GDN Awards Program for NGOs

Looking for an opportunity to scale up your innovative project? Here is your chance to win US$ 30,000.

The Global Development Network (GDN) is offering development organizations headquartered and working in developing countries and transition economies such as yours, the chance to win big monies through the Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP), as part of its annual Global Development Awards and Medals Competition. A second prize of US$ 5,000 will be awarded to the runner-up.

In addition, the lucky first prize winner will be eligible to compete for a grant of up to US$ 200,000 for their project through the Japan Social Development Fund.

And there’s more! The finalists will also get a chance to present their project to an international high profile audience at GDN’s 13^th Annual Global Development Conference in June 2012. Their travel and stay will be funded by GDN.

If you think your project is creative, innovative and has had a significant social impact, hurry and log on to http://www.gdnet.org/~2011_awards.

All applications and documents must be submitted electronically at the Online Proposal Appraisal system - OPA (http://opa.gdnet.org).

Application Deadline: January 31, 2012 (Indian Standard Time 6:00 PM)

For any further queries related to the competition write to us at awards@gdnet.org.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,

Savi Mull

Team Leader (Awards and Medals Competition)

Global Development Network

Second Floor, West Wing, ISID Complex

Plot No. 4, Vasant Kunj Institutional Area

New Delhi 110070, INDIA

Tel: +91-11-2613 9494 / 2613 6885

Please circulate this email to institutions, colleagues and friends working on development issues who you feel may be interested in winning this award.gdnet.org

I Paid A Bribe

Today, I paid a bribe. I was not in a desperate situation. I was not compelled to. I was not forced to. Yet, I did. I did because I didn't have the courage to say No. I wonder where is it within us we find courage and when and how to bring it up to support us when we most need it.

Over the last few weeks, I have been missing work and making the rounds of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the government department that is incharge of land allocations for the city. My dad, with his very limited, savings had bought a property from the government in my name way back in 1992. The government never allocated the property. Some of the people who had invested in the properties got together, formed an association and filed a petition against the government and it was only last year, after 19 years, they got an opportunity for a replacement property and since then the rigmarole has started. Since the property was in my name, I had to be involved. We were told that a replacement property will be given to us for an additional price of Rs. 320,000/- and we decided to pay and go for it.

A few weeks back, we had to get the property registered and we started our rounds of visiting our case worker at the government office. Most days he was absent, some days he pushed us away saying his boss has not come to sign the papers and somedays he pushed it back on us that the papers were not in order. All this while, giving us very little information on the next steps so somedays we were sent back because we didn't bring a particular proof or I didn't bring photographs or my sign didn't match. We patiently pursued. Finally, my dad (who rarely ever uses influence) found a connection and we had to drop some names to make our papers move. It helped, except that the case worker was absent for a whole week and kept telling us to come back the next day. we landed up at his office and his colleagues told us, he hadn't come to work that day. Each time giving us different information and getting us confused. I guess, this as a strategy works because at some point, I will get desperate and push for my work to get done and that's when they dangle the bribe. The other option is I get angry, shout, create a ruckus - sometimes it works and sometimes it back fires - Your files can go missing, or they finding a mistake in your papers that cannot be rectified or they send you on a wild goose chase on some pretext.

Anyway, finally, today, 27th May 2011 - Our Good Samaritan in the government office called us and told us to come immediately because our case worker had come. We rushed and then the fun started.

At the Registrar's office, just below the BDA office, our papers kept moving from one person to another. They have one person just to take the papers from one table to the next, another who just typed your forms, another incharge of just verifying the documents, another just to glue your photograph and yet another just to stamp your papers. At each table, the consistent sentence at the end was, "What about me?" which meant give me a bribe. The first place my dad paid Rs. 50/- to a person who just stamped our papers. I was furious and told him not to do it. Then, I saw that every table there was a money exchange happening, quite openly too. The last straw, our documents had to be scanned before it can be given to us finally. The man takes us behind a few cabins and asks us for scanning charges of Rs. 260/- and then another Rs. 500/- for the registrar's services. I had told my dad that we will not pay the bribe so he refused saying we have gone through so much harassment from them already. I said something to the tune of, "But isn't this your work so why are u asking for more money.". He took us to the registrar who was a lady and she started shouting at us about how they hurried our papers but I refused to give in. While waiting outside, the man calls my dad and asks him again. I walk him with him and say NO. But dad relents and gives the bribe and I am just too angry to do anything. Shocked, angry, confused and very upset. The man pockets the money and quickly gives our papers. Then, he has the audacity to tell us that we need to pay Rs. 100/- to the man who sorted our papers too. We just walk out and don't give him the bribe.

