From developing an app for donations to driving change in governance: top SocialStories this week

This week, SocialStory delved into the practice of rainwater harvesting and how it can curb the water woes of citizens. We also looked into how govtech firm Samagra operates with various state and central governments to bring about a change on the ground level.

Meanwhile, we also looked at how technology bridges the gap between donors and the needy, and senior citizens.

This teenager has developed an app to make donations easy

For 17-year-old Manan Khanna, the look of happiness in the eyes of the underprivileged makes his day. From a very young age, he has been involved in multiple social missions—be it helping the needy, organising and supporting food ration drives, or cleaning the neighbourhood.

Passionate about social service, he noticed how many things that were wasted and thrown away could be easily reused. People who want to donate often either did not have time or had access to a proper platform through which they could help the needy.

Manan considers his duty to help those who are victims of such an unfair distribution of resources. This led to the birth of DEasyy—an AI/ML and video-based mobile application that serves as a donation for social causes.

Harvesting rain: the key to turning rural India’s water woes around

As people lament the looming water crisis in India, it is easy to believe that we need a ‘miracle’ to turn things around. But the truth of the matter is that many effective solutions exist if only we would focus our efforts, roll up our sleeves, and get to work.

While there is certainly a need to examine how we are ‘using’ this precious resource and adopt more judicious water practices, the simple act of capturing rain as and when it falls is a significant step towards tackling water scarcity in India, particularly in hard-hit rural areas.

How this governance consulting firm is driving change in governments across India

In India, governance works as a lever of change. Gaurav Goel, an ex-McKinsey employee, realised this and started a governance consulting firm Samagra in 2012 using his savings.

The vision was to drive change at a grassroots level by engaging with the governance process. The firm believes that by working outside the system, one might be able to create islands of excellence, but to change the lives of millions for the better, it is necessary to engage with the governance process.

Samagra combines management consulting with a comprehensive understanding of grassroots realities to implement tech and data-backed solutions.

Bridging the digital divide with the senior population

Many seniors want to learn about new technologies and communication apps so they can keep in touch with their friends and family and stay up-to-date with the virtual world. The ease of doing this anytime and anywhere helps seniors feel safer, secure, and more connected.

While there is a learning curve for some older adults, there are things people can do to help their parents and grandparents adopt new technology. Even companies are increasingly adapting to help this demographic, the most recent being the launch of a companionship-as-a-service startup backed by none other than industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata himself.

This move certainly provides a much-needed impetus to focus on digital services that can be leveraged to help older adults live independently and with confidence.