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Sponsor monthly groceries for the elderly by Dignity Foundation

Needs 5 more donors to be fully funded

Sponsor monthly groceries for the elderly

Thank you!

This program is fully funded because of donors like you.

Impact

Rangubai can finally lead the life she earned

Rangubai Mule is a 66-year-old woman who lives in a small, one-room house allotted to her by MHADA. She has a BP problem and joint pain but there is no one to look after her.

She cannot work regularly because of her health issues. She occasionally works as help in homes nearby but does not earn enough for even two meals a day. She gets by on a meagre monthly pay of about Rs. 1500.

She was referred to Dignity Foundation and their social workers visited her home and evaluated her living conditions. She was then added to their monthly ration program.

She now receives rations free of cost every month from the Foundation. She has spent all her life working and does so whenever she can till date. But she no longer has to constantly worry about how she will be able to earn a day’s meals. This has taken a load off her mind and she can now afford to rest, take care of her health and live a life suitable for an elderly citizen.

A donation from you could help someone like Rangubai with food and basic expenses. You can give with confidence because every program on our platform is GIVEASSURED. Donate now and give poor senior citizen a chance to lead their life with respect.

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About The Program

What the beneficiary gets
Rations
Caregiver
What you get
Tax Exemption
Periodic Reports
Program Description

The population of senior citizens is increasing as life expectancy is increasing. Families in urban areas are becoming nuclear and smaller, as a result of which there are fewer people available in the house to provide care and comfort to the ageing.

Due to the increase in number of the elderly population their needs and problems are increasing too. There are many senior citizens who are without any financial support and are living below the poverty line. There are senior citizens with small pensions but most of it goes for medical treatment and hardly anything is left for nutritional support. For such needy senior citizens, Dignity Foundation has started Ration Service. The needy elderly are given dry rations for sustenance every month. The senior citizens are then tracked through home visits.

The elderly deserve dignity in their last days and a little support can help them with the dignity they deserve.

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About The NGO

Dignity Foundation
Dignity Foundation Logo
Dignity Foundation

Committed to change the way aging is perceived in India, Dignity Foundation is an NGO whose mission is to create an enlightened society in which senior citizens feel secure, confident and valued, and can live with dignity. They enable senior citizens to lead active lives through easy access to trusted information, opportunities for productive aging and social support services.

The Foundation works assiduously to re-instill in the elderly minds the confidence that age and productivity are not mutually exclusive. This is done by utilizing their experience and maturity in activities that serve the needs of the community. They empower senior citizens with basic awareness and gift them with various services already in existence.They have a helpline for senior citizens which enables them to reach out for help and assistance against abuse. Elder abuse is one of the biggest challenges since it is hidden. Thus, it is the most effective way to help them speak up.

One of the goals of the Foundation is to rid the minds of the senior citizens of negative feelings such as aging is synonymous with loneliness, isolation, and decline. Equality, positive thinking, perseverance, self-belief, and simplicity are the pillars on which Dignity Foundation stands.

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founders
Founded in 1991
NGO Leadership

Aruna Anand

areas of operation
Area of Operation
Area of Operation

Nutrition | elderly

location of work
Location of Work
Location of Work

Maharashtra

Dignity Foundation has

provided ration kits to 759 poor senior citizens across Mumbai

awards
Awards And Recognitions
Awards And Recognitions

2014: Highest I-pledger - male

last audited
Last Audited
Periodic Compliance Checks by GiveIndia

Renewals FY 19-20

Program Updates

Program Updates

22 September, 2023

An update on the program you are supporting

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Total number of beneficiaries impacted was 342 in Mumbai & Bengaluru with 50% being females


Challenges faced and next steps

An update from this program has not been made available by the nonprofit. We hope to hear more about their work in the coming months