This is not the end. I am worried we still need to pay a bribe to our case worker since he still needs to give us our possession certificate and the gentleman who helped us, my dad reckons he will ask us of something too. My dad says this is normal and happens with every property registration.

I come away - guilty and most angry at myself for not standing my ground.

Why I will never bargain!

Having brought up in a largely middle class family upbringing, I have always learnt to bargain for everything - from the vegetable vendor in the market, to the grocery store, to the restaurant down the road, to the stationery store, to the gift store. I used to admire my mother at her ability to bargain, bargain and bargain some more. She was notorious amongst the sellers in our neighbourhood for her bargaining and loved by all for her generosity and good nature too. I believe, she believed, bargaining was her birthright and she did get that from her mother, my grandmother. I also know that money was not easy to come by those days so every paisa mattered and counted and my mother wanted the best for her children, so bargaining was the way to go.

Over the years, our financial status did improve and there was less and less of bargaining. With more shops, shopping malls and large stores, the bargaining power also gradually disappeared. Today, my mom bargains more out of habit than out of need. It is sometimes quite amusing that my mom bargains to save Rs. 10 from a vegetable vendor and yet pays the full price or sometimes higher for the same vegetables at a branded store.

Anyway, things have changed and surprisingly, I never picked my my mother's bargaining gene. Albeit, I hardly ever bargain and when I do I feel guilty that I might have cheated the poor man of his earnings. I also realize, bargaining does not sit well with my values. If I bargain at a place where I can and don't at a place where I can't, I am not being fair. If that's the case, either I choose to bargain at both places or don't bargain at all. It seems simple enough for me to understand that whether its a store or a local vegetable vendor, both wish to make some profit so that they can improve their quality of life. I suspect the store makes more profit from me than the local vegetable vendor. Yet, I bargain with the vegetable vendor.

I have also realized that when the vendor realizes I don't bargain, he ends up giving me a fair price and their sense of fairness has always been more trustworthy. I know I might be judgmental here but its just my personal experience.

Finally, if a vegetable vendor does make a little extra on me, atleast it gives him space to be able to bargain with someone like my mom so net-net, he still ends up making the same money.

I think the biggest (bar)gain for me is to have the small chat with the vendor, share a smile and a joke and go along in our journey of life having enriched each other's life for a moment. That is a lot more precious to me than a grumpy, sulky affair where both of us feel cheated inspite or because of the bargaining. Bargaining seems like too much of a price to pay for the loss of a lovely conversation and smile.

Hence, No bargaining for me and I am glad my Mom might never read this :)

Invisible Hanif

I will call him Hanif. I have known and unknown him for nearly 15 years or more of my life. For days, weeks, months and years on end, he has served me and my family during the sweltering summer months. Quenching our thirst while keeping himself thirsty. He is my Coconut Man – Hanif. I have seen him grow old over the years. I don’t think he would remember me. But, he has an unforgettable face. Dark set, with the signature cap, squinted eyes, scarred face and sad lips. I cant forget the face that has grown from an ‘angry with the world’ look to a deep, sad, defeated look.

I have often thought about writing about him and for some reason, I decided to write today. I saw him on the road today after many months and just felt the urge to give him an identity in this invisible world.

As a kid going to school, I remember him bringing in a bicycle full of coconuts into our neighbourhood. Walking in the sweltering heat, sometimes barefoot, tugging along pulling his cycle in the hope that the way back home in the evening will be on an empty cycle. He used to be an angry salesman then. Understandably so. Everyone bargained with him. He would ask Rs. 6 and his customers would pay him Rs. 5 and even then complain that his coconuts didn’t have enough water, they were not sweet enough, he was cheating them. On some days, he was in a good mood and on that day he would talk to the children on the streets, laugh with the ladies ordering from their first floor balconies and with his charm get his customers to pay what he asked for. I always wondered why my mom always, always bargained with him. It would be just Re. 1 yet she would bargain as if its a birthright. I could sometimes understand my mom because she had grown up having little in her childhood, was married into a family with no income and had to save every single paisa to feed her family so Re. 1 was important to her and she valued it. However, that attitude remained even after we became slightly wealthier and it showed in her attitude towards people like Hanif.

