More than 1,400 complaints related to <keyword id="20006313" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="accessibility" source="keywords">accessibility</keyword> have been lodged through the <keyword id="19900449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government" source="keywords">government</keyword>'s flagship <keyword id="23083750" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sugamya-Bharat" source="keywords">Sugamya Bharat</keyword> mobile application since its launch in 2021, with approximately 75% of those resolved, according to official data. The Sugamya Bharat app, designed to assist people with <keyword id="20006312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="disabilities" source="keywords">disabilities</keyword> and the elderly, allows users to report accessibility issues in public infrastructure, transportation and buildings by uploading photos. Information revealed following a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by PTI showed that 1,441 complaints were received on the app between 2021 and 2024. Of these, 1,081 were addressed after being forwarded to the authorities concerned. The RTI response revealed that 647 complaints were received in the 2021-22 period, of which 567 were resolved. The following year, 530 complaints were lodged and 391 resolved. The app recorded 264 complaints in 2023-24, while 123 were addressed. To further improve the app's functionality, the government plans to redesign the platform, incorporating artificial intelligence (<keyword id="19899640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI" source="keywords">AI</keyword>) features. A senior <keyword id="23083752" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Department-of-Disability-Affairs" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Department of Disability Affairs" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Department of Disability Affairs">Department of Disability Affairs</keyword> official said the upgraded Sugamya Bharat app would become a comprehensive platform for people with disabilities, offering an AI-powered chatbot, a multilingual interface, and tools for complaint registration and feedback. The redesign is part of the government's broader efforts to enhance accessibility across India's built environment, transportation and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) ecosystems. A partnership has been established with the <keyword id="23083751" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NGO-Mission-Accessibility" source="keywords">NGO Mission Accessibility</keyword> and the research institute I-STEM to develop the AI-enabled app. With more than 2% of India's population living with disabilities, experts believe that making disabled-friendly construction compliance mandatory during building plan approvals would significantly address challenges of accessibility. The official said the government was collaborating with IIT-Kharagpur to develop a specialised course on designing accessible buildings. This course will be introduced in 27 institutions, including other IITs. Since the app's launch, the complaint resolution process has faced logistical challenges, particularly at the state level, but the system has now been streamlined, the official said. Disability rights activist Dr Satendra Singh noted that earlier versions of the app had technical limitations, particularly for visually-impaired users. "That was a gap but they are addressing it," he said.

Over 1,400 accessibility-related complaints filed on govt app since 2021 launch, 75% solved, notes recent data

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50994572.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /><keyword id="6696781" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-development-ministry">Urban Development Ministry</keyword> today announced it would launch a mobile App for citizens to post their complaints about <keyword id="56059" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garbage">garbage</keyword> pile-up in their areas and seek timely redress of their grievance. Named '<keyword id="3232838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-City-Solutions">Swachh City Solutions</keyword>', the proposed mobile and web-based application will be developed in partnership with an NGO 'Janaagraha' Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, to ensure timely and effective implementation of the <keyword id="2312336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> objectives in 4041 statutory towns in the country. 

	A Memorandum of Understanding to the effect was signed today between the Ministry and the NGO 'Janaagraha' here. 
 

	The application is likely to become operational by April and will give citizens access to the latest technology to lodge their complaint and actively participate in keeping their cities clean. 
 

	Speaking on the occasion, UD Ministry Joint Secretary Praveen Prakash said, "Through this App, the government is providing the citizens with a platform to express their concerns regarding their areas and build community participation and consensus towards maintaining the cleanliness in their cities." 
 

	Prakash, who is also the Mission Director for Swachh Bharat said "The App will also enable municipal officials/field engineers to see each complaint and update the status of the resolution along with photos, hence building accountability in the system by ensuring timely grievance redressal." 
 

	Citizens will have features that will allow them to view complaints posted nearby, and show support by 'Voting up' on various complaints. 
 The App, in addition to enabling the creation of a community around complaints, leading to community participation and faster complaint resolution, will also enable the Ministry to rate and rank the 4041 <keyword id="6374279" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-local-bodies">urban local bodies</keyword> (ULBs) in India, based on their efficiency of redressing citizen grievances. The application aims at realising the vision of Swachh Bharat Mission towards a clean and <keyword id="1459267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garbage-Free-India">garbage free India</keyword> by 2019. 
	 
	(Image credits: Reuters)

Swachh City Solutions App for garbage free India by April

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/22459698.cms" /> 
How has been the journey so far since you picked up the MD rank at <keyword id="28115" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intel">Intel</keyword>, South Asia? 
My 18 years (and counting) with Intel has been a wonderful journey. I joined Intel when I was pretty much fresh out of college and the company has taught me everything I know about the business and also made me the person I am today. To me, Intel is like a magical garden with opportunities hidden in every corner. You just need to be hungry enough to look for those and be confident enough to open the door when you find it. The myriad roles I have done at Intel, especially in the first few years, gave me a 360 degree understanding of the business and taught me the importance of collaboration and teamwork, both of which have served me very well. And along the way, I have met some of the smartest and most wonderful people who have helped me grow as an individual and a professional. 
 It was always a dream to get the opportunity to build the <keyword id="54324" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="india-business">India business</keyword>. So when I was told in 2011 that I needed to come back to India, there was absolutely no looking back for me. India is one the most challenging and exciting markets ever and the opportunity to make a difference with technology is much bigger than anywhere else in the world. If India has to make real progress, inclusive growth is a must. For inclusive growth, you have to ensure that every citizen has access to quality education and basic services – be it healthcare or government services. And it is impossible to enable that without technology. Technology, if used right, can empower every citizen to be more successful, productive and contribute greatly to their families, communities and domestic economies. That’s where I see Intel playing a key role in this country. That’s where we want to make a real difference. 
 
I know everyone asks you this, but how is the <keyword id="176127" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intel-India">Intel India</keyword> business doing? And what we can expect in the coming months on the PC and laptop front from Intel? 
When I think India, I think opportunity. As a country, we are significantly lagging in the use of technology for development and growth. Somewhere, we lost focus and got over-obsessed with devices and hardware. The focus in India needs to be on what we do with the devices and the impact it has on individuals. In that way, we have not even scratched the tip of the iceberg. In fact, I believe that we haven’t even located the iceberg as yet. 
 
The focus in India needs to be on driving real and meaningful usage starting at the grassroots – be it building job skills or finding employment opportunities or finding new markets for small traders or providing preventive healthcare to the masses. Technology is meaningful and useful only when it enables us to be more productive and it makes our lives easier. We have a long way to go to enable that India. What we need is a holistic approach to technology that addresses last-mile access, localised content, digital literacy and, of course, choice of devices to meet different consumer needs. If we get it right, the sum total of the strategy will have more value for the consumers and the industry than the singular focus on hardware or devices that we see in the country. 
 
Regarding devices, the world is moving from the era of personal computers to the era of personal computing. It’s what we do with the technology that becomes much more important than form factors. My belief is – we will see Indian consumers move towards a multi-device lifestyle. The PC, which Andy Grove called the ultimate Darwinian device, will continue to evolve and adapt to changing consumer needs just as it has done all these years. It will get thinner, lighter and capable of doing much more, and the lines between form factors is going to blur. With the innovation we are driving at the CPU level, our partners will have the increased ability to innovate much more around the look and feel and we will see very exciting form factors coming out, based on how consumers are using technology and emerging needs. 
 