Stories from the ground

One of our beneficiaries is a senior citizen male. His wife is bed-ridden and they have no children. The man has to work as a part-time watchman during night hours to support the costs of medicines for his wife and to make ends meet. In addition, he used to take up other unsafe jobs like cleaning drains, etc. to earn enough money for his and his wife's sustenance. When Dignity Foundation identified him as a needy beneficiary, we enrolled him for our Anand Daan programme. He and his wife have been recipients of our monthly ration kits for the past 5 years. During Covid too, we continued to provide them with uninterrupted supply of ration and Covid essentials. Because of this dependable and consistent ration support, the man no longer needs to work two jobs. During the day, he cares for his wife and during the night, he works part-time as a watchman to cover the cost of his wife's medicines. His out of pocket expenses on food have reduced drastically.


5 January, 2023

Elderly Lives Matter Dignity Foundation (Monthly ration Basket)

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Individuals of 60 years and above constitute the elderly. The diet for elderly should include nutrient rich foods to enable them to be fit and active. Senior citizens need more of vitamins and minerals to be healthy. Senior citizens’ diet needs to contain lesser calories as their lean muscle mass and physical activity decreases with ageing. Elderly need more calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A and antioxidants to prevent age-related degenerative diseases. In a high poverty population of big cities like Mumbai, major food and nutrition issues are faced by senior citizens. Almost all senior citizens depend on their children or relatives for their livelihood in India. They face a major problem of starving if they don’t have any support from their children or relatives. Dignity Foundation found the above situation of poor seniors as a major area of concern. Dignity Foundation supports indigent senior citizens in Mumbai by providing a month’s worth of basic dry ration provisions to the very poor senior citizens who cannot fend for themselves. Dignity Foundation ration service’s main aim is to provide at least on day’s full meal to an elderly person or an elderly couple for a full month. However, our ration kits are often stocked with more supplies which suffice for an average family of 3 to 4 members. With the aim of providing ration and safety kits to many poor elderlies in India, Dignity Foundation with the support of several donors, started community ration and safety kit distributions. Our monthly ration kits consist of: - Atta–2kg, Rice–3kg, Sugar–1kg, Tur dal–500gm, Tea–250gm, Cooking Oil–1ltr, Moong full 500gm, Salt–1kg, Poha–500gm, Rawa–500gm and Garam Masala-100gm. Masur Dal-500gm, Shingdana-250gm, Chana-500gm . With a safety kit of Face mask-2Nos, Hand sanitizer Bottle- 60ml and Bar soap-45gm. Following is the beneficiary’s city wise Mumbai- 148 kits


Challenges faced and next steps

A simple analysis of the food sustenance project shows that most elderly who receive the allotted packet of rations indicate they cook more times a day. In other words, the correlation between the beneficiaries who receive rations and beneficiaries who cooked at least once a day is strongly positive. A high portion of the quantum goes directly into feeding the poor old living below the poverty level in the slums of big cities. There is a wide scope for increasing the impact to larger numbers of poor elderlies, as we are receiving applications for the same on daily bases. Also, as the price of food grains have increased in the previous year due to challenging times like the impact of Pandemic and inflation, the programme requires an increase in funding. We are a non-profit organisation that is committed to changing the way people look at ageing in India. Our vision is to create an enlightened society in which the 50+ feel secure, confident and valued; and can live with dignity. Our aim is to distribute 5000 kits in next 6 months, for which we need consistent support from generous donors like you.


Stories from the ground

a) Below are some milestones from the journeys of beneficiaries under this program.

i. Beneficiary name:

Damayanti Pandurang Raut Age 80

Beneficiary Profile: Damayanti Pandurang Raut (age: 60) is a widow who stays with her daughter and her sister who is mentally instable. Her daughter works as a domestic help and earns Rs 5000 per month. Due to old age, Damayanti is facing health issues which are interfering with her ability to work and earn a livelihood. It was difficult for the family to feed themselves with such a financial condition.

