Dear Donors,

Here is an update on the utilization of the funds. The Better India is constantly working with its partners to identify ways in which we can help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We transferred an amount of Rs.4,45,366 to our partner, Akshaya Patra Foundation. The funds have been used to distribute 1000 Happiness Kits to Government School children who were regular beneficiaries of the Mid-Day Meal Programme.

We have initiated another round of transfer to our second partner, Samarpan, to support them with their Back to School Programme. Samarpan has undertaken the solar electrification of the non-electrified schools in Nashik, Maharashtra.

The work has been completed by the organization and they are happy to inform you that with your help, they could bring solar power to the schools which didn’t have electricity for a long time.

Thank you for supporting us in this fight against COVID-19.
Regards,
The Better India Team.

Dear Donors,

We are delighted to inform you that we have raised Rs. 41 Lakh for our campaign #BetterTogether. This would not have been possible without your constant support and encouragement. We thank each one of you out there for stepping forward and helping thousands of people get relief from the crisis caused by the ongoing pandemic.
We want to update you that we have stopped raising funds for our initiative #BetterTogether.  

Here is some information about the utilization of funds in the last few days:

 - With the changing situations around COVID-19, The Better India identified means to help people with livelihood opportunities. One such initiative that we supported with the funds we received is a reusable sanitary pad unit located in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. As mentioned in the previous update, this sanitary pad unit is run by Nightingale Federation -- a Self Help Group of 10 women employed under the Bordmusa Mahila Mandal.

The unit was set up in May 2019 and has manufactured and sold 4500 pads till date. The average monthly income of each woman is around Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. But they suffered a massive loss after the lockdown.We joined hands with NGO Samarpan and the District Administration, Changlang, to aid the SHG by providing the machinery and raw material required for the production of reusable sanitary napkins.With the new machinery and raw materials that we supported them with, the unit is producing not just sanitary napkins but also face masks to meet the ever-growing need.

Our partner NGO Samarpan has also decided to build their livelihoods further and buy the reusable sanitary napkins from the unit to distribute among rural women in Arunachal Pradesh.

“On behalf of the Nightingale Foundation, I would like to thank you for supporting us in these difficult times. We assure you all that we will make the best use of every single penny received for the upliftment of our unit as well as the society. We have already procured three sewing machines and one button fixing machine, hoping that we will be able to produce more and more reusable sanitary napkins and promote sustainable menstruation. Once again, our heartfelt thanks to you all,” says one SHG member.

Here are some pictures of the newly acquired machinery.



Other than this, we have also been supporting our partner team working under the District Magistrate, Tiruppur. Raised funds have been used to cover expenses for food and water given to migrant workers who travelled back to their hometowns, and the cost of helping them commute from Tiruppur to Chennai railway station.

Here are some pictures from the ground:





Once we finish the process of disbursing funds to all the vendors, we will be sharing details of the overall impact you have created with #Better Together. Thank you once again.

Dear donors,

Thank you for your continued support and generous contributions to our campaign #BetterTogether.
Here is the latest update on the relief activities that your donations are being used for.

The team in Mumbai, along with NGO Samarpan, has distributed sanitary pads and hygiene kits to 25,000 women in Mumbai slums, hospitals, and containment zones. They have also reached out to 500 cancer patients being treated at the Tata Memorial Hospital. These people were staying in shelters with their families during the treatment, and are now stuck in Mumbai because of the lockdown. Their most immediate need was umbrellas, as the monsoons have arrived. They have also been provided with hand sanitisers, face masks, soaps, and sanitary pads. The team has tried to address the nutritional needs of children by giving milk packets to around 2500 families, which couldn’t afford an adequate diet for their children.



With the changing situations around COVID-19, we at The Better India are also identifying other means to help people worst affected by the nation-wide lockdown and the ongoing health crisis. One such initiative that we will now be supporting with #BetterTogether is a reusable sanitary pad unit located in District Changlang of Arunachal Pradesh. This Sanitary pad unit is run by Nightingale Federation - a Self Help Group of 10 women employed under the Bordmusa Mahila Mandal.

The unit was set up in May 2019 and has manufactured and sold 4,500 cloth pads to date. The average monthly income of each woman is around Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, depending on the sale of pads. The pandemic has profoundly impacted the income of these women and the well being of their families.



We are joining hands with NGO Samarpan and the District Administration, Changland, to aid the SHG with capacity augmentation by providing the machinery and raw material for the production of reusable sanitary napkins. This will help enhance the production, leading to increased revenue generation for the women and bringing back livelihood security for their families.
A working budget of funds for the unit, as developed in consultation with the SHG and the District Administration, is as follows:



In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Mr. Saurabh Kumar and his team have distributed ration kits consisting of around 5 kg of rice, 1 kg of pulses, 500 gms of gram flour, 1 litre of cooking oil, soap, and food packets to over 7 lakh individuals. Besides the dry ration, he also onboarded 104 NGOs, including the Akshay Patra Foundation. These NGOs are providing 8,000 packets of cooked meals daily to the most vulnerable section of the population. Chattisgarh is one of the states that is receiving migrants from all over the country. The District Administration has been providing meals at the quarantine centres and also arranging for transport of these people from Raipur to their actual hometowns.



The team at Tiruppur district, headed by Dr. K. Vijaykarthikeyan has been continuously ensuring safe journeys for the migrant workers from their state. They have provided food and sanitation kit to passengers on 32 trains so far, out of which, the #BetterTogether campaign has supported the resources for 10 trains (around 16000 passengers).

While our partner teams are working hard to support the lives of people worst affected by the lockdown, we are working with them to identify changing needs and ensure the upliftment of those who have lost their livelihood because of COVID-19. Since support initiatives at our other partner locations like Bengaluru and Meghalaya have reached their conclusion, we are decreasing our target amount to Rs. 50 Lakh.

We aim to raise this amount by July 15 and request you to continue supporting us in helping thousands who need us in these troubled times.