COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the communities that Pollinate Group serves. Most of the people in the communities in which we work have lost their sources of income due to the pandemic and have had to return to their native villages. In May, we launched a 100-day response to support the women entrepreneurs in our network to regain income earning opportunities in India and Nepal.
Now that the COVID-19 lockdowns have ended, migrant workers, and the women entrepreneurs who we support, are returning to the cities.The need for our work is now more important than ever to help these women to rebuild their lives.
Our data shows 55% of our existing women entrepreneurs in India and Nepal do not have access to smartphones, which is a considerable barrier for them to restart their businesses, have full and effective participation in online training activities and maintain contact with the organisation. Thus, by leveraging technology to enhance their skills, our entrepreneurs will be able to make more sales and save more money.
To achieve this, our women entrepreneurs need to be trained on the usage of technology to restart their businesses and to enable them to effectively create impact in their communities. Pollinate Group is working on three main activities to ensure this:
- Implementing a Learning Management System to enable our women entrepreneurs to access training on entrepreneurship, sales and marketing and business skills digitally.
- Enabling digital transactions, financial literacy and inventory management through online platforms.
- Enabling continuous engagement and support for our women entrepreneurs.
These activities are impossible without access to a smartphone.
The most popular products that our entrepreneurs distribute are solar lanterns. These lanterns are the embodiment of the spirit of Diwali, the triumph of light over darkness, and we are inviting our networks and supporters to support our entrepreneurs to distribute more solar lanterns, restart their business and gain a dignified source of income.
If you are in the position to gift your old smartphone to our entrepreneurs this Diwali, your support will have a deep impact in the communities we serve in India and Nepal.
Having increased access to smartphones, our entrepreneurs will have the potential to grow their businesses and increase their product reach to more customers in their communities.
We, and our women entrepreneurs, will be full of gratitude for your generosity towards supporting our work to equip women to lead their families and their communities out of poverty.
For more details on collection and drop off points please refer to our FAQs below.
FAQs
Can I donate my phone if I am outside India and Nepal?
At this stage, phone donations are only acceptable from within India and Nepal.
How long is the campaign running for?
We are collecting smartphones all through the month of October and November. Should you wish to donate outside of this time period please get in touch with us on people@pollinategroup.org
What is the criteria for smartphones to qualify for a donation?
We are seeking smartphones that are:
- In working condition.
- Less than 3 years old.
- Must have a working charger and cable.
- Restored to factory settings.
- Please ensure the phones and the cables are wrapped in bubble wrap, to avoid damage in transit, if you are sending the phones by post.
Where are the drop off / postal locations?
You can drop off or post* your phones at the following locations:
MCC Bangalore: Amreen B; Anchepalya, Kumbalgudu Post, Kengri Hobli, Bangalore – 560060 (Near Sneha Jyothi Water Tank). (Ph: 8553564273)
Hyderabad: Praveen Jorrigala; 103, 7-89/6 Laxmi Shreya Apartments, Shankar Nagar, Road No 2, Peerzadiguda Road, Uppal, Hyderabad – 500098. (Ph: 8790492707)
Chennai: Aashikka Roshan; 4th Floor, Buhari Towers, No. 4, Moores Road, Thousand Lights, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600006 (Ph No: 9790726084)
Kolkata: Tanmoy Kar; Sonarpur AP Nagar, Near Vivekanda Pally, District – South 24 PGS, Kolkata 700150. (Ph: 8371040980)
Lucknow: Srishti Yadav; Malak Road, Vidya Nagar, Near SBI Bank Neelmatha, Cantt, Lucknow -226002. (Ph: 7839127445)
Kanpur: Vikrant Parihar; 41/3 N.L.C Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur, 208011 (Landmark – Shanti Niketan Sweet House). (Ph: 8572917589)
Kathmandu: Abhilasha Poudel; Niketan Marg 184/12, Dillibazar, Kathmandu. (Ph: 9802073132)
Chitwan: Divya Poudel, Kalpavriksha Office ; Ratnanagar-7, Sauraha, Chitwan. (Ph: 9801566821)
Delhi: Neeraj, Aspire & Innovate Advertising pvt. Ltd ; 313, Vipul Trade Centre, Sohna Road, Sec-48, Gurugram -122103. (Ph: 8929289830)
Mumbai: Sashi Gumma, 1A/1402, Siddhachal Elite, Vasant Vihar, Off Pokhran Road No 2, Thane West 400 610 (Ph: Praveen @ 8790492707)
*If you are posting the phones, please make sure you include your name, contact number and an email address on the package, so we can keep you posted with impact updates.
I would like to organise a phone collection through my work place, where should we send the phones?
If you are arranging to donate 5 or more smartphones together, please get in touch with us on people@pollinategroup.org to discuss collection options.
What happens once I have gifted my smartphone?
Our staff receiving the phones will record your phone number and/or an email address so we can share an update with you on the impact that your donation makes.
Have a question not covered above? Contact us at people@pollinategroup.org