We are back again here to talk about what else but CSR projects in India.
I am sure many of you are in the unenviable position to perform the balancing act of how to readjust the funds available.
Should you wait and watch for another wave of COVID to provide relief then? ( not sure if it’s gonna be waves or one large tsunami !) . Or would it be prudent to support the NGO projects which are targeted at affected communities?
We have not yet forayed into crystal gazing yet so will hold on with the predictions. Nevertheless, it has provided an opportunity to reinvent and rethink.
Classroom or Educator or Both
Today I would like to pick up a small aspect that would be pertaining to education especially on what CSR projects ends up as in some cases.
I remember having a conversation in the head office of a large public sector company and getting a reply we would only support the construction of the building. There has been a lot of focus on upgrading school infrastructure to get children going to school especially where drop out rates are high. Hence that mindset has crept in in many organisations. I was in a particularly politically incorrect mood and ended up telling them if teachers are not paid and trained well what will they do with the building.
It’s an unfortunate mindset wherein unless something physically is given or made, your contribution to society does not count. Funnily the provisions of section 135 of the companies act 2013 Â don’t say anything about this.
Mind you I am not saying we should not build washrooms, classrooms or computer lab. Absolutely do it, but let’s not do just that only. Let’s pay for a trainer who is going to teach students how to maintain better hygiene or learn to code.
Let’s not only count the outcomes only in terms of toilets built but also usage of it or how many students are practising better hygiene.
There is also an element of sustainability that can be built-in using that. If you find a Volunteer for NGOÂ who happens to be a good educator she can carry the flame forward and hopefully train some more volunteers to be educators. That allows the organisation to move to more areas and keep being the catalyst for change.