A great example is the announcement of 2-in-1 computing. With the launch of the 4th Generation Intel® Core™ processor family, which will drive an unparalleled amount of innovation in the personal computing space, we will see the start of a new era of 2-in-1 computing. A 2-in-1 device works as a PC when you need it and a tablet when you want that, and you’ll soon start seeing a lot of these products in the market. The new Core family delivers the most significant increase in battery life in Intel history with an additional 50% improvement in battery life in active workloads over the previous generation. The 4th generation Intel Core processors, with Intel Iris Graphics, boast up to two times the performance over today’s fastest Intel HD Graphics, thus bringing mobile computing devices to life with built-in, eye-popping visual experiences. All of this is to meet the needs of today’s mobile and multi-tasking consumers. 
 
India is a large market with its set of challenges. Any experience you would like to share where Intel India has done fabulously well? 
Because of our commitment to long-term market development in India, I don’t see the country as a short-term sales opportunity. In fact, that is the biggest mistake one can make. In the short term, the market is and will continue to be one of the most challenging ones we have worked in. But the moment you balance short-term realities with long-term opportunities, the game changes. 
 One example is the <keyword id="1568547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Digital-Literacy-Mission">National Digital Literacy Mission</keyword> we launched last year. Post my return to the country last year, one of my first observations was that the industry was putting the cart before the horse. We were obsessively focused on just selling what we had, to the audience that was already tech savvy. As a result, it was a market share game for everyone while millions of families were still not connected to the Internet. 
 
There was an urgent need to pull together the industry and focus on creating tomorrow’s users – not just to grow the market but to increase technology usage and impact in the country. NDLM was created with this goal in mind. One of the key reasons why people did not use technology in India was that they did not know what to do with it. The objective of NDLM was to address that and drive digital literacy at the grassroots. Intel’s digital literacy training, Intel® Easy Steps, focuses on integration of technology in our daily lives in very simple ways and this training has received an overwhelming response. Along with our partners, we have worked with over 30 NGOs to train 1.7 million people in India in over a year. 
 
To be successful in India, you have to balance between short-term and long-term priorities, and you have to invest in market creation. These two are my mantras for Intel in India. 
 
Thanks to the new age ultra-books and tablets, the <keyword id="28355" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="PC-market">PC market</keyword> has seen a slow down? Has that affected business? 
As I said above, the personal computer is no longer defined by a form factor. Andy Grove once said that the PC is the ultimate Darwinian device – it will adapt to what consumers need. Right now, computing is evolving and the industry is in a period of transition and hyper-innovation. New shapes like tablets, 2-in-1s and new operating systems are blurring the traditional lines. We now have a much greater choice of devices; we typically own more devices and choose the right one for the task at hand. 
 
When you look across the spectrum of device form factors (i.e., desktop, notebook, Ultrabook, tablet and smartphone) and operating systems, personal computing is evolving and growing. Intel is well positioned to take advantage of the range of computing devices – from the lowest power portable devices to the most powerful data centre servers and everywhere in-between. 
 
In developing the 4th generation Core, Intel was successful in bringing down the power significantly to reach 6W SDP to power the Ultrabooks and will usher in a wave of new 2-in-1 designs. Furthermore, ‘Bay Trail-M’ and ‘Bay Trail-D’, the 22nm SoCs with PC feature sets, will be available later this year for value 2-in-1s, clamshell laptops, desktops and all-in-one computers, ultimately offering users a spectrum of computing products at a variety of affordable price points. Over the last decade, Intel has moved from a company that largely serves the PC industry to one that increasingly provides the vital intelligence inside all things computing. The beauty of all this is that – IF YOU GET IT RIGHT, the sum total of the devices will have more value for the consumers and industry than the individual device itself. That is the business model we are working towards. 
 
If I have to take a shot at predicting the future, I will say that it will see a multitude of devices and they will continue to get smarter, more power-efficient and more intuitive. And they will all have to talk to each other and work together. It is our goal to create that future with relentless innovation. 
 
How important is the rural <keyword id="47445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indian-market">Indian market</keyword> for Intel? Any new front that Intel is working on here? 
As per a report by McKinsey, the number of people on the Internet in India will be around 330 million by 2015, making it the 2nd largest base worldwide. However, even with 330 million people connected, we will still be at an Internet penetration of 28%, far less than the projected global average of 43%. To achieve a penetration of nearly 40% by 2015, which would be similar to China’s Internet penetration at that date, India would need to have notched up more than 500 million Internet users. And that is impossible without the participation of rural India. So no debate on that one. 
 
However, the reality is that we cannot expect rural India to adopt the Internet unless and until they see the real relevance. And there lies the challenge. We have to start thinking differently about the market and what it takes to win, with the focus mostly on the following areas: 
 
- Increasing awareness about what the Internet can do in a way that is relevant to the audience. For instance, how farmers can use the Internet to get relevant information like weather details and mandi process to plan their transactions better and increase their earnings. The ability to increase income and productivity will be the most important drivers of faster adoption in the country. 
 
- Innovation at the software and hardware levels is a must to enable solutions that meet the needs of the target audience. As we move beyond the cities, the next wave of users will be largely local language users. 
 
But currently, none of the Indian languages features among the top 10 languages on the Internet. We will need to drive content and application in local languages to cater to the audience. We also need to drive innovations at the interface level to enable more intuitive ways of interacting with technology that simplifies ease of use. For example, the day a farmer can speak to his PC and get the latest weather information in his local language, we will see a real need for technology build up in rural India. The industry will also need to think through ecosystem innovation in areas like alternate power sources as lack of electricity is and will continue to be a key roadblock to Internet adoption and usage. 
 
- Both the government and the industry need to keep striving to bring down the total cost of access. There are several success stories globally where governments have driven special tax incentives or subsidies to accelerate adoption in rural segments, SME and education. These initiatives cannot just be about cheap device as the cost of broadband is the largest piece in the total cost of ownership. Also, given the need to drive inclusive growth, just depending on low-end devices for connectivity is not going to help India. 
 
- Last but not the least, we need to ensure there is last-mile access. While the government lays out the National Fibre Optic Network, there has to be steps taken to work with the industry to drive last-mile access plans. 
 
Currently our focus is more on understanding the rural audience. We are working with select NGO partners to conduct several pilots in rural India to understand how technology can help people. That is the best place to start the thinking. 
 
How do you see the fate of the tablet? It is not doing as well as the smartphone, but is definitely eating into the laptop pie. 
I honestly believe that the form factor innovation is just starting and we have seen nothing yet. I think the verdict is out on tablets as they currently exist – they’re here to stay! Today, consumers lead a highly mobile lifestyle and want to be connected at every step. Tablets and smartphones help them do just that. 
 
However, if you look at the usage aspect of ultra-mobile devices, a large part of the usage is for consumption purposes like reading, checking e-mail, social networking, etc., but when it comes to tasks related to creation, users still need something more and that’s where traditional devices like desktops and laptops come in. Still, a tremendous evolution in form factors in these traditional devices is also happening with all-in-one PCs, Ultrabooks and more recently, with the 2-in-1 devices. Intel is at the forefront of enabling the innovation in the personal computing space in all these areas. 
 