Progress: Ration basket is helping Damayanti to eat 2 full meals everyday, which makes her physically and mentally healthy.

ii. Beneficiary name:

Mr Habib Saifuddin (Age: 86 years, from Mumbai) Beneficiary Profile: Mr Habib Saifuddin lives with his daughter and son. His son is handicapped and bedridden. Habib Saifuddin was forced to sell handkerchiefs on the streets for their living. Due to insufficient intake of food, he suffered from health problems like weakness. He also suffered from mental stress. His paltry and erratic income did not suffice for two meals per day. Progress: For last 5 years, Mr. Saifuddin is being provided with ration basket at his door step, which helps him to get nutritious meals every day and is giving him mental relief during these tough times. He is very thankful for this help iii.Beneficiary name:

Vasudev Nakhwa (67 years) and Laxmi Nakhava (58 Years) Beneficiary Profile: Vasudev's only son died due to Tuberculosis. Now, Vasudev works part time as a watchman and earns for his family. Laxmi is bed-ridden and cannot walk due to her hip surgery. The couple has no other income for their food and medicinal needs. Progress: Ration basket helps the couple to get meals for 2 times a day which is giving mental relief to them. They are eating healthy home-cooked food and are also able to save money for their medical use.


19 July, 2022

Elderly Lives Matter

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

As an effect of the lockdown, all individuals belonging to lower socio-economic communities were badly hit since their income sources stopped abruptly, whereas their expenses continued in order to survive in the big cities of India. The major effect of this is on food and nutrition consumed by the senior citizens in such families. Almost all senior citizens depend on their children or relatives for their livelihood in India and are at the risk of starving if they don’t have adequate support from their children or relatives. The Dignity Foundation found the above situation of poor seniors to be a major problem during the pandemic. The Dignity Foundation supports indigent senior citizens in Mumbai by providing a month’s worth of basic dry provisions to the very poor senior citizens who cannot afford two full meals a day for themselves. The Dignity Foundation’s ration donation program’s main aim is to provide at least two full meals a day each month to needy elderly people or couples. Our monthly ration basket consists of 2 kg of Atta, 3 kg of rice, 1 kg of sugar, 500 gm of Tur dal, 250 gm of tea, 1 ltr of cooking oil, 500 gm of moong (full), 1 kg of salt, 500 gm of poha, 500 gm of rawa, 500 gm of masaur dal, 250 gm of shingdana, 500 gm of chana, and 100gm of Garam Masala. This basket comes along with a safety kit that includes a face mask (2 nos), a hand sanitiser bottle (60 ml) and a soap bar (45 gms). During this reporting period, we have distributed 139 rations and safety kits to beneficiaries in the slums of Mumbai through Give India donations.


Challenges faced and next steps

Due to the COVID situation, there have been repeated and prolonged lockdown situations. Further, many of the areas we service were marked as containment zones, which led to an issue with the distribution of the kits. Procurement of provisions was another major issue during the lockdown, but our team found a way to source them through various suppliers who were allowed to remain operational to provide essential items. Finally, our team managed to shortlist local vendors who have the capacity to provide the required quantities of rations at discounted rates without compromising on quality. The transportation of the material was also arranged with the help of local police officers. At our request, we procured an authority letter for ration distribution from the police, which allowed our teams to travel to the community and conduct the distributions while following the necessary COVID-19 precautionary protocols. In other cities, the police accompanied our teams during the distribution process. For last mile delivery, we engaged several enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who really displayed enthusiasm and a sense of service to ensure that the ration kits safely reached the doorsteps of our marginalized elderly. In the coming months, we aim to support 5000 additional rations and safety kits. We look forward to the contributions and generous support received from Give India to help us achieve this milestone.


Stories from the ground

a) Below are some case stories of the beneficiaries under this programme.

Beneficiary Details:

Jamuna Kashinath Ravalo (64), Mumbai

Beneficiary Profile:

Jamuna Ravalo, a widow, lives with her daughter in Mumbai. Her daughter works as a house help and is the only earning member in the family. But during the lockdown, it was impossible for her to get new work. She was also unable to convince her existing employers to pay her full salary during the lockdown, when she was not allowed to enter housing complexes due to the strict enforcement of social isolation across the city. With very meagre savings to fall back on, surviving each day had become a challenge for her and her mother.

