One-line solution summary:
Training girls and women of Banjara, a tribal community of India, THROGH their children, IN THEIR LINGO, to use smart phone for e-commerce.
Pitch your solution.
The Banjara tribal population have great products that can fetch a good price in the cities. These are mostly created by women in their society. At the moment they are being exploited by middlemen or just men!
Training and support to access e-commerce solutions will help them to bridge the digital divide. Most of them have access to smart phones. Children are good at navigating these. The best option is to train the women through children in an effort to empower them both. We will team up with local partners to form a network of support to make this a success. Eventually my dream is that someone sitting in New York being able to order a blouse made by a woman from Banjara tribe in Telengana, (of India) knowing that the purchase is directly benefitting the maker.
Film your elevator pitch.
Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
Increase and leverage the participation of underserved communities in India and Indonesia — especially women, low-income, and remote groups — in the creation, development, and deployment of new technologies, jobs, and industriesIn what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Hyderabad, Telangana, IndiaIs your solution working in India and/or Indonesia?
My solution is being deployed or has plans to deploy in IndiaWhat specific problem are you solving in India and/or Indonesia?
Women and children from Banjara tribal community in India are often exploited by everyone around them. The women and children in these communities are very strong. They have amazing ability to create beautiful products like jewellery and costumes. They gave amazing wealth of singing and dance traditions too.
Banjara art is rich and includes performance arts such as dance, music, folk and plastic arts like rangoli, textile embroidery, tattooing and painting, all led by women in their tribe.
All is looked down upon by the majority communities around them due to the complex cast system in India.
Sadly, due to the male dominance in their society, they are compelled even to get rid of their best creations: girl children. Most of them are compelled to work in the city as manual labourers, physically and psychologically exploited, end up as alcoholics.
By helping them to use smart phone to learn digital skills with an intention to open up their eyes towards e commerce possibilities can change their world.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
When you hear the word ‘Banjara’ you see the picture of a woman with heavy metal jewellery, armful of ivory bangles, and clothes embellished with tiny pieces of mirrors. Today, the Banjara tribe live on the fringes of society.
The tribe has been known in India from centuries. It appears to be a mixed race and its origin and organisation maybe due to the wars of the Delhi emperors.
Nomadic in nature, their language doesn’t have a script. In today’s world, a language which doesn’t have a script is considered as an under-developed language. It doesn’t help their development.
According to the latest estimates, Banjara population is nearly 25, 00, 000 and males account for 65 percent.
Majority people of this community are now vicious cycle of poverty, it results debt trap and it leads to sale of baby girls, migration. 85 percent of the people are consuming alcohol at early age, 67 percent are under malnutrition, frequently exposing to waterborne diseases.
The exploitation has been going around for centuries. Women and children in this population have extremely great artistic and organisational abilities, that is very much appreciated by the world outside their community. If there is a way for them to access the market for their products into this society, in an interesting way, that is the solution. By introducing them to digital tools and digital marketing through e commerce platforms, they can overcome the centuries old servitude and find freedom. Sometimes, simple solutions can save a population.
How does the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge?
Banjaras culture, social system, administration system and economic system and their societal values are getting eroded in the globalization era in Telangana tribal villages. The project will be initiated in such a village in Meheboob district of Telengana.
In which Indian States and/or Union Territories is your solution operating?
What is your solution’s stage of development?
PrototypeWho is the Team Lead for your solution?
Murali Nair
Director
Flying Elephant Films Limited
Which of the following categories best describes your solution?
A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successfulWhat makes your solution innovative?
Providing access and control of e-commerce solution for a population who doesn't even have a written script is much more than bridging the digital divide. This will be an innovative approach for the benefit of this population guided by their needs and for their benefit. This makes "Jai Banjara" a unique project.
Describe the core technology that powers your solution.
Core technology is internet connection in the village and creation of a dedicated website. This will rely on the seller's ability to market themselves. Will involve training them in social media tools too.
Please select all the technologies currently used in your solution:
What is your theory of change?
Even the tribal population can be helped to raise their standard of living and manage their own business by themselves, using internet of things in their by selling direct to the customers.
Select the key characteristics of your target population.
What are your impact goals for the next year and the next five years, and how will you achieve them?
The impact will be measured using the clicks on a dedicated site/ Orders / reviews from the buyers/ and a detailed feed back provided by the creators of the art materials.
A detailed survey will be conducted to measure this.
How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?
In order to measure the progress, we will choose a suitable indicator associated with the UN Sustainable Development Goals that align with this particular solution.
What barriers currently exist for you to accomplish your goals in the next year and in the next five years?
Lack of funding.
How do you plan to overcome these barriers?
Looking for funders/ support.
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
How many people work on your solution team?
Three people, working part time.
Preeya Nair
Usha Kiran Lal
Murali Nair
Jyothi
How long have you been working on your solution?
Been working on this idea for nearly 6 years.
How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?
We have great contacts with the community. We have been working with the community and creating film projects and channeling income for them. Many members of the community are in day to day contact with us.
What is your operational model?
The project will sustain itself. Intention is to give the creators training to find ways of sustaining themselves.
Who is the primary stakeholder you will be targeting to execute and scale your solution?
Not-for-profit or Community-Based organizationsIn which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
Solution Team
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Mr Murali Nair www.muralinair.co, Flying Elephant Films
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Our Solution
Jai Banjara