When can we see Intel partnering with major mobile brands such as Samsung and Nokia to launch some really powerful smartphones? 
It should come as no surprise that Intel is broadening its scope and delivering a range of sleek, new devices. We are accelerating our Android efforts overall and have multiple tablet projects in the works with dozens of customers. ASUS recently announced its Fonepad, a 7 inch handheld device powered by the new Intel® Atom™ Z2420 processor with 3G voice and mobile data for all the features of an Android smartphone and the convenience of a larger tablet display. Additionally, Samsung recently shared that its new Samsung Galaxy 3 tablets will be running on our Intel Atom Z2560 (Clover Trail +) processor platform and will offer the Android operating system. Our newest Atom platform, Bay Trail, is optimised for both Windows and Android. So we expect to see a number of these devices in 2013. 
 
How is the partnership with the XOLO brand going? Can we expect more smartphones coming under the same brand? Can you share some features they will have? 
We cannot comment on behalf of Lava on their product roadmap. However, what I can tell you is that the launch of the first Intel processor-based smartphone in the world happened right here in India with the launch of XOLO X900. Today, there are three XOLO phones with Intel processors. 
 
On a personal note, if you had the chance to design a tablet or a smartphone, what features (except the Intel Chipset) would you like to have in it? 
Well, the obvious one is that it will have to be an Intel-based device! But if I got a chance to actually design a device, I would like to create a device for the real India, for the millions of people who may not be fluent in English or may not even be literate, but can tremendously benefit from technology if they could use it. My dream device for India is the one that comes with built-in local language speech recognition capabilities, an intuitive interface that can recognise speech and gestures, thus reducing the need to key in words, and with a battery life that can last all day with a few hours of charging to take into account the sporadic access to power in most parts of the country. And yes, it needs to have the flexibility of a tablet and the performance of a laptop built in.

Challenge Lies In
Creating Inclusive, Relevant Technology For India: Debjani
Ghosh,
MD (Sales & Marketing), Intel South Asia

The Indian <keyword id="761780" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce-market" source="Orion">e-commerce market</keyword> has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, driven by factors such as increased internet penetration, smartphone adoption, digital payments, and changing consumer behaviour. This growth has created opportunities for livelihoods and has been supported by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector, which plays a crucial role in India’s economy. Contributing significantly to employment generation, economic growth, and poverty reduction, MSMEs hold immense potential. The <keyword id="44734" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-government" source="Orion">Indian government</keyword>'s initiatives, such as "<keyword id="6354869" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-india" source="Orion">Make in India</keyword>" and "Startup India", and the ₹1,700-crore allocation in the budget for MSMEs’ digital infrastructure to fuel growth in these enterprises, have been in the right direction. In the grand scheme of India's retail fabric, <keyword id="35621" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="Orion">e-commerce</keyword> is only warming up. However, its potential to revolutionise how we buy and sell is an indisputable fact.The Emergence of E-commerce in India and the industry trendThe dawn of Internet accessibility fanned the flames for online trade in India. From books to electronics, gadgets to fashion wear — Indian consumers suddenly had a vast digital marketplace at their fingertips. Amid this e-commerce bull run, Flipkart emerged as a trustworthy platform for millions of customers that catered to the evolving demands of Indian consumers.With incessant tech advancements and evolving consumer behaviours, the e-commerce landscape is constantly shifting. Convenience, transparency, and personalisation will be major driving forces transforming how we buy and sell online.India’s <a href="https://www.bain.com/insights/how-india-shops-online-2022-report/">online shopper base</a> is estimated to increase to 400–450 million by 2027. 50 million new shoppers were added to the Indian e-retail market, which is ~35% growth over the online shopper base in 2020. New shoppers majorly belong to tier-3 or smaller cities and include Gen Z, a critical cohort that typically starts buying at entry price points. 3 out of 5 shoppers belong to tier-2 or smaller cities, 1 in 3 shoppers belong to low-to-middle income segments, and 1 in 3 shoppers is Gen-Z. Consumers now spend 20% more time per month on a retail platform vs last year.Flipkart’s impact on India’s e-commerce landscapeFlipkart, a homegrown marketplace platform, has been at the forefront of this transformative journey, <keyword id="65467" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="empowering" source="Orion">empowering</keyword> MSMEs and driving inclusive economic growth in the country. Given that more than 95% of MSMEs in India are micro in nature, a ready-to-go platform that Flipkart provides is immensely crucial to market the products coming out of Make in India and help them become small-to-medium in nature. Indeed, through its innovative approach and steadfast commitment to inclusion, Flipkart is inspiring a new cadre of entrepreneurs while playing an instrumental role in harnessing the true potential of India’s e-commerce maze. Today it stands as more than an e-commerce company – it’s a catalyst reshaping India's retail ecology.Over the last 15 years, Flipkart has been a transformative force in India’s e-commerce landscape.●It has driven the rapid growth of the online marketplace.●It has helped businesses embrace digital technology to increase their reach and profits.●It has contributed to economic development by enhancing India's global competitiveness.With a remarkable 220% seller growth on the platform since last year, Flipkart has earned the trust of over 14 lakh sellers— reflecting the faith that Indian MSMEs, small businesses, and enterprises have in their capabilities. Flipkart, with a registered user base of 500Mn+is well-positioned to cater to these emerging customer preferences.By bringing meaningful market opportunities to MSMEs and small businesses, Flipkart has helped promote inclusive growth by creating job opportunities, empowering women, and enabling entrepreneurship among disadvantaged sections of society.Empowering rural entrepreneurs MSMEs especially have a big role to play in providing employment opportunities, income generation, and skill development in rural areas, thereby uplifting local economies and reducing regional disparities. Flipkart, too, has been playing its part – it launched the Flipkart Samarth Program in 2019 to build a sustainable and inclusive platform for under-served domestic communities, with a special focus on uplifting and onboarding artisans, weavers, women-led enterprises, and people with disabilities.Flipkart isn't only changing how it does business; it's also making change happen in society:1.Inclusive growth: Flipkart promotes widespread prosperity by offering new opportunities to MSMEs and small businesses.2.Creating jobs: The platform supports countless livelihoods across the country.3.Empowering women: Flipkart believes in smashing glass ceilings, and its platform facilitates female entrepreneurship.4.Supporting the disadvantaged: Through its operations, Flipkart aims to uplift marginalised sections of society. Under the Samarth program, rural entrepreneurs from across the country are onboarded to the platform by securing multiple strategic engagements with state and central ministries, departments, livelihood missions, NGO partners, and entities across the country. To date, Samarth has reached out to sellers across 28 states, grown its seller entity base by 300% over the last year and has also helped entities &amp; businesses grow by 300%. By bringing millions of ambitious entrepreneurs access to a pan-India market, Flipkart Samarth is impacting more than 1.5 million livelihoods nationwide today. Paving the path for inclusive economic growthSupporting the development of MSMEs is crucial to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth, poverty alleviation and bridging the rural-urban divide. Thus, as India's e-commerce market continues to evolve, the collaboration between platforms like Flipkart and MSMEs will be pivotal in shaping a thriving and inclusive digital economy. Disclaimer: This article is authored by Rakesh Krishnan, Vice President and Head of marketplace, Flipkart. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Insider India.