Progress:

Our team identified her family during a needs assessment survey conducted in her residential premises. Upon meeting the criteria to receive the ration baskets, her mother started receiving monthly ration baskets from March 2020, when the first lockdown was imposed. Jamuna is regularly receiving the ration baskets from our programme which is enabling her to get adequate nutrition on a daily basis. She and her daughter are very grateful to Dignity Foundation for the continued support that they are receiving for their health and well-being.

Beneficiary Details:

Santabai Ratangiri (68), Mumbai

Beneficiary Profile:

Santabai, a widow, lives with her Son's family. Her son is a peon in a private office. But he is not allowed to attend office due to safety concerns during the Covid pandemic. The son is receiving only half of his salary as there is hardly any work which he can do from home. He has been trying to get another part-time job to support his family’s expenses, but has been unsuccessful so far.

Progress:

Monthly ration basket is very helpful to Santabai as she is able to feed herself, which reduces the burden of expenses on her Son. Also, she is thankful for the ration, as it gives her a sense of independence and self-sufficiency.

Beneficiary Details:

Janardan Kokare (58), Mumbai

Beneficiary Profile: Janardan Kokare is a 58 year old widower who lives alone. He undertakes temporary daily wage jobs for his living, but these assignments are erratic and not dependable. During the lockdown, he was completely jobless. Janardan was getting help from few of his relatives at that time.

Progress: Ration baskets helps Janardan to get 2 full meals a day on a consistent basis. This reduces his stress during the tough times. He is very thankful to Dignity Foundation. Now he no longer needs to ask for help from his relatives.

Beneficiary Details:

Gulab Gurav (63), Mumbai

Beneficiary Profile: Gulab Gurav is a widow, aged 63 years. She lives with her daughters – of which one works as a house help. She is the only earning member in the family of three. The lockdown has stopped their monthly income.

Progress: As her daughter doesn’t have a permanent or dependable job, their struggle for food is abated due to the monthly ration basket that they receive from Dignity Foundation.


29 September, 2021

Sponsor monthly groceries for the elderly

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

We have continued to support our poor elderly beneficiaries across Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai & Kolkata. Between January 2021 to June 2021, Dignity Foundation has distributed around 2800 Ration Kits across six cities. This is a great achievement during such trying times.


Challenges faced and next steps

Distribution of Ration Kits during lockdown is a major challenge faced by our team. We have obtained the necessary approvals for the distribution of kits from appropriate authorities. We wish to distribute 7000 ration kits in the coming six months across six cities i.e. Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai & Kolkata.


Stories from the ground

Impact story:Mr Shankaran Govinda Rao aged 78 residing in Srinivasapuram, Foreshore estate. He got married to Mrs Saroja Shankaran Govinda Rao and they have two children. Son working for minimal wages in a company and his daughter got married, settled in Pondicherry. Mr Shankaran Govinda Rao completed SSLC and worked as a temple Gurukul, Security guard, Painting Contractor, Cashier in Petrol Bunk. Our Intervention:Gradually during our counselling session, he opened up about his life. He worked lived happy life but his family had abandoned him due to his alcoholism. Due to his alcoholic behaviour, he uses to beat his wife and also scold her using bad words. So, his family members have been kicked out of the house. He is now making his living on a platform near the beach. If raining means he will sleep in an Autorickshaw. Because of this condition, he is not able to sleep for 8hours. Still, after lunch in our centre, he sleeps for an hour and actively participates in all the activities. When our centre closed, he used to eat either bread, biscuit and sometimes he will roaming without food. The lunch he packs from our centre was for his dinner. During lockdown his son lost his job, the family had suffered greatly as a result of the pandemic situation and the subsequent lockdown. Being aware of his family Mr Sankaran came to our centre and asked for a ration package, which he delivered to his family. Surprisingly, his family members welcomed and embraced him back into their fold. Mr Shankar happily shared that this monthly ration support to his family not only fed their hunger but also helped him gain some recognition and identity in his family. Ration helped him to live dignity and happy life with family members.


