THE BACKGROUND:

School-going children in many government schools are greatly disadvantaged when they go to school. They walk long distances barefoot, they do not have a proper school bag, and they sit on the floor. All this leads to poor attendance, health issues, and a lack of interest in studies (as their sitting posture itself is very uncomfortable).

THE SOLUTION:

The Mumbai-based NGO Greensole has developed a unique back-to-school kit that has:-

1. Footwear (No more barefoot walking)

2. Study Mat (Makes it comfortable to sit at school for long hours)

3. School Bag (Ergonomically designed and colorful)

These elements are made from recycled material. For example, the sole from old footwear (which would be burnt or thrown into a landfill) is turned into new footwear. Old clothes are used to make the bags and mats. This is very environmentally friendly. Greensole also provides employment to women at their manufacturing unit.

PIC: The items that will be included in the back-to-school kit.

PIC: The students with the contents of the back-to-school kit.

The back-to-school kit contains a pair of recycled footwear, a soft study mat to sit comfortably on the bare ground and attend classes, and a school bag to carry all their books and stationery. This dramatically changed a student's attitude to school and studies. It improves attendance, focuses at school, and helps them fall in love with education. It also eliminates both foot-related diseases and improves the child's posture, decreases strain on the eyes, and reduces stress on the neck and back.

UPCYCLED ITEMS:

Upcycling refers to using end-of-life materials to make a new product with added value. That is to say, we re-use a product that is no longer used, or that can no longer be used, and turn it into a useful product.

This type of recycling has a positive impact on the environment since it defers and reduces the amount of waste in a landfill. In addition, the material is not processed like in downcycling, instead, it is cut, folded, molded, etc. into a new product. 

EACH BACK-TO-SCHOOL KIT COSTS JUST INR 950.

WHAT GOES INTO THE KIT AND BENEFICIARY INFORMATION:

PIC: The facade of the school and students from the Government Primary school in rural Karnataka.

BENEFICIARY INFO : FIRST LIST OF SCHOOLS IN MANDYA DISTRICT THAT WILL BENEFIT

CASE STUDY:

ABOUT ME:

My name is Avni. I am a 16-year-old student at Vidyaniketan School in Bengaluru, in Grade 11.

I started this effort after learning—to my surprise—that a large number of Karnataka youngsters from low-income parents attend government schools, lack essential school supplies like a backpack and appropriate shoes, and frequently study on the hard ground.

Nine out of ten students who spend a lot of time sitting on the floor will experience posture-related issues. Additionally, it indirectly affects their eyesight, focus, and academic performance. Health problems and foot-related illnesses are also brought on by inadequate footwear.
Students will receive a recycled school bag to hold their books, a recycled study mat to use at home or school, and a pair of recycled shoes as part of the back-to-school kit for just INR 950. This is incredibly little to have a positive impact on a student. For instance, donate INR 3,800 to change the lives of four children.

Please help me in my effort so that we can jointly improve these students' attendance, health, and academic performance. This kit also brings a big smile to their faces and gives them confidence.

PREVIOUS DISTRIBUTION DRIVES:

PIC: The distribution of Back-To-School kits in a school in rural Telangana.

PIC: The students of Govt Primary School, Palwal, Haryana received the back-to-school kits from the students of a school who took part in a crowdfunding campaign like this and raised funds.

OUR PARTNER

Greensole Origins :

As athletes, the founders of Greensole, Shriyans Bhandari, and Ramesh Dhami ran hundreds of kilometers every year. They also ran through at least 3 to 4 pairs of sports shoes every year. The soles were in good condition but the shoe sides tore within months. The duo always wondered if they could find some use for the intact soles of these quality sports shoes. A bit of research led to the idea of refurbishing them into trendy slippers. That brainwave eventually spawned an eco-friendly enterprise that reuses shoe soles and is appropriately named Greensole. Greensole used to previously only recycle shoes but now they also give back-to-school kits to rural students which include upcycled footwear, masks, study mats, and school bags.

MAP SHOWING AREAS WHERE RURAL STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT IN KARNATAKA:

TAX BENEFITS:

Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as the NGO, Greensole is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of the IT Act. Foreign funding is NOT accepted.

FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET:

To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall get a report from the NGO (this takes between 1 to 3 months usually after the funds are raised and transferred to them) telling me who benefitted from the funding. The details will then be posted in the UPDATES section of my campaign. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. Click on the link in the email and you can read about who benefitted. That's transparent, right?

The below image is an example of the FEEDBACK FORMAT that will be shared.