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 Anarv, a student at Vidya Niketan in Bengaluru.
Amenities such as schoolbags and benches are synonymous with school life to us. As a student myself, I sometimes take these things for granted. However, thousands of students in rural Karnataka (areas such as Mandya) don't have access to these provisions. They don't have bags to carry their books, they don't have proper footwear, and they more often than not have to sit on the cold, hard ground to study.
Sitting down on the floor for long periods of time means 9 in 10 students will face posture-related problems. It also has an indirect impact on their eyesight and their ability to concentrate and study. Lack of footwear also leads to foot-related diseases and health issues. Due to these health problems that demand medical attention, students miss out on 2-3 school days per month. That's an entire MONTH of school missed over the course of the year!
Many outstanding students who deserve academic success and merit fail to achieve this due to their lack of basic provisions. It's the exact opposite of a head start. Well, GreenSole is resolved to level the playing field.
The back-to-school kits- that GreenSole manufactures from discarded clothing and footwear that would otherwise just end up in a random landfill -cost just INR 950 and gives students a pair of up-cycled footwear, an up-cycled study mat to sit on comfortably at school or at home, and an up-cycled school bag for books. A contribution of just 3800 rupees would lessen the immense burden on 8 shoulders, give a rest to 8 weary legs and bring a HUGE smile onto 4 grateful faces.
Any contribution is appreciated, and every rupee makes a difference. Even sharing this amongst your friends and family would be a great way to show your support. So, join me, and together we can continue to make a difference, one student at a time!
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.
FAQs
Will we get to know the details of who benefitted?
Yes. After the money has been collected it will be transferred by Fueladream to GREENSOLE FOUNDATION. They will update you on the details of the beneficiaries as soon as possible. Once we get this information we shall upload a report on the UPDATES section of this campaign. You will then get an alert and can read details about the beneficiaries.
When do we get the receipts?
The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
How can we fund this campaign with a Cheque?
Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd account details are as below
BANK NAME: HDFC Bank Limited.
BRANCH: Koramangala( Main Branch). City: Bengaluru - 560095.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 50200013106778
IFSC CODE: HDFC0000053
Please draw a cheque in favor of "Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd", and deposit the cheque into the Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd HDFC Bank account (any branch across INDIA). After you deposit the cheque, please send an email to prasad@fueladream.com AND getintouch@fueladream.com with the following funder information.
1) Name of Funder:
2) Full address with Pin code:
3) Telephone/Mobile no and Email ID:
4) PAN of funder:
5) Cheque number:
6) Amount funded:
7) Whose campaign are you funding. (Name of the person OR campaign number/ID):
After the funds are received and the above details are verified, the fund amount will be transferred to the respective campaign. This can take from 1-3 working days.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept and is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations and ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding.
