generation trainings pay off – Selfhelp groups in India manage their communities in crisis times
So far our tailoring group women in Karamadai, South India have produced 4000 masks (out of 8000) and these are being distributed to the sanitary workers, self-help group women and people from interior tribal areas. In the tribal areas the masks are distributed along with the food kits. Here the need for food is very…
Tailoring masks for more health and family food
In Karamadai, close to Coimbatore, where we have been doing a lot of health trainings and income generation activities over the last five years, our Selfhelp group of tailoring women is very active: While producing masks they help others, but also themselves and their families. The income source is really needed to cover the food…
How social distancing (does not) work in poor surroundings
Social distancing – a horror scenario for the poor? (Citation of article mentioned below): As many of us are painfully aware, social distancing is an impossibility for much of India (and a lot of other regions). Measures such as hand-washing, keeping oneself at home if symptomatic, working from home can be followed without any major…
Go India, go future! 