Empowering India's e-commerce market

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nearly 25 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery across Asian and the Pacific regions.</li><li>Families in Pakistan can be forced into bonded labor, working in grueling conditions at brick kilns.</li></ul>Vasanti Megwhar and her family spend their days making bricks under the sun of the Thar Desert in southeast Pakistan, where temperatures can climb as high as 122 degrees.The Megwhars are one of millions of families across South Asia who work in punishing conditions at brick kilns to pay off an unknown amount of debt to wealthy landowners. Lawyers told Insider that these kilns are part of a system of <a href="https://www.insider.com/pakistan-brick-kilns-debt-bondage-modern-day-slavery-2023-4">"modern-day slavery."</a>Insider recently went to the brick kiln in the Thar Desert to document the conditions families such as the Megwhars are forced to work under.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oAOypGQdzGU" frameborder="0"></iframe>Although Pakistan abolished forced labor in 1992, the law is not well enforced and experts told Insider that kiln owners often have government ties which make it easier to escape enforcement.Now, organizations such as Green Bricks Foundations are working to raise money and provide other resources such as access to schools to support families stuck in forced labor.Here's a list of groups you can donate to:<h2>Green Bricks Foundation</h2><a href="https://greenbricksfoundation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Bricks Foundation</a> is spearheaded by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), a Pakistan-based non-governmental organization founded in 1992. According to the organization, <a href="https://www.sparcpk.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPARC</a> has helped free over 17,000 workers by taking their cases to court, Zahid Thebo, a SPARC program manager, told Insider.Green Bricks Foundation created a new <a href="https://greenbricksfoundation.com/donate-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donation</a> page after seeing the interest from viewers who wanted to help the family featured in Insider's documentary. Thebo said that donations from this page will go toward first paying off the Meghwar's loans and moving them into a safe shelter. The NGO will use additional funds to build a school in Azad Nagar, the city where they house freed families.So far, Thebo said the NGO has raised about $700 and is working on rescuing the Meghwar's. But he emphasized that his work doesn't stop here and there are still thousands of families in Pakistan's Sindh province alone who need help. <h2>Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan</h2>The <a href="https://www.bllfpk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan (BLLF)</a> plainly states that its mission is "total eradication of "bonded labor and child labor from South Asia." The group's work consists of educating people on how to exercise their rights and advocating for a government response to bonded labor issues, according to its website."We cannot rely on judicial activism alone," <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1037450-combating-bonded-labour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Syeda Ghulam Fatima, BLLF's secretary told The News on Sunday</a>. "We need strong laws passed by the parliament to completely eradicate the practice of bonded labor. Many of the laws are weak or not enforced in their true spirit."In 2015, a photo campaign by <a href="https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/126945021306/my-sisters-kidneys-were-failing-we-tried-to" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Humans of New York</a> chronicling the lives of those trapped in bonded labor resulted in an outpouring of support for Fatima's work. The group raised ove<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/photographers-campaign-raises-2-million-end-pakistani-forced-labor-n412031" target="_blank" rel="noopener">r $2 million</a> to help end the illegal practice.<h2>Anti-Slavery International</h2><a href="https://www.antislavery.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anti-Slavery International</a> (ASI) is a UK-based NGO that partners with organizations, businesses, and governments to end slavery around the world. Founded in 1839, Anti-Slavery International is one of the oldest international human rights organizations, according to its website.<a href="https://www.antislavery.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ASI_IR_22_A5_web.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In its 2022 impact report</a>, ASI said that it helped end state-imposed forced labor in Uzbekistan after a 15-year pressure campaign on the government and raised about $4.3 million, among other achievements. <h2>Global Fund to End Modern Slavery</h2><a href="https://gfems.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS)</a> is an international fund with over 40 projects implemented across India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and a host of other countries, leading a coordinated global effort to address trafficking and forced labor. In 2018, the US government provided GFEMS with <a href="https://www.state.gov/program-to-end-modern-slavery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a $21 million dollar grant</a> to help the group expand its efforts.<a href="https://www.gfems.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2021-Impact-Report-opt-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In 2021</a>, the fund aided 1,300 survivors by providing basic needs, education, or other support services.<h2>Freedom Fund</h2>The <a href="https://freedomfund.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom Fund</a> is another global fund working to end modern slavery in countries where the issue is prevalent or, as the nonprofit calls it, "hotspots." Areas include Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, India, and Thailand, among other countries. Part of its efforts includes providing resources for grassroots organizations working on the frontlines of the issue.<a href="https://freedomfund.org/impact/global-metrics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to the organization</a>, Freedom Fund supported nearly 1.5 million people across hotspot areas in 2021 and 2022. About $70.6 million were invested into the Freedom Fund's hotspot programs.

Millions are trapped in 'modern-day slavery' at brick kilns in Pakistan. Here's how you can help.

<ul><li>For a long time, conversations around <keyword id="6354774" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health" source="Orion">mental health</keyword> have been had in hushed voices. However, over the past few years, with more people opening up about their struggles and the availability of help, people are slowly opening up.</li><li><keyword id="3271240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cadbury-bournvita" source="Orion">Cadbury Bournvita</keyword>, in it latest ad spot, has an important message to share. It has called on parents to not ignore signs of poor mental health in their children. </li></ul>Cadbury Bournvita has rolled out ‘Get The Message’, a digital first campaign aimed at raising awareness around kids’ mental and emotional well-being and partner with parents in this journey. The campaign was conceptualized and brought to life in partnership with <keyword id="531122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ogilvy-india" source="Orion">Ogilvy India</keyword> and mental health organization, The <keyword id="2918198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="minds-foundation" source="Orion">MINDS Foundation</keyword>. <div type="Youtube" id="EkCtQT2yfig" title="Bournvita - Get The Message" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EkCtQT2yfig/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="J1ywR5XuOoI" title="Bournvita - Get The Message" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J1ywR5XuOoI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Speaking about the campaign, <keyword id="564803" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inderpreet-singh" source="Orion">Inderpreet Singh</keyword>, Associate Director – Marketing (Beverages, Meals, Candies &amp; Gums), <keyword id="2200852" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mondelez-india" source="Orion">Mondelez India</keyword>, said, “The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown brought forth a new parenting challenge. The physical restrictions of social isolation, schools being shut, being constantly cooped up at home has impacted children mentally. The signs of children struggling with their mental and emotional health are often very subtle and sometimes not picked up or tend to be misread by parents. As a trusted brand that has always highlighted the need for progressive and holistic parenting, #GetTheMessage campaign is an attempt to help parents identify these signs and provide them with the right resources to ensure their children’s mental and emotional wellbeing. The idea leverages technology in a smart way to provide resources to parents and break the taboo around this topic.” Along with the digital films, Cadbury Bournvita and Ogilvy India teams creatively partnered to get the audience engaged through an AI powered chat BOT. Using this innovative disruption, the campaign delivers content customized to the viewer's awareness levels on the topic. The #GetTheMessage campaign starts with two films that segue seamlessly into a personalized bot-based interaction with each viewer. In addition, the campaign lends itself with a dedicated website www.mannkitayyari.in and a 24/7 toll-free helpline to not only help parents focus on their children’s mental wellbeing, but also provides them with resources to sensitively handle the growing mental and emotional challenges that children face these days. To ensure this, Cadbury Bournvita has partnered with MINDS foundation, an NGO founded in 2010 on a mission to create a world that fosters a shared approach to mental wellness — in which anyone, anywhere can access the resources they deserve. Speaking about this association Dr. Raghu Appasani, CEO, MINDS foundation, said, “Mental health is something we all have and therefore it is important to be able to understand it in oneself and in others. Through this incredible partnership with Cadbury Bournvita, we have been able to curate our years of evidence-backed mental health research and expertise into easy to understand, interactive and accessible resources for parents and make it available across the country. As you explore the chatbot and the website, you will come across educational materials on how to engage with children struggling with their mental health, have difficult conversations, equip them with tools for resilience, and develop stronger relationships. Additionally, we have been able to provide access to a toll-free 24/7 helpline for parents to reach out. This is just the beginning of our partnership with Cadbury Bournvita and we are very excited to continue our journey and mission to provide further resources.” Akshay Seth, Group Creative Director &amp; Chinmay Raut, Senior Creative Director, Ogilvy India, said, “The signs of mental health struggles are there for one to see as well as miss. We wanted to mirror this reality in a very organic way through the films by showing the point of view of both, the parent, and the child. For parents the sign can be easy to miss but children seek a shoulder, and we wanted the audience to be that shoulder. By getting the viewer to have a conversation with the affected kid on WhatsApp via a bot, we are breaking the wall and making the viewer understand the condition a little better. We are also empowering parents to reach out for further help via counsellors so that MannKiTayyari no longer gets overlooked.” The campaign will also be amplified through influencer engagement, online webinars, partnerships with leading online platforms along with on-pack integration to drive awareness amongst parents.

