FPJ OPED Spreading Cheer in Festive Seasons
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“Free Press Journal and Karmayog.org have entered into a collaboration to promote the involvement and empowerment of citizens and community groups in civic and social issues. We will jointly present a special column every Thursday for featuring articles on social, civic and developmental issues. The articles carried herein will cover a diverse range of topics ranging from disaster management to public health, improving city governance to senior citizens, etc.”
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Introduction
The festive season has begun in Mumbai with celebrations by people of all age groups and faiths marking the cosmopolitan spirit of the city. Exchange of gifts, sharing of sweets and special food items, new clothes, decorated homes, day long shopping and nightlong dancing and revelry mark this time of year. To spread the festive cheer to a wider group of people, especially the underprivileged, several NGOs make products for sale during the festival season, by which their beneficiaries and activities are supported. Purchasing these products that include household articles, decorative items, furnishings, textiles, garments, exotic plants, herbal products, food items, etc. enables you to support the NGO and its work.
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Products Available from NGOs
Koshish Centre for the Deaf, Malad (E)
Products – Greeting cards with envelope
Contact Dr. Kothari, Tel. – 28446448
Email – gopajay@hotmail.com
Manav Foundation, Byculla
Products – diyas, envelopes, bags, dinner napkin sets, table mats, etc.
Contact Priya, Tel. 23724889
Email – foundation.manav@gmail.com
LIFE Trust, Worli
Products – rangolis, diyas, puja thalis, agarbati stands, bags, mats, hand made greeting cards
Contact Poonam Lalvani; Tel. – 24910287, 24910288
Email – lifetrust@hathway.com
World Vision India, Marol
Products – diyas, candles, paper bags
Contact Heather, Tel 9819756412
Email – heather_ferreira@wvi.org
Women’s India Trust (WIT), Mahim
Products – home linen, gift articles, marmalade, jams, pickles, chutneys, squashes
Contact Dolat, Tel – 24462768, 24462506, 23511753
Email – wit@hathway.com
Society to Heal Aid Restore Educate (SAHER)
Products – handcrafted jewellery, paper bags, chocolates
Contact Nicola , Tel. – 9821878935
Email – nmonteirostephen@hotmail.com
Adivasi Sahaj Shikshan Pariwar, Palghar, Thane.
Products – warli products
Contact – Varsha on 95-2525 232003
Email – assporg@rediffmail.com
S.P.J. Sadhana School for Mentally Challenged, Sophia Campus
Products – paintings, clay Ganpatis on crystal, artefacts, embroidered articles, office stationery, hand painted towels.
Contact – Sr. Gaitonde, Tel: 23510853 / 23517913
Act-Kalpana, Vile Parle
Products – dry flowers, handmade paper products, greetings cards, gift bags etc.
Contact Neeta, Tel – 26109863
Email – act_kalpana@rediffmail.com
Ojus Medical Institute Damini Womens Project, Juhu,
Products – Decorative diyas, candles, handmade paper, greeting cards, bracelets, trendy necklaces, cushion covers, hand bags,
Contact Sangeeta, Tel 22916958/9
Email – admin@omi.org.in
Society for the Education of the Crippled (SEC), Agripada
Products: greeting cards, bookmarks, printed gift wrapping papers, table mats, napkins, kitchen aprons, oven gloves, mobile covers, tea cozy sets and hand made paper bags.
Contact: Rucha, Tel: 23090887
Email: sec@bom4.vsnl.net.in , rucha@sec-india.org
Vivekananda Youth Forum
Products: hand painted diyas, costume jewellery, cloth and jute bags, block printed gift wrapping papers
Contact: Purnima, Tel: 26183594 (12-2, 6-8 pm)
Email: wraggle@hotmail.com
Sashi Mangalyam School for Mentally Challenged, Goregaon (E)
Products: Diwali diyas, carry bags, cards, pickles, papads.
Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust
Products: Hand-made paper gift bags
Contact: Eldred Tellis
Email: eldred_tellis@hotmail.com
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Opportunities to sell
Products needed as well as space available for putting up stalls:
NGOs are often unable to find enough outlets and opportunities to sell their products and reach their market. The following organizations, individuals and citizen groups have offered space to NGOs to display and sell their products during the festive season, as well as expressed an interest in purchasing products. Interested NGOs may contact them.
A) NGO Melas:
NGO Mela at Willingdon Sports Club at Haji Ali
Dates: Oct.7-8 (3 to 7 p.m.)
Contact: Rahul Sood
Tel.: 98202-88460
Email: rahulsood51@yahoo.co.in
Jimmy Carter Work Project by Habitat for Humanity,
Products Needed: Various; interested NGOs may set up stalls for a fee
Contact Joseph Scaria, Jr. Director-MHRC
Tel.: 9820809333
Email: josephscaria@hotmail.com
CONCERN India NGO Mela in December
Contact: Kavita Shah, CEO
Tel.: 22029708, 22855487
Email: kavita.shah@concernindia.org
B) Corporate Support Available
Organisation: Merck Ltd.