5 April, 2021

Anand Daan: Support Senior Citizens in Need

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Due to the COVID situation, there has been an ensuing lockdown situation. Further many of the areas we serviced were in containment zones leading to an issue with distribution. Procurement of material was another issue however our team sourced through various avenues (Dmart, Big Bazaar, local wholesale vendors etc.) and finally managed to shortlist vendors locally who could provide the ration supplies at our usual rates without compromising on the quality aspect.


The transportation bit also was arranged with local police help (for Mumbai, upon our request we had an authority letter for ration distribution from the Police authorities and in other cities, we had the police accompany us during the distribution process). For the last mile delivery, we engaged several enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who really helped us ensure that the ration kit reaches the doorstep of our marginalized elderly.



5 August, 2020

“Gray hair is a crown of life.”

#5

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“Gray hair is a crown of life.”




Dignity Foundation supports indigent senior citizens by providing a month’s worth of ration to the very poor senior citizens who cannot fend for themselves. Senior Citizens call on Dignity Helpline or come and meet in person for ration support. Dignity Foundation also reaches out to the slum localities in Mumbai through volunteers.The Ration project takes off after a physical verification of the genuineness of the case by a Social Worker. The rations provide senior citizen beneficiaries with a sense of relief, including not having to work, beg or eat very little on a day-to-day basis. DIGNITY RATION SERVICE for poor senior citizens is a monthly basket of basic provisions for very poor senior citizens. The ration is delivered on the doorstep of the senior citizen beneficiaries with a tie-up with an e-commerce company, Local Banya. The beneficiary provides acknowledgement of the receipt of ration and the social worker also validates through phone calls that they have received the ration every month.



22 July, 2019

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Program Update


Dignity foundation ration service’s main aim is to provide at least one day’s full meal to elderly person or couple for full month. Dignity foundation with the help of our volunteers conduct camps or surveys in Slum areas of Mumbai and find out elderly person or couple, who are suffering from food storage due to financial in balance. Ration service is provided, if that elderly person or couple fits to beneficiary criteria. Our monthly ration service consider of:- Atta–5kg,Rice–3kg,Sugar–1kg,Tur dal–1kg,Tea–250gm,Cooking Oil–2ltr, Moong full 500gm, Salt–1kg,Poha–500gm,Rawa–1kg


Story from the field


Yallava Nagappa Shinnur is a window 65 yrs old, who lives alone suffering spondylose problem in slums of Dharavi Mumbai. She don’t have earning hand and due to old age can get work , so she has to get money from her sister. It was difficult for her to fulfill her food needs. She uses to adjust with half day meal. Also there was no money to buy medicine, which affected her health. After getting Dignity foundation ration service Yallava, had a better meal for both times in a day. Now she is able to maintain her health, also saved money is utilized for medicine. She is able to manage her meal and health. Before only sometimes rice and dal was made, after monthly ration service chapatti, rice and dal is meal for her. She is thankful for providing her monthly ration service, which helps her to feed herself with nutrition food. Therefore monthly ration service is giving her better health and helps to manager her medicine requirement.