Cadbury Bournvita's latest campaign aims at raising awareness around children's mental health and emotional well-being

<ul><li>This year, Indian Premier League will be held in closed stadiums and in UAE. However, that hasn't led in any decrease in excitement for both the audiences and brands.</li><li>With many brands coming on board as sponsors for this edition of the sporting extravaganza, we will talk to some of the prominent sponsors to understand how they want to use the platform to strengthen their presence.</li><li>In today's interview, <keyword id="9937067" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="trupthi-shetty">Trupthi Shetty</keyword>, Lead- Growth and Engagement, <keyword id="1763236" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="CRED">CRED</keyword> tells us all that the Credit Card payment company is planning for its first stint as the official partner this year.</li></ul> As we come closer to this year’s edition of the Indian Premier League, things are slowly getting heated up. More and more excitement is building with each passing day and new sponsors are coming on board to make the most out of one of the most-watched sporting events in the country. It is obvious that things will be different in the league this year. With no audiences in the stadiums, the entire experience will be different. However, this hasn’t led to any decrease in the advertiser’s excitement around the tournament. So we thought of reaching out to some of the prominent sponsors this year and understand how they are going to use this platform to strengthen their relationships with their consumers. In the first interview in this series, we bring to you a conversation with Trupthi Shetty, Lead- Growth and Engagement at CRED. Board of Control for Cricket in India (<keyword id="6354756" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bcci">BCCI</keyword>) has roped in CRED as the official partner for <keyword id="7463791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipl-2020">IPL 2020</keyword>. The brand, that has struck a three-year deal is a first-time sponsor and has quite a few innovative plans in place to make the most out of this association. Excerpts: Q) This is your first year as a sponsor for IPL. What do your marketing plans look like? We are excited to partner with one of the country’s most popular sporting events. This year, unlike others before, the pandemic has led to more of a focus on digital with events and activations being moved to virtual. This is exciting for us since CRED has focused on creating rewarding digital experiences for the community for quite a few months. Our community of affluent, high-trust members has a fan base in cricket and we want to use marketing to reach out to them and establish the narrative that credit cards are better with CRED. There are two focus areas that all our marketing plans would be centered around. The first is to use IPL’s reach to drive messages surrounding financial and credit literacy- an integral part of our mission at CRED. The second is to leverage our position as a brand discovery platform amongst the mass affluent to partner with brands and create rewarding experiences centered around matches that are high on engagement. The digital experiences we are creating for members include exciting cashbacks, partnerships with brands and even the opportunity for members to contribute to a relevant cause. There are plenty more activations planned and we will be able to share details about these once they are finalized. Some of the experiences planned include: • Members who pay their credit card bills on CRED during CRED Power Play - the Most Rewarding Overs will win assured cash-back with individuals standing a chance to get 100% of their credit card bill paid by CRED. • We have partnered with GiveIndia to have CRED members raise funds for an NGO- Sports Coaching Foundation. Through CRED Causes, members will be able to use their CRED coins to sponsor cricket training of the underprivileged youth across the country. • We have also partnered with leading premium brands such as OnePlus, Myntra, Ajio, Puma, Lalit Hotels, CROSS, Tata Cliq, JioSaavn, Audible, CureFit, Dineout, Syska, Samsung, Motorola, RBL (Reliance Brands), Hugo Boss, JioSaavn and WROGN to create and offer rewarding products, services and experiences to members. Q) The format is different this year. So how do you think things will be different for you as a sponsor? While the format of the IPL is slightly different this year, we don’t believe that things will be drastically different. It’s important to remember that in-stadium audiences and on-ground activations are just one part of what the IPL has to offer brands. What’s more important are the millions of Indians who tune in to watch the IPL at home from their screens. The IPL is a celebration that isn’t limited to stadiums but happens in everyone's homes. We are focused on creating rewarding experiences intertwined with each game that viewing audiences can enjoy from the comfort of their homes. Considering the fact that we have been creating these types of digital experiences for our members long before the IPL, we believe that the newfound focus on digital is an advantage that we can stand to gain from. Q) As a sponsor, what are your expectations from IPL 2020? With millions of Indians slated to watch the IPL this season, our partnership goes beyond the need to create awareness for the brand. Part of our mission at CRED is to educate the masses about managing their finances, more specifically, managing credit better. The association with the IPL will bring us closer to this goal, helping create widespread awareness about the importance of paying your credit card bills on time. Our target audience is primarily the first-generation wealthy, those who might be the first in their families to use products such as credit cards. Through the unique constructs and rewarding experiences we create for members, we will be able to build excitement and awareness about a product that helps people use their credit cards better. We are also looking forward to leveraging the sporting event’s reach to educate people about the plethora of products, services, and experiences they can avail as rewards on CRED for doing something as simple as paying their bills on time. Q) How do you plan to engage more closely with consumers, considering activations won’t be allowed this year and there won't be a live audience? Will Digital and TV be your biggest bets? At CRED, we specialize in creating unique and rewarding digital experiences for our members. During the IPL season, we will continue our focus on digital, creating engagements that audiences can access while watching the matches on their screens. These will be unique and rewarding experiences centered around the game, creating memorable experiences for members for each match that they watch. The experiences and constructs planned do not take away from the game and are rewards that members can avail while they are watching the game from their homes.

