Social Impact
In a short span of twenty seven months, we have been able to cross some distance in demonstrating our commitment to our vision. Some highlights are:
Direct impact to household family incomes - Our operations started in September 2009. Since then, the monthly household income of over 180 families has been augmented significantly. In a region which has an average household income of between Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 per month, the household income level has doubled or trebled. The number of impacted households will roughly tripled by the end of March 2013. More than 50% of our employees who have led this change are women. This is very relevant at a time when India is struggling with gender bias and trying to improve the lot of women through a combination of policies and interventions.
Employability & urban migration – Prior to joining B2R, several employees have worked at jobs far away from their homes in nearby towns/cities (Rudrapur, Dehradun, Haldwani, Delhi etc). They shared that many of them could not make ends meet while working in those opportunities even when they were physically well. When unwell, the ability to maintain a healthy life on a tight budget further accentuated their feeling of loneliness being away from their families. The women folk, even though educated, have a lesser chance to even consider migration as an option due to family and social pressures. Most B2R team members are non-graduates though even the few with a college degree without prior experience of computers, in the urban context, meant employability in low-paying jobs.
Indirect impact to the economic ecosystem – Economic growth has resulted in increased consumption leading to improvement in the sales of many local shops and shopkeepers – from the nearby grocery and provisions store to the local halwai who provides tea, snacks and meals to cater to the needs of employees daily at B2R. Based on secondary research, it is estimated that for every 1 person directly impacted by employment, at least 3 others are being indirectly touched.
Increase in confidence of the youth and perception of the community – Several of our employees have shared that their lives have changed significantly since they began working. For some, simply the routine of coming to work every day has created a more disciplined, responsible individual - one who now commands greater respect at home. For others, the opportunity has demonstrated their abilities and given a tremendous boost to their morale and self-confidence. At a recent meeting discussion forum held between B2R, CHIRAG and village representatives (gram-pradhans and upa-pradhans) a large number of village representatives opined that the community is very happy that its youth has a respectable opportunity to earn their livelihood and that too near their homes – we consider this is our humble contribution to nation building.