CSR fund for blind NGO, is it enough

Human psychology is very complex, those at the giving end feel satisfied and gratified and those who are at the receiving end feel embarrassed and humbled. Despite this fact we have so many poor people around, those who don’t have to eat, have minimal or no access to healthcare, live in unhealthy and inhuman sanitation conditions, remain illiterate and have no place to stay. There are many definitions of poverty but the more acceptable one, as defined by the World Bank, is based on the ability of an individual’s purchasing power, a person’s ability to spend an amount of $1.25 or less per day. Around 1.4 billion people in the world are poor or are at the lower strata of the socio-economic pecking order. In India more than 270 million people are poor that is about 23% of its total population. They live on $1.25 or less per day making it difficult for them to survive. This is where charity and donation plays a very important and major role.

Philanthropy is not a recent phenomenon nor is it alien to us, it has existed for long. Charity and philanthropy stems from the notion that creation of fortune, for individuals, corporations and conglomerates, is possible only when others (people in and from the society) contribute and therefore the desire to do something for the society at large by addressing areas, like healthcare, education and environment. C SR or corporate social responsibility, as the name suggests, is the role that companies, business houses and corporates play in trying to bridge the gap of disparity, between the have and have-nots, by contributing in the developmental programs and welfare schemes designed for uplifting the weaker section of our society. In India, the government has made it mandatory, a provision to this effect was unanimously passed by the parliament in 2013, for corporates to spend 2% of their profit (for companies making net profit of 5 crore and above), on social-sector schemes, as corporate social responsibility. Non-Government Organization or NGO are establishments working towards the cause of bringing socio-economic parity in our society. NGO’s are dependent on individuals and corporates, monetarily, for implementing and undertaking developmental projects for the weaker section of the society. Despite this, the CSR fund for NGO in India is not sufficient for all growth related activities of the poor.

NGO’s are doing a lot of work for the blind in India butthey hit a roadblock because they get short on funds. Around 80% of visual impairment can either be cured or avoided, for this to become a reality, healthcare facility should reach the poor in time. This can only happen when Corporates start allocating more funds for CSR activities. Some of the thrust areas that are short on funds and requires immediate corporate funding are: community based projects, specific number of eye surgeries, opening up of eye-care centers and by creating awareness, it is amply clear that CSR fund for blind in India is not adequate for the NGO’s.

It is the need of the hour for the corporate houses to increase their CSR fund for NGO in India in order to enable them to make healthcare facilities reach the poor in time and also help create and all inclusive society.

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