IPL 2020: How first-time sponsor CRED plans to make the most of its IPL association

India's booming nonprofit sector has the potential to make significant changes—from ensuring access to clean water, sanitation, and nutritious food to reducing infant mortality, improving health care, and expanding educational opportunities. This potential can only be realized if leaders of these nonprofit organizations can put in place the key drivers of success—a focused mission and strategy, a solid operational model, strong governance, and effective leadership. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Designed for senior decision makers in established or growing nonprofit (NGO) organizations in South and <keyword id="53564" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Southeast-Asia">Southeast Asia</keyword>, this new program is offered in association with Dasra, India's strategic philanthropy foundation, and with <keyword id="1089889" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashoka-University">Ashoka University</keyword>. Exploring best practices in nonprofit strategy, governance, and leadership, the program will prepare the students to build a high-performance organization that can fulfill its mission, expand its scope, and achieve its potential for improving lives. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 The course is currently underway from 31st July- 4th August 2017, is taking place in Ashoka University and Amit Chandra, Founder &amp; Board Member of Ashoka University spoke to Business Insider about how this program can further lives of senior management. “Built on the lines of successful ‘Strategic Perspectives in Non Profit Management’ at the <keyword id="6368596" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="boston">Boston</keyword> campus, this program is subsidized at one-fifth of the cost of the program and has secured full scholarship for almost 60% of the participants. With the help of Dasra, we have reached out to over a 1000 organisations which are a great balance of sector, size, and geography and gender diversity,” said Chandra who believes that the purpose of the program is two-fold. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 How will the course work The course is designed to help senior leaders improve their organization's performance and improve their own skill set by exploring powerful ideas and strategies that will help their organisation's growth and success. The participants will learn through case studies, faculty presentations, classroom discussions, small-group workshops, guest speakers, and panel discussions. Areas of focus include establishing a focused mission and a disciplined approach to strategy, performance measurement and improvement, responsible governance, and effective leadership. The curriculum highlights international best-practices, with an emphasis on South and Southeast Asia. The program this year will be an all-star <keyword id="70846" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harvard-Business-School">Harvard Business School</keyword> faculty spearheaded by V. Kasturi Rangan, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing; cochair of the <keyword id="4841697" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hbs-social-enterprise-initiative">HBS Social Enterprise Initiative</keyword> and Vikram S. Gandhi, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at HBS.

Here’s why Harvard University just started a course on Non-profit Management in Delhi

Sean Penn's nonprofit is providing drive-through coronavirus testing in Los Angeles — he and cofounder Ann Lee are creating a guide to replicate their efforts in other cities

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49769883.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
The oceans are at peril and there is law enforcement void in the international waters. Someone needs to go down there and save the ecosystem. From illegal fishing of whales to dolphins to toothfish, the poachers are on its way to extinct these beautiful creation of nature in a bid to make money. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/EXCLUSIVE-Life-as-a-Captain-of-Sea-Shepherd-the-pirates-of-the-sea/articleshow/49768148.cms">Sea Shepherd</a>, a UN Chartered organisation has taken the noble task of saving the waters from the poachers, risking their lives even. Sometimes fighting the poachers and sometimes fighting the government, they go to any extend to save the aquatic wildlife. 
 They announced their next campaign on Monday, <keyword id="3135361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Operation-Icefish">Operation Icefish</keyword> 2015-2016. While they are just back from their last campaign Operation Icefish 2014-2015 which was a huge success, they think there is still lot more to be done. 
 
TEDxGateway brings some of these inspiring personalities on one platform to raise awareness. 
 The captain of <keyword id="359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sea-Shepherd">Sea Shepherd</keyword>, Siddharth Chakravarty, reveals some of the intricate details about the last mission, tells us all that is wrong with the conservation laws and their ongoing fight against the Japanese Government, in an exclusive interview with Business Insider India. 
 The mission where they pursued an <keyword id="6355520" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Interpol">Interpol</keyword> listed, despite of warnings of their life being at risks 
 Operation Icefish was the first of its kind campaign to specifically target fishing in <keyword id="6354781" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Antarctica">Antarctica</keyword>. 
 
They were in 2 vessels with a crew of 70 and the aim was to head to Antarctica to fill an enforcement void in those waters and to deliver these vessels to justice while they were fishing in the ice in Antarctica. There are known six vessels which were returning to Antarctica in last 13-14 years and have remained outside traditional law enforcement. 
 On December 17, one of the vessels <keyword id="851314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bob-Barker">Bob Barker</keyword>, found Thunder which was an Interpol listed and began a hot pursuit of the vessel through ice and pore Ocean. Ultimately 110 days later the Thunder was scuttled and intensely sunk in West <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword> by her captain to destroy evidence. The captain has been charged with three years of imprisonment and also charged the owner 15 million euros for pollution. 
 
“That was an extremely successful outcome because generally in the world of crimes against fisheries you do not see such strong and quick resolution,” said the captain. 
 
What also happened was it brought together a lot of changes to how a crime was tackled. Interpol along with governments of New Zealand and Australia, Nigeria, Germany, Canada, multiple parties came together and they began investigating the money side, the ownerships and false paperwork that goes into running these illegal operations from their side. And ultimately by May when the campaign concluded we had managed to shut down all six of those vessels. This was again an unprecedented sort of success that never happened before. Sea Shepherd announced Operation Icefish 2015-2016 as two of the poaching ships have managed to evade law and escape. 
 
This year we are going with one ship because there are 2 poachers left, with a crew of about 35 on the ship, said the captain who was onboard the vessel Sam Simon, the other vessel on the pursuit. 
 
What was the most difficult part of your last mission? 
 We had two sides to that campaign. One was the chase of 110 days, which was almost 5 times the last chase. It went across four oceans, Antarctica Ocean, <keyword id="12350" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Ocean">Indian Ocean</keyword> and round the Cape of Good Hope to South Atlantic. So for the crew on board, the biggest challenge was the uncertainty of everyday chasing a wanted poaching vessel. And not knowing when it would end. That uncertainty played very heavily on the crew. The other vessel went in and picked up 72 kms of illegal fishing from the waters of Antarctica. For four weeks there were crews who worked 24x7 with a couple of days break every four days. Picking up these gear and in that process returning back about 50,000 kilos of toothfish, storing git on board and delivering it to the police to launch an investigation was not an easy task. All these happened in sub-zero temperature. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49769859.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
How was it to see Thunder go down to the bottom of the sea? 
 
It was a very surreal experience. We were the only ones in the sea who could even rescue the crew so I was actually speaking to the captain of the thunder about how I would be rescuing his crew when his ship went in the background. We never really expected there to be such a spectacular ending to the campaign. On one hand there was the jubilation that it had ended and driven the most notorious fishing vessel on this planet to the very edge when they decided to sink their own ship. On the other side there was the brave responsibility of picking up 40 people from that vessel, potentially knowing that they would be hostile and they would wrestle towards us. After that we still had the responsibility to deliver them to law enforcement agencies on shore because on the absence of that they would just disappear and the cycle would just continue. 
 
Many days and weeks later, it was finally a relief that the notorious vessel do not exist today. 
 
