59 Dream Community Projects for Mumbai

59 Dream Community Projects for Mumbai

 

The most important contribution any of us can make now is not to solve any particular problem, no matter how urgent it may seem. What we must do now is increase the proportion of humans who know that they can cause change.

 

From ‘Everyone A Changemaker, Social Entrepreneurship’s Ultimate Goal’ by Bill Drayton.

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Several problems of Mumbai have reached such daunting levels that they can be overcome only via a concerted city-wide initiative. If such initiatives involve citizens as well it inculcates a spirit of volunteerism and of giving back to society.  The advantage of such projects is that they have a huge positive lasting impact. Moreover, for such projects, everyone is willing to work together – corporates, NGOs, citizens, volunteers, government authorities, media, etc.

 

 

59 Dream Community Projects for Mumbai :

 

Enriching the Mind

 

1. Community Knowledge clubs in each locality, where people can buy and share books and circulate lists of books so that every one can read books and return after reading. Citizens such as older people, housewives, etc. can volunteer to manage these clubs thus making them valuable community resource centres.
2. Public Libraries & Reading Rooms across the city with cheap membership and providing books and newspapers for all age groups as well reference books for students. These Libraries could also be places where people could meet and exchange ideas, have talks, seminars, etc.
3. Counselling Centres across the city for people, young and old, who presently do not know where to go for help, and where somebody can listen to them. Often all that is needed is only for someone to be heard so that emotions can have an outlet, but this has great healing value for children, parents, teachers, everyone.
4. Emotional Support System bringing lonely people together in a positive way e.g. single parents. Can be done in every local community hall.
5. Save The Books by preserving the invaluable literary resources in the city’s libraries which have almost everything printed from the 17^th century onwards.

 

Education and Awareness:

 

6. Teaching poor children via local volunteers
7. Nurturing responsible and aware citizens by conducting weekly debates about current affairs and social issues in schools and colleges to make students discuss and evaluate, even at home, by reading more news papers and thus building a stronger democracy.
8. Ensuring a good education for all by focusing on children in BMC schools.
9. Compulsory corporate sponsorship of minimum 100 orphans’ education, and vocational training.
10. Introducing Yoga in schools to make children and their parents healthier.
11. Creating awareness about rights and duties of a citizen towards society
12. Extensive awareness about the Right to Information Act as it is a powerful tool for several problems

 

Enhancing the Environment

 

13. Beautification  and increasing green cover by identifying spots for planting shrubs / trees, planting them, and arranging for regular maintenance
14. Planting Neem Trees to improve the environment and also prevent spread of mosquitoes. This can be a community initiative with local citizens identifying locations for the trees, as well as volunteering to protect the saplings.
15. Reducing green house gas emissions by transforming leisure use patterns.
16. Parks and Gardens with playgrounds for children, walking path for adults, and large open spaces where everyone can move freely to be developed in each locality to spread greenery, beauty, good health for all age groups.
17. Open Spaces in new developments by making it compulsory for all new big societies, malls, big commercial complexes to demarcate a space for parks

 

Cleanliness and Hygiene

 

18. Improved hygiene awareness is critical to prevent outbreak of diseases and epidemics, especially in congested living areas.
19. Cleanliness of local train stations and railway tracks can go a long way in not only image building of the city but also of the general hygiene and health of the millions who use the trains.  
20. Eco-sanitation programme using “Eco-Toilets” – reactors that generate the resource to treat any kind of garbage be it biomedical waste or chemically toxic laced organics.  
21. Effective waste management that is responsive and proactive to the needs of the people.
22. Community clean up of beaches and parks by citizens and Local Area Citizen Groups, along with appropriate infrastructural support from the Government.
23. Creatively improving the environment via student volunteers to clean up, paint, and decorate portions of local Government schools, compound walls, etc. so as to beautify the area and keep it clean thereafter.

 

 

Health

 

24. Making Mumbai Pain Free by teaching simple exercises such as Pranayam and other Yoga exercises in schools, parks, community yoga centres, etc. for all age groups
25. Community Health Centres at different locations e.g. community centre/ temple/ park, for all for periodic health checkups, etc.
26. Easy Nature Cure by planting various medicinal plants and herbs (e.g.: Tulsi, Ashwagandha) at home, or in the locality for wide-spread benefit through easy availability of such medicines.
27. Blood Bank Connectivity throughout  the city for increased effectiveness in times of disaster
28. First Aid and Home Nursing Training to ordinary citizens can save lives of thousands of people who have met with life-threatening emergencies. Many lives can be saved by proper aid given in time.
29. Inculcating Right Diet and Nutrition be taught to every citizen as also the dangers of street drugs, prescription addiction, etc.
30. Encourage Exercise via Walking by providing opportunities and space for young and old to walk for daily chores by keeping footpaths clean and encroachment free, as well as sufficiently broad and safe.
31. Mosquito Prevention by identifying and eliminating stagnant water spots, putting netting, and growing citronella on windowsills
32. Identify diseased animals e.g. stray dogs and inform NGOs so that they can catch and treat them
    
