The Emapthy Square

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The Emapthy Square

Mumbai,, IndiaMumbai, India
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Project Stage:
Growth
Budget: 
$50,000 - $100,000
Website:
http://www.spriha-india.org
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

SPRIHA’s vision is to inculcate empathy and sensitivity in children through Igniting imaginations in children .

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Empathy is the capacity to recognize or understand another's state of mind or emotion. Imagination and empathy cannot stave off all hostile attacks, and they can do nothing to stop the onslaught of a natural disaster. But yes, Imagination and empathy do lead to a sense of responsibility and sensitivity. At SPRIHA, we try to join dots of children with different social , political, religious and economic backgrounds to build empathy in them . We try building empathy,simply by igniting imagination in children. Igniting imaginations in the minds of young children is actually the urgency of the world which cannot be overlooked. SPRIHA therefore considers “innovative education” above all other forms of education. Innovation alone can initiate the change in the process of thinking and action.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

SPRIHA's approach to build empathy in children is through The Empathy Square. This is to Join the three dots of Parents, Peer, Provider and Platform. Empathy Square will connect all the three groups of Parents, Peers(school children) and Provider(Teachers)and Platform for children with limited means, to bounce off ideas,role playing, expressing through playful methodoligies. SPRIHA helps in igniting imagination amongst the groups, create creative and fearless interface where all can step into each other's shoes and walk equally.Together Parents, Provider and Peer arranges for an adoption of Sadak Chhaap Film festival. We organize a film festival and empathy workshop for children living in slums. It is a platform which helps all the Four Ps to understand and relate with each other's concerns.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

SPRIHA has been working for last 10 years to bring in empathy and sensitivity amongst children. We have been running the organization with community participation and without any government funding. It has been an uphill task for us to convince the government that Empathy is also a Concern to be addressed in today's world as it is wronly concieved to be a First world problem. We have been consitent and determined on our way to join the missing dots in the society with huge divides. We have been organizing Sadak Chhap film festivals, in slums and villages of the country. Community, Schools, insititutions, colleges have come forward to join hands and organize the same. This creates an environment of pro exchange of ideas,thoughts, sensitivities. We organize Workshops of empathy after the festival where school children interact and disscuss on various issues seen in the film with each other and express thier understanding through different creative means.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

A lot of organizations have been working for children and various issues revolving around them like education, hunger , sanitation. We have been specifically working on Empathy and have faced roadblocks in terms of government funding as Empathy is always overlooked as not an inssue of immediate concern. We have been working as a crusador by taking the cause forward and self funding it with community participation.
About You
Organization:
SPRIHA
About You
First Name

Pankaj

Last Name

Dubey

About Your Organization
Organization Name

SPRIHA

Organization Country

, Mumbai

Country where this project is creating social impact

, Mumbai,

Your role in Education

Social Worker.

The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with

Other

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

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Innovation
How long has your solution been in operation?

Operating for more than 5 years

Now that you have thought out your entry, help us pitch it.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]

SPRIHA's focus is to build Empathy in Children by Igniting imaginations and to get Emotional literacy in schools

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]

We join all the 4 P's of the Empathy Square: Parent, Peer , Provider and Platform to organize Sadak Chhaap Film Festival .

Social Impact
What has been the impact of your solution to date?

We have mobilized many School groups, Individuals, Parents , Teachers and Celebrities to take our Flagship Project Sadak Chhap Film Festival forward.We have organized it in Delhi, Mumbai, Jharkhand,Karnataka which has got in students from schools, slum children , parents, providers.
SPRIHA is trying to pool in resource and create Empathy Building Programs in Schools of Emotional Literacy.We have got a lot of support from people working in the same area across the globe.

What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?

SPRIHA plans to roll out the biggest travelling Sadak Chhap Film Festival in all the states and UT of India . We plan various schools to participate in the same so that we can use The Empathy Square power to bring in empathy.

Also, we plan to associate with various schools to start Empathy Building Programs for getting emotional literacy in all.

What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?

Empathy is a concern which we think is an issue to be addressed. We have been facing the problems in getting funding to accelerate the program as most of the funds are for education, hygiene and food and often Empathy is overruled bieng termed as a First World Proble.

We are glad that organization like Ashoka Foundation has taken up the cause. This has really given a boost to our efforts. With more community participations and willingness of schools, We are sure we can breathe to little changes we want to get.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1

Emotional literacy in schools through The Empathy Square program

Task 2

To reach to the platform of children with limited means and organize Film Fest and empathy workshop

Task 3

To develop pro social behavior in children and more responsible parents and teachers.

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1

To roll out Pan India Sadak Chhaap Film Festival in all the states and UT

Task 2

To involve many schools to enrol in our The Empathy Square Program.

Task 3

To netwrk globally to develop our Emotional literacy Program with Global Experts working on the same area

Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]

Once I was called as a guest on a Radio Talk show, where i discussed on SPRIHA's work and asked for community participation. To our surprise, we got responses rolling over from students of prestigious schools to join us to reach the slum kids and organize film festivals for them.

Also I was recognized by Karnatka Government for our work in this field which was mentored by APJ Abdul Kalam. His encouragement and appreciation really helped us move on despite of odds.

Above all, We were delighted to see the smiles, satisfaction when the little one from schools and slums joined hands together exchanging thier views on things like approach of police,sanitation,studies and many more.Thier beautiful expressions through posters, painting, stories.

Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships

We have partnership with Children Film Society of India which provides us films which are children sensitive.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]

We need following brandwidth of Staffs:

1.Program Coordinators for East, West , south and North India.
2. School coordinators for each zone
3. Media Relations officer
4. Evaluation and Monitoring Executive
5 Slum Coordinators
6. Volunteers from schools
7 volunteer parents
8 Volunteer Providers

We need around 15 - 20 member team and around 100 volunteers to pace up the project.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list