The Japanese government has agreed to stop its Whaling. Do you think the fight is over? 
 <keyword id="3135362" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Japanese-whaling">Japanese whaling</keyword> campaign was a huge success as we continued to gain support from across the world during the campaign. Whaling is a frowned down activity across the world now. We were able to gather a lot of public support and momentum and actually it became an election issue for the Australian and the New Zealand government. They promised the people that if they were voted to power they would take the Japanese whaling to international court of justice, which ultimately did happen. Japan has a vested interest in Antarctica and aims to resume its whaling operations. They made it clear last year that they would try and work around the international court of justice ruling. This year they have earlier said that they still intend to continue with their research vessels including the lethal component which means harpooling of whales. 
 
The verdict can be swayed aside because of lack of control over the oceans. We are looking at what the Japanese whalers are doing. If they go after it, then starting next year we would be focusing on that. 
 
Sea Sheperd is also helping an NGO in Australia with all the evidence to go up in the federal court against the Japanese government. 
 
There is a tourist surge in Antarctica. How do you think the ecosystem is hampered? 
 
Antarctica so far has not supported a big tourism industry. It does not support anything else than science and research, but as these places become more accessible and as people will have the means to stride into Antarctica, there will be a surge in tourists and that can only be controlled using a limit on the number of tourists and the tour operator being absolutely ethical about how the tourists interact with the wild life. 
 
What is your opinion about the present Conservation laws? 
 
Fisheries crimes are increasing for two reasons. One, the governments do not have the monetary capacity to enforce the laws in their waters. 
 
Second, there are those who are willing to exploit those illegal fishing or operators. 
 <keyword id="66322" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="TED">TED</keyword>xGateway, an independently organized TED Conference, will take place in Mumbai on 05 December 2015. At TEDxGateway, TEDTalks video and live speakers discuss and debate to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. 
 
(Image credits: twitter, wikipedia)

EXCLUSIVE: The fight against Japanese Whaling  is not over, Sea Shepherd captain reveals and talks about the conservation laws void

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52e2766269bedd1134f141ce-1024-512/kids-playing-in-ngo-park-phnom-penh-1.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="Kids playing in NGO park Phnom Penh" width="800" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennikokodesu/3511550121/">Jen Leung/Flickr</a>Kids playing in an NGO-built public park across the street from Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh.</div></div>Imagine you are a child. Girl or Boy. You are 13, 14 or 15, and gang members in your school are threatening to beat you, kidnap you or kill you.
They want money, but you are poor. They threaten to harm you and members of your family if you don't pay them large sums and there seems to be no way for you to obtain those sums.
This is the situation faced by increasing numbers of teens living in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador as gangs spread increasingly throughout their countries.
The kids are scared to death and clinging to a desperate hope: Escape their tormentors, get to the US, find work and send money back to protect their families. Unfortunately, the numbers of these "unaccompanied minors" is exploding.
According to the <a href="http://usccb.org/" target="_blank">US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)</a>, which is alerting the public about this new trend, the numbers of children who will cross into the US without adult supervision is expected to be 60,000 this year. This represents nearly a tenfold increase in the number of unaccompanied minors in just three years.
According to a fact-finding delegation led by the USCCB's <a href="http://usccb.org/about/migration-and-refugee-services/" target="_blank">Migration and Refugee Services</a>, there is a "perfect storm" of contributing factors pushing teens to leave their homes and attempt a perilous journey to the US. In addition to the fear of violence from gangs, these "push" factors include:
<ul>
<li>The absence of economic opportunity;</li>
<li>The inability of individuals and families to support themselves</li>
<li>The lack of quality education and access to education; and</li>
<li>The desire to reunify with family members in the US.</li>
</ul>
The USCCB held a forum on this disturbing trend on Jan. 9. Among those who attended was a consular official from Guatemala's diplomatic corp. She told attendees that her country is overwhelmed with the number of migrating children. Since 70 percent of the kids are turned back at the US border, Guatemala is trying to identify funds to deal with the returned migrant youth. They would love to establish programs to help the kids stay in Guatemala, but for the most part the funds are not available.
Migrating teens often make multiple attempts till they make it into the US. USCCB believes that 30% eventually make it in, but they often incur significant debts to pay to smugglers, sometimes as much as $5,000 to $8,000. Farms and homes are being mortgaged to pay for these "coyote" fees. So when the teens get to the US, they are often desperate to find work and repay the loans.
The journey to the US is particularly dangerous for the migrating teens. Children are losing limbs as they try to board trains. Teen girls are especially vulnerable. Advocates believe 60% of girls are assaulted or raped during their trips; nearly one in four become pregnant on the journey. Both boys and girls are vulnerable to being trafficked.
What happens when the children make it to the US? Imagine being here at a very young age and being separated from your family. You may not speak the language. You have no safety net. US nonprofits are struggling to deal with the services needed by this most vulnerable population.
From our work on the <a href="http://www.stopchildlabor.org/" target="_blank">Child Labor Coalition</a>, we believe that many of these unaccompanied youth may end up performing hand harvest work in agriculture, a difficult and dangerous job. Most of these children will not make it into a school system. Their futures are very uncertain.
What can be done to help the incredibly vulnerable children trying to flee violence and dire poverty in their homelands? The USCCB delegation to the four source countries came up with several recommendations.
They include providing legal representation to the migrants, considering asylum for those children whose fear of gang violence is credible, having child welfare experts help assess the migrants when they are captured by border agents, and investing in prevention programs in the sending countries.
The complete list of recommendations can be found in USCCB's <a href="http://http//www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/upload/Mission-To-Central-America1-8-13-ver-4.pdf" target="_blank">report on the fact-finding mission</a>.

A Disturbing Phenomenon: Unaccompanied Minors Are Entering The US More Rapidly Than Ever

How diehard Trump fans transformed their Twitter accounts into bots which spread conspiracies in a vast Russia-style disinformation network