    

Improving Living Conditions

 

33. Increasing Employment Opportunities of the poor and the disabled by hand-holding between corporates and such needy people like a consultant
34. Mentoring Entrepreneurship Ideas for housewives, poor, and disabled by helping identify opportunities and market them
35. Increase Local Tourism by specifically creating such areas in your locality
36. Provide Training for Everyday Chores e.g. sewing/alterations, baby-sitting, running errands e.g. paying household bills.
37. Providing Basic Needs such as adequate and potable drinking water for all
38. Affordable housing to accommodate and include the immigrants that a city attracts

 

Improving Traffic and Public Transport

 

39. Better Road Sense by inculcating discipline in drivers by education, awareness, and strict enforcement of traffic rules
40. Reducing Traffic Congestion through restrictive policies upon owning more than one car, as well as incentives for owning only one car
41. Safe School Buses with trained and responsible drivers and helpers, well designed buses, and GIS technology to monitor and map the bus routes.
42. Noise Control and Traffic Management including fining for indiscriminate use of the horn
43. Safety in trains and railway stations with help of passengers by giving them clear instructions on ways they can help
44. Social Car Parking Facility by voluntary co-operation of and planning by local residents and Lane Associations.

 

Improving Governance and Eradicating Corruption

 

45. Social Boycott of the Corrupt via a database of corrupt people to be publicised through E-mail, letters, print and electronic media, etc.
46. Maintaining pressure and positive attitude even when nothing happens when taking up matters with the concerned authority
47. Citizen’s audit of RTI implementation so as to get sustained administrative reforms and citizens’ participation in governance
48. Public Interest Litigation to be used if other measures do not yield adequate results
49. Encouraging Honesty by supporting honest government officials.

 

Preventing Terrorism

50. Adopting Gandhian values: Not only Mumbai, but the whole country and world can be rid of the new phenomenon of terrorism by adopting Gandhian values of Truth and Non-Violence in our daily lives. 

 

Maximising Limited Resources

 

51. Better water management by trying out new ideas such as desalination plants, rain water harvesting and more efficient distribution systems so as to increase availability and storage and decrease waste.
52. Improved Power management is needed as this is a scarce resource and unevenly distributed, especially in suburban areas.
53. Reduction of ecologically hostile consumption to be a concern of every citizen in all aspects of their lives.

 

 Involving the Media

 

54. Using Mass Media e.g. TV, radio and newspapers to spread information on schemes and programmes.
55. Press as Monitoring and Reporting Agency for spreading knowledge about success stories and benefits, as well as highlighting deficiency in specific cases of implementation.

 

Others

 

56. Employment  via compulsory  employment of at least 33% women workforce in all Government and private companies
57. Child Care support via state-of-the-art crèches for working women’s children
58.  Population Control via restriction on amenities available from the Government to those who have more than two children, as well as incentives to keep the family small.
59. Surrogate Guardians for Disabled by volunteering to visit families with such children once a day to provide support at nominal fees.

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Contributed by:

Akhilesh Sharma, Bhavesh Gandhi, Samir, C C Dayal, C R Ramakrishnan, Delphine Swasbrook, Dhirendra Krishna, Dr Jayant Sathe, Jitendra Chitnis, Capt. Johann Samuhanand, Dr.Muhammad Mukhtar Alam, K G Misra, Kapil, Dr. Leo Rebello, M D  Kamdar, Madhavi  Daruwalla, Madhu Agrawal, Mayraj, Nayan Shah, Nikhil, Nina Kapasi, Punam Navare, PurnimaToolsidass, Ramgopal, S. M. Acharya, Sheel, Ravi Srivastava, Shirin, Dr. Shirish Naik, Smita Shah, Sonya Wadhwani, Tanya Mahajan, Vag Shantharam Shenai and Vidushi.

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How You Can Get Involved

 

You are invited to write in to info@karmayog.org , if:

 

–         you have a big or small idea to share that would impact the city

–         you have an implementation strategy for any of the ideas listed here

–         you have already implemented some of the ideas listed here

–         you would like to get involved and volunteer in initiatives to implement these ideas

–         you can provide resources and support to those who implement these ideas

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