Overview of this endeavour

Whilst we zealously pride on India's booming IT industry, on 4 Indians featuring in the top 10 wealthiest people in Forbes' list, on metro cities equipped with sleek subway lines, here are some stirring statistics*, crying out for our urgent attention, and more crucially, action.

• Over 41% Indians survive on less than US$ 1.25 (~60 Rs), the international poverty line.
• 43% of our kids (below 5) are underweight due to malnutrition, an index on which India fares worse than many African nations.

In addition to the rampant lack of awareness/concern towards these harsh realities, another obstacle on the path of action is the overstated, cliched presumption that most of the money intended for charity ends up in the wrong hands. Yes, there are swindlers in every sphere of living, but this over-generalization is profoundly unfair to scores of outstanding non-profit groups that tirelessly make change happen at the ground. Unfortunately, it is infeasible for us to inspect each group and personally hand over the funds to the deserving ones. It's precisely to address this concern - to establish an uncomplicated, trustworthy channel that reaches funds to a few such NGOs - that we share this initiative with you.

We are a small team, whose India-bound members don't just interact, but also volunteer with genuine, effective groups. Of course, we walk the talk with personal donations, too. The aspiration is to create a chain of trust, formed by our immediate friends/ supporters, and their respective networks. Another key aspect is the stress on recurring contributions: One-time support is doubtlessly beneficial (and welcome tooc), but anticipated monthly donations enable a better-planned utilization. Here are the details of our beneficiary groups/initiatives, for whom we have ascertained not just genuineness (via volunteering ourselves), but also neediness (The more the funds obtained, the more the slum kids catered to / the rural blocks empowered / the efficient technology disseminated / the trees planted).

Many of us spend several times more than the total daily spending of half the Indians, on an average outside meal. So, the question is not whether our wallets are heavy enough; it's whether our will is strong enough. Do consider setting aside a sum - however big or small it is - every month and directing it towards making things fairer [We'd totally understand if you have to skip some months along the way, due to unavoidable circumstances]. The amount doesn't have to be the same for each month, but it would help to roughly know the minimum. Here's how to donate. Not to mention, you will have full access to what your hard-earned money contributes to.

* Stats taken from a World Bank estimate cited here, and an NYT article.

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