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Andrea Ribeiro / Google" title_caption="Rebecca Moore looks on as a Google colleague becomes an honorary member of the Surui at the end of the ceremony by sipping a a traditional drink." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543f0f3f6da811946e34540d-960/google-earth-outreach.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543f0f3f6da811946e34540d-692-519/google-earth-outreach.png" border="0" alt="Google Earth Outreach " /></a>Andrea Ribeiro / GoogleRebecca Moore looks on as a Google colleague becomes an honorary member of the Surui at the end of the ceremony by sipping a a traditional drink.</div></div></div>It's 2008 and five Google employees are in the Brazilian rainforest. 
They're standing still as members of the Surui tribe delicately paint elaborate patterns of deep blue dots and lines on their arms, backs, and torsos. 
The Surui made the ink from a native fruit called the jenipapo and it won't fade for nearly a month - though they warn the Googlers it will last longer if they're jealous people.
The ceremony takes place in Lapetanha, a village in the Amazon rainforest, and home of an indigenous people who didn't have their first contact with outsiders until 1969. 
The Googlers are there as <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/outreach/index.html" target="_blank">part of Google Earth Outreach</a>, a team that helps nonprofits and other organizations and communities use Google Earth and Maps tools to attack major environmental and social problems. The Surui used the paint and other rituals to welcome the Goolgers into their village before receiving several days of training on how to use a computer and Google Earth. The people had watched their land get destroyed by the logging and mining industry, and they wanted to learn how to use Google Maps to help. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Andrea Ribeiro / Google " title_caption="Rebecca Moore shows Chief Almir how to use Google Earth tools" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543f19d36bb3f74c500d472c-960/screen shot 2014-10-15 at 9.03.26 pm.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543f19d36bb3f74c500d472c-902-528/screen shot 2014-10-15 at 9.03.26 pm.png" border="0" alt="Google Earth Outreach " /></a>Andrea Ribeiro / Google Rebecca Moore shows Chief Almir how to use Google Earth tools</div></div></div>
The partnership between Google and the Surui began after the tribe's chief first discovered Google Earth in an internet cafe and believed that the tool could somehow be used to help his tribe survive. That was only the beginning of an amazing partnership between Google and the Surui tribe that still remains active to this day. 
Over the last six years, Google Earth Outreach <a href="https://earthengine.google.org/#intro" target="_blank">and Google Earth Engine</a> - two initiatives founded and led by a computer scientist named Rebecca Moore - have helped the Surui create cultural maps and record instances of illegal logging on their land. Through Google Earth Engine, they built a real-time alerting system that will notify the tribe whenever suspicious images show up on Google Earth. They can then go investigate and take photos and videos to upload to Google Earth and use to provide as evidence to law enforcement. 
It's not just the Surui in Brazil. Google is working with organizations around the world to map out their land and keep track of how things are changing. 
"I really believe that when people have the information, when everyone in society is empowered with this information, people will make better decisions," Moore tells us. "I think we can change how we live on this planet. I really believe we can." 
To get a better idea of <a href="https://earthengine.google.org/#intro/Amazon" target="_blank">the scope of deforestation in the Amazon</a>, check out this Earth Engine map showing how the area has changed between 1984 through 2012. The dark green stuff that is disappearing here represents a loss of trees.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543f1cc06da811803a34540c/google earth engine gif .gif" border="0" alt="Google Earth Engine Gif "><a href="https://earthengine.google.org/#intro/Amazon">Google Earth Engine </a></img></div></div></div>The partnership with the the Surui is but one of many that have come from the team of slightly more than two dozen Googlers working on Google Earth Outreach and Google Earth Engine. 
Moore started Outreach in 2005 as a 20% project. She had just started working for Google Earth and had used the then-fledgling product, created through <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB109888284313557107" target="_blank">Google's acquisition of a digital mapping startup called Keyhole</a>, to stop a timber harvesting plan in her Santa Cruz home. After receiving a nearly indecipherable public notice about the plan in the mail, she mapped its specifications on Google Earth, and was able to clearly show other community members and policy makers all the ways the plan would negatively affect their Redwood-laden area. Her presentations galvanized the community against the plan and she actually ended up proving it was illegal.
In 2007, the Mercury News <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_7036606">wrote of Moore and her efforts</a>, "While other logging battles feature environmentalists sitting in trees, this one featured Silicon Valley computer programmers sitting at their monitors, studying every acre of the plan."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543fc4736da8114f76137799-1055-575/screen shot 2014-10-16 at 9.12.36 am.png" border="0" alt="Rebecca Moore"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcq-q7HLOZ0">Screenshot / YouTube</a></img></div></div></div>
Moore decided to spend her 20% time as a liaison to the environmental community. She started getting requests for guidance from organizations like Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Save the Elephants, and others that wanted to learn how to use Google Earth to tell their own stories and empower their causes.
Eventually, demand for help swelled enough that leading Outreach became her full-time position. Google Earth Engine was born out of Google Earth Outreach. Google Earth Engine is a digital model of the planet that gets updated with new satellite data - including datasets for elevation, temperature, and weather feeds -daily. It brings together trillions of scientific measurements dating back over 40 years and Google gives researchers, scientists, and nations the tools to access, sort, use, and learn from it. It's global-scale data mining. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="Google " title_caption="Google Earth Engine pulls in data from dozens of different organizations" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543fd5e56bb3f7c244167b46-960/screen shot 2014-10-16 at 10.26.28 am.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543fd5e56bb3f7c244167b46-1050-500/screen shot 2014-10-16 at 10.26.28 am.png" border="0" alt="Earth Outreach" /></a>Google Google Earth Engine pulls in data from dozens of different organizations</div></div></div>
Together, Earth Outreach and Earth Engine help <a href="https://www.google.com/about/company/" target="_blank">Google's overall mission</a> of "organizing the world's information," both figuratively and literally. 
"I like to think of it as turning pixels into knowledge," Moore told us. "It's not about the pixels. It's about the information you can extract, about what's happening somewhere or what's changing, and then put that information in the hands of decision makers."
Moore and her team have taught the HALO Trust, an NGO for removing landmines, how to use Google Earth Pro for <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/outreach/stories/halo.html" target="_blank">minefield study, data validation, and to produce high-quality maps</a>. Outreach also partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund on <a href="http://www.edf.org/climate/methanemaps" target="_blank">a pilot project to measure air pollution in U.S. cities</a>. They join forces with Google's Crisis Response team to create comprehensive disaster relief maps during emergencies, like Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. Researchers at UCSF have started using Google Earth Engine to create an online database that countries can use to <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/UCSF-harnesses-Google-Earth-Engine-for-new-5745737.php" target="_blank">determine areas at particularly high-risk for a malaria outbreak</a>. Earth Engine powers <a href="http://www.globalforestwatch.org/" target="_blank">Global Forest Watch</a>, a dynamic online forest monitoring and alert system that has swelled into a sustainability-conscious revolution convincing major corporations like General Milles, Hershey's, Kellogg's, and Procter &amp; Gamble, to <a href="http://blog.ucsusa.org/fall-of-the-oil-curtain-palm-oil-manifesto-group-announce-forest-clearing-moratorium-658" target="_blank">adopt deforestation-free commitments</a>.
On a smaller scale, Google Earth Outreach creates tools for individuals to learn how to use Google Earth to plan beach cleanups or create narrated tours of treasured areas. 
"It's all about lowering the barriers to people using our mapping tools to make the world a better place," Moore says. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Screenshot / YouTube" title_caption="Rebecca Moore gives a presentation on Maps For Good at Google I/O" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543fd63069bedd9e4d2a820c-960/earth-outreach.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/543fd63069bedd9e4d2a820c-617-463/earth-outreach.png" border="0" alt="Earth Outreach" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcq-q7HLOZ0">Screenshot / YouTube</a>Rebecca Moore gives a presentation on Maps For Good at Google I/O</div></div></div>While it all sounds grandiose, Moore's day-to-day job doesn't feel so revolutionary.
In her brightly-lit Mountain View office, which has several maps tacked onto the walls, she spends a lot of time simply talking to partners - scientific organization, government officials, nonprofits, business leaders. She's also brainstorming ways to better work with classrooms, to give them resources for increasing geo-literacy and perhaps inspiring the next generation of tree-huggers. 
In this way, Moore and her "small but mighty" team are perhaps not on the frontlines of the enormous environmental or humanitarian fights, but slightly behind them, pushing people forward, nudging them towards the right tools. 
"We're not the scientists. We're not the teachers. We're not the policy makers. We're not the people on the ground enforcing the law," Moore says."But by putting us together, we understand what the other is trying to accomplish. Finding that synergy of skills that we can each offer each other leads to the amazing progress that is starting to be made."

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