Anyway, I am digressing. Young angry Hanif continued his service to us and other families in our neighbourhood. I always wondered where he came from, who was Hanif, did he have a family? How far did he live? Did he make enough money? I wondered in a neighbourhood where every bit of space was being picked by the elite, where did he live? Was there space for people like Hanif to have their small houses and their invisible existence? I never really found out yet everytime I saw him, I wondered. I wonder why I never really asked him, spoke to him, asked his name?

A few months back I saw him trudging his bicycle from Hosur road, nearly 8-9 kms away from my neighbourhood. Wow! Did I ever realize that this man who has quenched my thirst for nearly 15 years, pulls his bicycle laden with coconuts for maybe 10-odd kms everyday and then takes the same journey back every evening. Have we really just slowly, steadily and ruthlessly pushed the poor out of our neighbourhoods and yet demand them to serve, think its our birthright to bargain for Re. 1 with them and not even accord them the dignity of speaking to them like human beings.

Our family income has grown from Rs. 500 a month sometime in 1975 to nearly Rs. 1.5 Lakhs a month in 2011. Hanif started selling his coconuts at Rs. 5, 15 years back and today he sells them at Rs. 12 and sometimes even lower so that his stock is finished.

I wonder how Hanif’s story will end. I see him today. I don’t see the ferocious angry man, willing to fight his fate of a few years back. Today, I see a hunched old man, sunken eyes, seem to be going blind, sagging skin, more scars and a very sad face that has given up on hope in life. I wish to see him angry yet again but that anger has given way to a defeat so pronounced that maybe only death can release him.

Hanif is one of the many invisible people who have made my life richer, easier and better with their invaluable services. Yet, I don’t seem to have added any value to their life but seem to have contributed to sucking out every bit of their energy and jest for life.

Here is my small attempt to give meaning and dignity to Hanif! Albeit, he might never know about this and will probably disappear one day from my neighbourhood without being missed. 

The US Trip

30 days. 1^st November to 1^st December. What a trip it has been. It was a rush when I started the trip and it took every ounce of my energy and sought every spare bead of motivation I have ever had in me. It demanded the very best from me at all times and pushed me to my mental, physical and emotional limits. Landed in Cleveland after a gruelling 24 hour journey and without even time to overcome my jetlag, I was all set for my first set of meetings with a Prof. From a college and a presentation to a group of 10-14 years at a local school. Wow! That's a beginning I thought. Next, College of Wooster – A beautiful college set in the small town of Wooster, meetings with professors, classes, networking with the administration, public talks, and dinners and finally ending up with a lunch with the BIG People of Cleveland. Managed to even squeeze in a quick tour of the college, watching a field hockey game, doing a ropes course and even going to the Village of the very weirdly popular Amish. Prof. Moledina deserves a big thank you for getting me to the US and ensuring I managed to start my trip with a Bang! 

A weekend in Milwaukee with lovely friends (Prashanth  & Misha), which involved just a whole lot of driving to Chicago and everywhere else, getting introduced to WII and Netflix, spending Diwali with them and their family and off I was to Boston. The highlight was getting to eat authentic South Indian food downed with the very own, very popular Dil Pasand which one can only get in a local Iyengar Bakery in Bangalore and here I was gorging on it in Milwaukee.

Boston – My favourite city no doubt and Arjun Dugal had set the stage for me. Meetings, lots of them, Talks – quite a few of them, even a session for a class at Harvard and a very successful Dream Evening to moot. Interspersed with a night of clubbing until the wee hours of morning, I knew I was pushing my limits. The large fundraising Gala was an eye-opener with the wealth that existed in the Indian Diaspora and also reflections on the "Dance of the Wealth" – Why the wealthy give only when they spend a lot and a lot more to raise that money. 

The homeless on the streets surprised me, wanted to talk to each of them and come up with an idea to get them off the streets. The public libraries amused me as they were mostly filled with the homeless escaping the bitter cold outside and getting some warm place to sleep. I wondered if a country like America even deserved the homeless on the streets and wondered how societies across the world continue to be insensitive to the needs of their own communities in their backyards. 

