By Perla Lepage, Y11
“Social distancing is a privilege. It means you live in a house large enough to practice it.
Hand washing is a privilege. It means you have access to running water.
Hand sanitizers are a privilege. It means you have money to buy them.
Lockdowns are a privilege. It means you can afford to be at home.”
– Anonymous Indian doctor
“A future for every child. Dignity for every adult. A change for everyone.”
After gaining experience and finding inspiration from her first visit to India in 2019, Martina Ravano (Y12) created the grass-root organization A Brighter Tomorrow last year. Grass-root organizations are a specialized subset of Intermediate Non-Governmental Organizations that provide support and services to local groups of disadvantaged rural or urban households and individuals. The organization’s objective is to support the individuals and communities in Tamil Nadu, in the South of India. To explore this club, we interviewed its founder, Martina Ravano (Y12).
1. Can you give a brief introduction to your project and what it is about?
My project, in short, is about raising funds for children in the south of India, in the region of Tamil Nadu, which I visited two years ago in Year 10. The fundraising aims to ensure that the children have the possibility to go to school and achieve what they want in life. It’s about giving them a future.
2. How did you first get the idea to create this specific project and what motivated you?
In Year 10, I went to India as part of the India Team and this was when and where my interest started. I was so touched by everything that was going on and I saw the opportunity to have an impact, and so I seized it. It was a bit challenging to find specifically what I was going to do because of Covid and the fact that I can’t simply travel to India and help out. I saw that the best possibility for me to help was to fundraise for the people and organizations that are already working there as they have the resources and equipment in place. I decided that to fundraise for them would be better and more effective than to start my own project from zero as I couldn’t travel to India.
3. So, you fundraise money for other organizations?
Yes, for organizations that I have met and discussed with. It’s not established NGOs that we cooperate with but local groups, so-called grass root organizations. An example is a woman I met, who is installing smokeless cook stoves and houses so that people do not intoxicate in their own homes. We also fundraise for crèches we visited when we were in India. The idea is that as the project progresses and develops, I find new people willing to help out.
4. What goals do you aim to achieve?
The goal is to raise CHF 50,000 in two years, my IB years. We’re about 1/5 through and we want to continue. Our mission, as stated on our website is to: “to support grass-root initiatives and organizations that aid children, parents, the elderly… in Tamil Nadu through the means of physical aid, teaching, and advocation to ameliorate their living conditions.”
5. So, you use crowdfunding?
Yes, we use it as it is an effective way for people to donate from all over the world.
6. Who is your intended target audience for your project?
It’s really anyone who is willing to listen. The project is based on raising awareness, so we need as many people as possible to talk about it and spread awareness.
7. How has Covid affected your project?
I was supposed to go to India now in April 2021, but it is still unclear if it will be possible. As a replacement, I am focused now on finding new ways to fundraise. We can’t have bake sales, or events because of the social distancing rules so right now this is really the best way to fundraise. Now instead it’s to talk about it and present the project.
8. After donating to A Brighter Tomorrow, what are other ways the Ecolint community can help to achieve the project’s aspirations?
The main way is to simply talk about it. Especially in these times, as we can’t go out and organize events, people have to spread the word. The most effective way is to talk about what the people we are helping need, that children need to be fed, and must be given the possibility to go to school. This would allow them a good start in life and increase the possibility of a better life. People need to be empathic and understand what is going on in the world and not only focus on their little bubble.
For more information:
Follow the official Instagram account: @abrightertomorrow_
or go to Martina’s website: https://www.abrightertomorrow.info