What is the expected total number of beneficiaries in this program for FY18-19?130
What is the number of beneficiaries/ benefits provided in this program, Year-To-Date102
Village/City/State where project is locatedMumbai
Total Budget for the project for FY18-19162500
Total Expenses for the project YTD112200

30 October, 2018

Dignity Foundation's Update

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Program Update


The main aim of this program is to provide at least one full day's meal to an elderly person or a couple for an entire month. We at, Dignity foundation, with the help of our volunteers, conduct camps and surveys in the slum areas of Mumbai to identify elderly persons or couples who are suffering from food storage due to financial imbalance. When these identified elderly persons or couples meets our criteria, they are enrolled into the program. They are provided with monthly ration materials so as to provide for themselves.
Our monthly ration articles include:- Atta-5kg, Rice-3kg, Sugar-1kg, Tur dal-1kg, Tea-250gm, Cooking Oil-2ltr, Moong dal full 500gm, Salt-1kg, Poha-500gm, Rawa-1kg


Story from the field


Yallava Nagappa Shinnur receives monthly ration , Therefore some money remain in her hand for medicines


Yallava Nagappa Shinnur, a 65 years old window, suffering spondylose problem lives alone in the slums of Dharavi Mumbai. Due to old age, she is unable to go to work everyday and earn her own bread. She is dependent on her sister financially. Although, it is very difficult for her to fulfill her food requirements with the support she receives from her sister. She managed to live on a single meal everyday. Additionally, she had medical requirements which she couldn't afford. She did not have money to buy medicine. It gradually started affecting her health.


Yallava was identified by one of our volunteers, and was later admitted into Dignity foundation's ration service program. Yallava, now receives better meals two times a day. She now uses the monies she receives from her sister to attend to her medical needs, and maintain her health. Earlier only at times she could afford to eat rice and dal. After she has become a part of the program, she is able to eat chapatti, rice and dal for meals everyday. She is thankful to be a part of the program and receive her monthly rations, which helps her to feed herself with nutritious food.


Expected total number of beneficiaries in this program for FY18-19130
Number of beneficiaries/ benefits provided in this program this year102

18 May, 2018

Dignity Foundation's update

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Dignity Foundation supports indigent senior citizens in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune by providing a month's worth of basic dry provisions to the very poor senior citizens who cannot fend for themselves.


107 Senior citizens are receiving rations at their doorstep every month without fail till the financial year of 2017-18


Senior citizens either call on Dignity Helpline or come in person to request for ration support. Dignity Foundation also reaches out to the slum localities through the Dignity on Wheels outreach programme and with the help of volunteers.


The Ration project takes off after a physical verification of the genuineness of the case by a Social Worker.
These senior citizens are not sleeping hungry and are able to live with dignity in their last days. This has been made possible by your support for this program.
Expected total number of beneficiaries in this program for FY18-19 - 50
Total Budget for the project for FY18-19 - INR 1,00,000


Sulochana's story
This is real life situation of one of our ration beneficiaries. She is a 65-year-old lady staying in a small room (semi pakka) in the slums of Mumbai. She lost her husband at a very young age. She had two sons and one daughter to take care of. With no literacy she started to do domestic work and support her children. Her children went to local municipal school and were school drop outs. Slum conditions and poverty were responsible for death of her two sons. Her daughter, 45 years old, is staying with her. Due to poverty and multiple factors her daughter studied upto primary school. From young days she joined her mother as a domestic helper. Recently the mother had a stroke which resulted in paralysis of right side. To keep herself active she takes up domestic work. The ration support has helped her in a big way. She never goes hungry now.



13 March, 2018

Survey conducted to understand needs of poverty-stricken elderly

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A survey was conducted among 31 beneficiaries receiving rations from Dignity Foundation. Quite a few interesting observations were made out of the 24 questions that were asked. These findings help the organisation to improve their services better, especially because the beneficiaries are all poverty-stricken elderly people, belonging to an age group of 60-90+.
The total monthly income of the beneficiaries is 1500 on an average with about half of them having zero income. The rations that they receive are shared with 2 more people on an average. About 90% do not work and the remaining work either as domestic help or on part time basis.
An updates on a beneficiary: Ramesh Solanki, 73 is a differently abled man who lives with his wife in Mumbai, in search of a livelihood. His wife works as a domestic help. Their three sons live in the village and do not look after them. Rations are provided to them by Dignity Foundation so that the couple can get through each day with proper food.



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