A panel discussion on Startup Leadership had me standing alone on the ethics of entrepreneurial ventures amidst talks of VC funding, buy-outs, becoming millionaires and finding cofounders through a scientific formula connected to valuations. I sat there, wondering whatever happened to trusting someone to start something new with you, whatever happened to the love for a new idea, for solving a problem, for creating a world-class business, for creating a legacy. Whatever happened to the "Pursuit of Greatness" that prompted great human beings to embark on risky businesses staking their all? 

Spending time with Year Up, Peace First, and Big Brother-Big Sister Program was a validation of the depth of quality and thought that we had in our work with children. 5 years back when I attempted to meet BBBS, we were too small for them and they didn't want to meet us. This time around, they wanted to learn from us and this was validation of the work we have put in to make our programs truly world-class. Year-up was a program that spoke to me from the heart, it had DreamConnect all over it and I believed this is the program that the youth in India strongly needed and needed fast. 

I was truly humbled by the support that Arjun, Neha, Aman, Karina, Aamir, Mike gave – from helping me build connections, helping me meet people and for just looking out for me and ensuring I was well taken care of. Especially Arjun and Neha, who worked all day and spent all evening coming for meetings with me, discussing ideas with me, giving me strategies and also making me smile. I remember Arjun and myself walking out of the Harvard class and while we were both physically very tired, there was a jump in our step, a pride in our gait and as we looked at each other we smiled and acknowledged the journey that we have embarked upon with 10 others and where that journey had taken our dream. We felt proud, happy and content. We graciously accepted each other's acknowledgement. 

I have to mention Raj Melville – The man, the connector – He sent out nearly 20-25 emails introducing me to people all over the US and getting me meetings from anyone to everyone. He reached out and told me, you are doing well, keep doing it and we will stand by you. 

I was still reeling under the after-effects of Boston and DC hit me with a vengeance. The people in DC were all out to prove to me that DC can do better than Boston and they came very very close to beating Boston. A Brown Bag at Global Giving, Global Fund for Children and Ashoka was all that was needed to get me going again. Starting at 6 am, my first day in DC went on till 1 am and that set the trend for the rest of the week. A panel discussion with 2 other Ashoka Fellows for the staff of Ashoka was enough to send me on a nostalgic, emotionally charged, reflective journey of my life as a leader, as an individual and as a social entrepreneur. The panel had a 32-year old me, a 40-year old and a 50-year old and what fascinated me was how our journeys have been so similar and how uncannily we had to meet today, now when we were going through the same reflections and questions with our inner self. 

Another super successful Dream Evening thanks to Raj and Smita Trivedi who went out of their way to make it happen for Dream A Dream in less than a week. It was phenomenal to see how people would turn up at the end of a busy work-day just because they believed, they wanted to help and support. What's more, I also ran into an old-timer from Dream A Dream and suddenly felt very much at home with her support by my side. DC would not have happened without the support of Raj and Smita, my angels and Roshan who so graciously gave me his place to stay and Usha – a very special person who I connected with on Food, Travel and community work. When she was keen to show me the sights of DC, I told her – I want to understand why there is poverty here and what is one doing to change things. She took me to a Central Kitchen where families come to feed the poor and homeless. Good, cooked, healthy food. Families serve the homeless and also sit with them; children included, and eat the same food. While, I was humbled with seeing this sensitivity, I came away very disturbed thinking, If I ever had to beg for good, live on the streets, eat from a central kitchen – would I be able to? Is there dignity in poverty? Do we continue to let poverty exist and thrive so we can feel important and worthy about ourselves? 

DC was also a place for some old connections, meeting an old-time Dream A Dream volunteer, reconnecting with Ashoka and its inspiring staff, meeting an old school-mate whom I had not met for 16 years and reconnecting with old friends from the US. Food was big on the agenda in DC as I tried Ethiopian, experimented with Japanese and Chinese new cuisine, Spanish tapas and Sangria and the super traditional American Chilli Hot Dog and finally finishing off with a traditional all American brunch. Managed to capture an interactive play called "Shear Madness" at the renowned Kennedy Center before I dashed off the San Jose on the West Coast.

San Jose was completely unlike DC or Boston, a small town set amidst mountains in a beautiful valley; it was stunningly beautiful but completely inaccessible without your own transport. Guneet Singh Bedi was my knight in shining armour taking me to all my meetings and being the man-Friday ensuring it was worth my while to have travelled thousands of miles. He went out of his way to again open doors for me with interested companies, individuals, and also a talk at Berkeley. This was interspersed with meeting an old AIESEC friend and her lovely 2-month old bundle of joy, meeting old Dream A Dream volunteers, spending the thanksgiving evening at the only open Indian restaurant and staying up all night for the infamously popular Black Friday sale after Thanksgiving.

