FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR’S DESK

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Habitat for Humanity India!

India is emerging fast as a ‘giving nation’. The Dasra Philanthropy Report 2022 and The India Giving Report 2019 by CAF Global Alliance capture this enduring positive trend, with active volunteering among children and youth of the country. It goes in tandem with the belief that voluntary organizations positively impact their local communities. Keeping this in mind, we need to proactively decide the right strategy to pitch and retain individual donors, by giving time and resources for engagement and by removing the distance between supporters and the causes they are donating for.

Housing is the core of what we do at Habitat India. Our focus in the past 39 years has been to make housing a reality for economically marginalized communities in the country, collaborating with people at the grassroots, corporates, volunteers, and stakeholders at all levels to create an environment where families can achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance to build a better future.

We have been actively advocating for housing to be included in the Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013 – popularly known as the Corporate Social Responsibility Act - which would enable us to significantly scale our work in the country. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India have given us a keen ear to our appeal, and we are hopeful of realising this goal in the near future.

We are also improving the mechanics for delivery of affordable housing in the country. On 10^th June, we conducted a workshop on 'Innovations in Affordable Housing' in collaboration with the District Administration of Puri, Government of Odisha; Svatantra Micro Housing Finance, The Hilti Foundation, J. K. Lakshmi Cement along with our partner International Finance Corporation. 175 government staff participated in this workshop.

It is evidently clear that the best way forward is through partnership and adoption of green technology. Public Private People’s Partnership (4Ps), sensitization of green technology through training of trainers (ToT) and collaboration with experts like the International Finance Corporation will significantly improve capacities for delivery of affordable housing at scale.

On this note, I would like to convey my thanks to all of you for your prayers and wishes during my brief illness due to COVID-19. Thanks to your support, I am recovering steadily but surely. Wishing you and your family good health, peace and joy.

In partnership Dr. Rajan Samuel Managing Director Habitat for Humanity India

Sarika Shinde (30) lives with her daughter Sanskruti (14) and son Sanskar (11) in Nandgaon village, Osmanabad district, Maharashtra. She got married in 2006, but only a couple of years after her wedding, her husband suffered from alcoholism, plunging Sarika into mental and physical agony.

Things did not improve as years went on. Her children were also suffering the consequences of a father who was not only unhelpful but violent under the influence of alcohol. Deciding to protect her children, she left her husband and returned to her elderly parents.

Sarika started sewing blouses and children’s clothes at home to support her family. Soon, it became a business. From a single sewing machine, it became 4 sewing machines and she was able to employ three people.

When Habitat India’s Project Nirmanshree team was raising awareness about the project and interacting with the villagers, her interest piqued. She was selected for Enterprise Development Program and Government Schemes, and certification under Recognition of Prior Learning. Here she learnt how to build a sustainable business and access government schemes for business expansion. Post the training, she received handholding support to apply for the Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) to start a mask making micro-enterprise. Through PMEGP, she was granted the financial support of INR 1,00,000 with 35% subsidy. Sarika has already received the first tranche of INR 50,000.

She will use the financial support to construct a shed so she can make her mask-making business productive and efficient. She is aiming to produce 300 masks every month and will continue tailoring blouses as a part of her business.

“I am looking forward to this new phase in our lives. This new track of business will not only improve our income but will support other families also.” - Sarika.

Assam Flood Response Appeal

The floods in Assam have affected over 21 lakh people. People of Assam have lost their loved ones, their homes, their livelihoods and are in distress. Habitat India is responding to this emergency through Humanitarian Aid Kits and Emergency Shelter Kits as a part of our immediate response.

Habitat for Humanity places the families affected by natural disasters on a path to durable and sustainable shelter solutions in a phase wise manner through its Pathways to Permanence disaster response strategy.

To donate, visit www.habitatindia.org

To support us through CSR, please get in touch with:
Suprita Tambe (Director – Resource Development Support): [email protected]
Mohan D'souza (Director – Corporate Partnership and Direct Marketing): [email protected]

Workshop on Innovations in Affordable Housing

On 10^th June 2022, Habitat for Humanity India organised a workshop on Innovations in Affordable Housing, Housing Support Services and Building Green Housing at the District Rural Development Agency (DUDA) Conference Hall in Puri, Odisha. The workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Jyoti Shankar Mohapatra, Project Director, DRDA, Puri; Dr. Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India and Ms. Puja Sawhney, Associate Director, People-Public-Private Partnerships, Habitat for Humanity International. The workshop focused on the role of innovations around affordable housing delivery such as Housing Support Services, gap financing and construction technical assistance.

Justin Jebakumar, Director, Government Relations, Habitat for Humanity India spoke about the Odisha Gruhabikas Programme; Jayesh Shah, Chief Operating Officer, Svatantra Micro Housing Finance Corp. Ltd, spoke about gap-financing and making finance accessible to all; Kumar Biplab, Consultant, International Finance Corporation (IFC), spoke about the benefits and principles of green building in affordable housing and Mr. Autif Mohammad Sayyed; Green Building Project Leader for South Asia, IFC, described the approach and designing green housing accreditation and certification. The workshop was supported by the District Rural Development Agency, Puri, Odisha; Svatantra Micro Housing Finance Corp. Ltd; The Hilti Foundation and J.K Lakshmi Cements.

Habitat India and IKEA improve homes for 70 low-income families in Telangana

Habitat for Humanity India and global furniture giant IKEA have joined hands to repair homes of 70 marginalized families living in Jagathgiri Gutta located in Medchal district, Hyderabad, Telangana.

The community living in Jagathgiri Gutta is inhabited by daily wage earners, domestic helps, vegetable vendors and people working in the informal sector. The houses that they lived in are more than 20 years old; many were damaged and dilapidated.

Through the partnership with IKEA India, Habitat for Humanity India has repaired the damaged homes and improved the housing conditions of more than 350 individuals in the community who had suffered from the dual health and economic crises posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The repair works include fixing cracks, plastering, painting, door and roof adjustments and overhaul of toilets.

Project Nirmanshree - A Project Funded by the European Union

ROAD TO RECOVERY 2.0: COVID-19 RESPONSE

Till date, we have served 3,70,081 people by providing them with Hygiene and Family Essential Kits and by setting up Habitat Care Centres under Road to Recovery 2.0. Under Road to Recovery 1.0, Habitat India served over 1.32 million people from March 2020 to March 2021.

The crisis is far from over. Housing is the frontline of defence against coronavirus. Join hands with us to build healthy homes to help Indians affected by the pandemic.

You can contribute as an individual or through your company’s CSR department. Write to Mr. Mohan D’Souza, Director - Resource Development on [email protected]

Click here to learn more about or contribute to our COVID-19 response.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day Observed in Odisha

On 28^th May, Habitat India organised an awareness rally and a session on menstrual hygiene practices at Dhaneswar High School, Jajpur district, Odisha to mark the World Menstural Hygiene Day. 60 schoolgirls, school teachers, anganwadi workers, ASHA workers along with the project team were present for the event.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed internationally to break the taboos and end the stigma surrounding menstruation, raise awareness about the challenges regarding access to menstrual products, education about menstruation and period-friendly sanitation facilities, and to mobilise the funding required for action at scale.

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