Philanthropy of ordinary people 'ensures': their precious donation is used wisely

By Bharat Dogra*

Philanthropy is generally associated with rich people, but some of the best work for the poor can be done with the help of small donations given by ordinary people. One reason for this is that unlike extremely rich people, ordinary people are much more likely to identify with issues of justice and equality.

Secondly, as they have to really squeeze their personal expenses to find the money for giving, they are likely to take much more interest in trying to ensure that their precious donation is used wisely.

So promotion of philanthropy of ordinary people is a cause that deserves much more attention than it receives generally. It is also a cause dear to this writer, and having pursued this very sporadically earlier, in my elderly years I’ll like to give more attention and time to this.

One of the calls I like to give is for ordinary people to donate just about 2 per cent of their net income. Thus, an office assistant or a teacher earning about Rs 50,000 a month can also donate Rs 1,000 a month or Rs 12,000 a year. As this is so doable, when a very large number of people do this, this can lead to a very a significant sum of money reaching the poorest very regularly.

The way I visualize this, these donors are encouraged to get involved with any poor households who live or work near them. Several of such donors can form a group to donate for any cause that helps the poor in their area. In my scheme of things, centralization of sending donations to any one place is discouraged, as I would like donors to retain a living contact worth people they are trying to help.

However, in those cases where the donors insist they need help in identifying to whom they can send their donation (one reason could be that they do not see extreme poverty close to where they are living) someone like a sincere voluntary organization can be contacted, or even a writer like me, who has been regularly visiting places where extreme poverty still exists, can be contacted.

Even in such a situation, I never receive any money myself but merely direct the donors to those groups or organizations, mostly in remote areas but sometimes also in cities, who can utilize their donation properly and in the right spirit.

Ordinary donors are encouraged to get involved with any poor households who live or work near them

We have been trying to identify several types of work which can be supported. One is to set up a food bank in a village where during the lean season of low employment people can borrow some food grain and return it in better times, so that no one goes hungry in difficult times. Here in India this costs about Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 to set up and become functional. If difficult times drag on and returns are low, then some addition to stock may be needed later, but otherwise this can continue with returns equal to borrowings.

During serious drought years there may not be much hope of returns because of the extreme distress of people. As the entire idea is to help people, they cannot be asked to return grain in times of acute hunger. In such difficult times the same donor or some other donor must be asked to fill up the storage box anew.

The second idea we are trying out in those villages where a significant number of children from poorest households are still out of school. So villagers are encouraged to build a small hut, and a village youth is encouraged to more or less volunteer for teaching work.

However, Rs 1,500 are given to him or her just as a little encouragement. Now our village school is ready to function for as little as Rs 18,000 per year, but we add Rs 500 each for a small feast on four festive occasions in a year, and our budget goes up to Rs 20,000.

However, a few suggestion came that keeping in view that most children are from very poor families, we should serve a little to eat every day and when this is done every day, then the monthly budget comes to about Rs 5,000, and the annual budget goes up to Rs 80,000.

These are just a few ideas we are trying, and more will emerge.

---

*Honorary convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. Recent books: “Protecting Earth for Children”, “Planet in Peril”, “A Day in 2071”, “When the Two Streams Met”. Web-site: bharatdogra.in

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Search This Blog