Michaela's Map, India: Giving Back
Video written & produced by: Michaela Guzy; Lensed & edited by: Zac Osgood; Production & writing assistance: Jordan Jones.
Watch as Michaela Guzy, founder of OhThePeopleYouMeet.com, visits NGOs and local organizations whose work ranges in scope from education, girls’ empowerment, historical restoration, medical projects and conservation initiatives. Of the 1.2 billion people in India, 32.7% live below the International Poverty Line. Watch to find out how you can help.
Michaela pretends to receive a shot from a cancer patient at St. Jude India ChildCare Centre.
Learn more about the projects covered in our video below and how to get involved.
Childhood education and poverty alleviation:
1. The Shine Foundation uses a holistic blend of early childhood education, vocational skills and poverty alleviation to improve the lives of over 1,000 children, teenagers and mothers who live in Delhi’s slums.
2. Vidya empowers over 2000 underprivileged Indian women, helping them gain employment or start their own business through microloans, profit-sharing and specialized training in areas like sewing, beauty culture training and computer literacy.
Medical care:
3. St. Jude India operates childcare centers for impoverished children with cancer. The organization provides support for parents teaching them hygiene and nutritional care for their sick child, while living together in a communal environment during the 6-10 months of chemotherapy treatment.
Companies who support their employees, local communities, environment & wildlife:
4. Tata and Orange County not only employ local plantation workers, but also provide housing, medical care, transport and a mid-day meal for their employees and families. In fact, 60% of Tata’s profits go back to support their charitable endeavors.
5. The Nilgiri Biosphere in the Western Ghats encompasses three states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, and is home to the largest Asian elephant population and 17% of the world’s tigers. Thanks to conservation education efforts with local schools by companies like Orange County, poaching is at an all-time low.
6. ITC is the only hotel company to be both carbon and water positive and utilize wind power portfolio-wide. Their ITC Gardenia property in Bangalore was Asia’s first hotel to achieve a LEED Platinum rating for sustainable initiatives like sourcing 40% of their edible ingredients from less than 100 miles of the property.
7. Countryside hotels such as the Vivanta by Taj—Madikeri in Coorg, are following suit, sourcing 80% of their local produce from within 30 km. The hotel was also carefully designed to minimize damage to the surrounding environment and constructed with recycled roofing tiles and mud paint.
Public spaces for everyone:
8. The garden of the Cross Maidan, one of Mumbai’s few green spaces, was restored in 2010 by the Tata and OVAL Trusts. The space includes a public art gallery anchored by Charkha, an 11meter tall sculpture inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel. The park is open to the public.
