FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR’S DESK

Harnessing the Power and the Art of Giving

Dear Friends,

The India Philanthropy Report 2022 co-created by Bain and Company and Dasra captures a heartening trend of social sector funding in India, with a growth of 12% from INR 10 lakh Cr.(US$ 128,205 mn) to about INR 17.5 lakh Cr.(US$ 224358 mn.) over the past five years. CSR has grown at 15% annually in the past seven years and is expected to grow at 19% annually.

However, this does not gloss over the fact that the country is still short of NITI Aayog’s estimation of the total annual funds needed for social causes - approximately 13% of the GDP - to achieve the UN SDG commitments by 2030. India’s current spend is an average 7% of its GDP, as highlighted in the India Philanthropy report.

There are millions of families in India living in poor housing conditions, whose hardships have been exacerbated by the effect of COVID-19. In a post pandemic world, the importance of housing is paramount. The Government of India should make a provision for ‘Housing’ exclusively in Schedule 7 of the Companies Act.

According to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Index 2021, India has bagged the 14^th spot and is up from the 10-year global rank of 82 in the list of most generous countries.

These reports starkly highlight our capacity to mobilise resources and bridge the gaps needed to address India’s social issues. It is imperative for us to reflect and rededicate ourselves while working at the grassroots. All of us started with a ‘fire in the belly’ to help people, with passion to resolve problems and eliminate the housing deficit in the country. Now might be a good time to check up on that fire and see if it needs rekindling if it isn’t burning.

Last month, we had many productive meetings with Mr. Luis Noda, Area Vice President for Asia Pacific, Habitat for Humanity International; Ms. Belaynesh Tadesse, Director, Business Strategies, Finance and Administration, Habitat for Humanity International and our Board of Trustees. We also had the the opportunity to meet Mrs. Rajashree Birla, Aditya Birla Group to whom we presented Habitat India’s Annual Report for FY21 titled Road to Recovery.

The support from our Board, Advisory Committee and global leadership has been unflinching. As we observe the International Charity Day on 5^th September, a day that celebrates the life and work of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter with families in the country through dedication and renewed vigour.

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

Malathi, Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu

Malathi, 41 hails from Pazhaverkadu village in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu. After losing her husband, Malathi began working as a daily wage worker to support her five children. All her life, she has lived in a small hut made of mud walls and a thatched roof. When faced with heavy monsoon storms, rainwater used to seep inside, and the house used to be waterlogged. Snakes and scorpions were always a threat to her and the children’s safety. Malathi had to take her children to a nearby school or community centre during this time.

“Living in a ramshackle hut, I always lived in fear that something could happen to my children,” she says while talking about the old house.

Malathi got the land title in 2018 which helped her gain the work order to build her home under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana with a subsidy of INR 2,10,000. Using the subsidy, she constructed walls and a roof but could not complete the house due to lack of funds. She continued to live in her thatched house and used the incomplete structure whenever it rained heavily, using it mainly to store things.

In January 2022, Habitat India partnered with the Irula community of Pazhaverkadu Village, Thiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu, to finish their unfinished homes. Malathi worked on plastering, painting, fixing doors and windows, electrical work and construction of a toilet. This enabled her to complete the house construction. After living in a hut for nearly 25 years, Malathi moved into a permanent home of her own.

“We never thought that we would be able to finish the house. We had lost hope. I was worried about my children’s safety, especially my daughter. Now I can go to work without worry as we have a safe home with all the facilities. Since we moved into this new home, we have been able to sleep at night peacefully. Now we have solid ground under our feet and a roof over our heads,” says Malathi.

Like Malathi, 43 Irula tribal families have completed the construction of unfinished houses. The project is supported by Wells Fargo India.

Wells Fargo India and Habitat help 43 Irula Families in Tamil Nadu Celebrate the Completion of their House Construction

Habitat India has successfully implemented a housing project for Irula communities, one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged tribes in Tamil Nadu, in partnership with Wells Fargo India. The project extended financial support to 43 Irula tribal families in Thiruvallur, empowering them to complete their unfinished houses following the homeowner-driven construction method.

The homes were handed over by Mr. Ajith Sundaresh, Finance Delivery Lead and CFO, Wells Fargo India and The Philippines; Ms. Bandana Jha, Head – Social Impact and Sustainability, Wells Fargo India and The Philippines and Dr. Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India. They were accompanied by Mr. Samuel Peter, Director – Government Relations, Habitat India; Ms. Annett Furtado, Associate Director – Resource Development, Habitat India; Ms. Malathi Saravanan, Village Panchayat President and the homeowners.

In the project spanning January-June 2022, construction was completed of 21 unfinished houses in Pazhaverkadu and 22 unfinished houses in Pondavakkam, enabling all 43 families to realise their dream of owning a home for the first time. Each home has a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a sanitation unit, offering privacy, dignity and improved living conditions for the families.

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B. D. Bangur Endowment partners with Habitat India to build homes for 125 low income families in Nashik

B. D. Bangur Endowment, a Kolkata based non-profit trust has collaborated once again with Habitat for Humanity India to improve the housing conditions of 125 low-income families in Nashik district of Maharashtra. A groundbreaking ceremony of the project was conducted on 26^th July 2022 in Modale village located in Igatpuri block.

The 15-month long project, supported by B. D. Bangur Endowment under the brand name Nirmaan will enable Habitat India build 125 homes in the villages of Waki, Biturli located in Igatpuri tehsil and Gonde village located in Sinnar tehsil in Nashik district. The 300 square feet homes will comprise of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, sanitation unit, terrace and a 500-litre water tank.

All the houses will be equipped with solar lights which will provide the homeowners with alternate source of energy in case of power outage or load shedding. All the households will also be provided with smokeless stoves to mitigate the damages caused by indoor air pollution. Habitat India is thankful to B. D. Bangur Endowment for their faith in our work and for supporting the cause of housing.

Strategy and Learning

On the 11^th and 12^th of August 2022, Habitat for Humanity India’s Resource Development team and the Programs team came together for a meeting to discuss the achievements, challenges, and key learnings. The discussion focused on planning and targets for FY 23. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India, and co-chaired by Mr. Pradeep Narayanan, Chief Operating Officer, Habitat for Humanity India.

Housing Ecosystem Updates

Tata Mumbai Marathon Returns After a 3-year Hiatus

Assam Flood Response Appeal

Even as the flood water recedes in Assam, more than 6 lakhs people from 506 villages in 11 districts remain displaced. People of Assam have lost their loved ones, their homes, their livelihoods and are in distress. Habitat India is responding to this emergency by providing 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 https://habitatindia.org/campaigns/assam-flood-response-appeal/

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]

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