Contact D. Srivastava, GM
Products Needed: Greetings cards
Email: devesh.srivastava@merck.co.in
Organisation: Amway
Contact R. Banerji, Manager – CSR
Can tie-up with different NGOs for different products
Email: Rajat_Banerji@Amway.com
Organisation: International Rectifier (I) Ltd
Contact Person : Anne Sequeira
Product Needed: Diwali gifts for employees
Tel: 30880450
Email: irindia@irf.com
C) Display Space Available:
Bombay Stores can offer space on special occasions
Location: Sir P. M. Road, Fort
MAVIM offers table space to NGOs supporting women
Location MHADA Head Office, Bandra East
Contact Thanksy, Tel. – 26591213
Email – mavim@vsnl.net
Mahakali ALM offers table space in their garden
Location – Andheri East
Contact Shivaranjan, Tel – 09324810759
Email – s_gulvady@hotmail.com
Bombay Trading Corporation offers table space
Location Mumbai and Navi Mumbai
Contact Balkishenji Tel. 23438333, 9820077282
Email – bomtraco@mtnl.net.in
Bernadine Pramodhan can organise table space
Location Church, I.C. Colony, Borivli west
Period: Sunday before Diwali
Email – tweetbee64@yahoo.com
Niloufer Kapadia has offered table space
Location the Fourth Floor, Kitab Mahal, Fort
Tel No. – 2207 9119
Email – eapl@vsnl.net
Lorraine Khatau can display products
Location: at residence
Email: lorrainekhatau@gmail.com
Col. T Sundaram can assist with table space
Location: Kandivali
Email: b106kandivili@mtnl.net.in
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The following suggestions can help participants and organisers of NGO sales and melas to make best use of the opportunity and derive maximum benefit from such events.
Suggestions for NGO Stalls and Melas:
· Collect material: The mela is a good venue for collecting materials – clothes, books, toys, one-side used paper, etc. that are used by the NGOs in their on-going projects
· Food stalls could be run by NGOs and their volunteers (even if through an outside caterer) and used to inform visitors about the NGOs
· Donation boxes could be provided to each stall for their own use
· Volunteer organizations could provide a volunteer to assist at each stall
· Weekdays have low attendance these days could be used to attract corporates, bulk buyers, etc. with suitable restrictions.
· Presentations: Simultaneous to the sale, 30 minute sessions could be given to individual NGOs for power point presentations, open forums, discussions, etc.
· Display: Organizations should display their names prominently inside the stall and below the front table also
· Product prices could be prominently displayed
· Attractive Posters with more pictures and less text that emotionally appeal to visitors to be displayed
· Popular products: T-shirts, caps, calendars, diaries, desk-top items with logos, are items that supporters of the cause are usually interested in buying
· Priced display of banner ads should be encouraged as for many organizations, it is not possible or interesting to participate in events exceeding a couple of hours and they may like this opportunity to reach out.
· Survey of visitors could be taken to ascertain why they attend, what they expect, what did they really do, etc. and this could be sent later to participants to help them re-work their plans in the future.
· Organizations who do not have products to sell, but who are undertaking advocacy and awareness programmes could also participate
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Suggestions for NGOs participating in Melas:
· For participation: Those who don’t make products can sell eatables or get products printed with their name e.g. caps, t-shirts
· For product sales: Availability of a pricelist handout with terms could be useful for those who want to buy in future or in bulk
· For awareness: While most stalls have brochures, a photo album of activities to browse there itself could have a greater impact
· Conduct a survey to educate visitors: Surveys can turn out to be more meaningful if it educates people about any particular social or civic issue
· Interact with visitors: There should be at least one person whose sole job would be to engage the visitor into a conversation about the organization
· Get people involved: It seems a good opportunity to also convey volunteering requests and material requests
· Sponsored Stall: The cost of the Stall itself can be sponsored by a supporter
· NGO beneficiaries to interact with visitors: Where possible, each NGO to also have a beneficiary at the stall so that visitors can realise the value of their support
· Alternatives to Products: Donations, sponsorships, or granting of hundreds of pending wishes of terminally ill children, can also be sought through the stalls
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How you can Help
Readers are invited to write to info@karmayog.org if:
– you have space available for NGOs to sell their products
– you are interested in purchasing products from NGOs
– you have ideas or product suggestions for NGOs
– you can offer design inputs, raw material to NGOs for their products
– you can undertake publicity and promotion for NGO products
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For more information on NGOs and products available, see www.karmayog.org.
Send your views and news to info@karmayog.org . Karmayog, Shreeniwas House, 2nd floor, H. Somani Marg, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Tel: 22000478 / 22013535. Fax: 22035410 .
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