I had also come to my journey's end and also my strength was giving way. The sense of wanting to be back in India amongst friends, colleagues and family was creeping in, the overbearing realization that the work has just started and I need to very quickly follow-up on all my meetings to ensure we don't lose the momentum and that there was a lot I had to remember about my trip was completely over-whelming me. I forgot to call a few people I was supposed to meet, I forgot a scheduled meeting and I was sleeping less and less. Guneet came to my rescue with some amazing drives in his classic convertible and a day spent amongst wineyards at the very stunning Napa Valley trying out different kinds of wines. It helped me relax my senses and let go for a day. 

It was time to go back. But, not yet. My last leg was supposed to be a winding down 3-days with friends and family at Milwaukee and Chicago. Ended up being super hectic with catching up on work from India and more meetings at Chicago. A visit to Kellog School of Management for a potential partnership and a final push presentation at Asha, Chicago is all that my soul could take and I was done!! Catching with a Dream A Dream first employee - a very dear personal friend and an inspiring colleague; spending time with cousins and their adorable 4 yr old was just what the doctor had ordered to ensure I survive the last 2 days. 

The trip has been that of a breakneck speed juggernaut, of not letting go of opportunities, of reaching out to people, of sharing a dream – a million times over and of going back to believing in what I have always believed in. People across the world are wonderful and want to help; all it takes is to reach out with honesty and with your heart. 

It has been a tough one-month but I feel blessed that even across the seas, there are people who believe in what we do, who believe in us and who really want to reach out in their own ways – small and big. My body feels battered, my mind is numb but my spirit seems rekindled with the "Power of One"! Sometimes, when I have felt empty inside or lonely, I look back at the people who have being with me through this whole month and I don't feel alone again. I feel blessed! Thank you all who made this happen.

A Remarkable Volunteer - Bhasker Sharma

Why am I an Entrepreneur

Last week, I was invited to be a speaker and a panelist at Startup Leadership in Boston. Startup Leadership supports entrepreneurs just starting out with mentoring, access to Venture Capital, etc. The discussions were generally around startup journeys, challenges, managing founder expectations, funding, etc. I was the only non-business guy in the room and kept wondering what value-add can I bring to this strongly tech oriented start-up group. I went with the flow anyway.

Somewhere during the panel discussion, the topic moved towards the kind of people you would bring on board as a co-founder. Should she/he be a business development person or a technically sound person. Would you want a Phd or a MBA, What would the VCs like? What would bring in more business and better valuations? etc. Someone started talking about some mathematical matrix to choose the right blend of co-founders so the business gets the right valuations and money from the VC, etc. I tried very hard to concentrate and see merit in this very transactional process of setting up a start-up venture and I was totally confused. Finally, I had to voice what was going on in my head.

I said, "Why are we getting all transactional about this? Is this what setting a new venture about is? A mathematical formula. Setting up a business is like giving birth to and bringing up a baby; Its about bringing to light a spectacular idea you have of making the world a better place to live in. How can you just share this baby with someone over a mathematical formula. For me, a co-founder would be someone I would trust my life with completely because I want this person to stand by me in times of success and hardship. The first few years are going to be hard and if this person can trust me, and I can trust this person and we can get through the shit together, then she/he is a worthy co-founder. For me, that would be the single most important criteria to bring on a co-founder."

I am zapped that what seemed common sense to me, didn't even register to these entrepreneurs. A strange and albeit sad realization struck me. Most entrepreneurs today are setting up businesses to get venture capital money, push their valuations, sell their business and walk away. They are not interested in building a world class business and adding value to life. For me, starting something new has always come from a space of, I see a problem and I think I know how to solve it and I want to build a strong, robust and successful business around it and solve the problem. Its about looking back and saying, we created this business and because of this, the world is a much more better place. That as a value was sorely missing from most of the discussions.

It worried me that we can feeding into a system which only wants to profit oneself and is not looking to create any real value over the long-term. Are these the entrepreneurs we want to have in our eco-system. I am not sure! I am wondering what has changed and where have the true entrepreneurs got lost!!