A Letter From a Grantee

SPANDHANA is a grassroots organization that focuses mainly on upholding the labor and human rights of working women in unorganized sectors. After witnessing the struggles women-headed families faced without income during the pandemic, the organization received a grant from The Pollination Project to provide short-term relief and immediate support to these women and their families.

“Dear The Pollination Project Team,

Greetings from Spandhana!

We sincerely thank The Pollination Project for believing in our work and supporting our organization in 2019. Your grant has had a meaningful and lasting impact on our organization and the communities we serve, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when your support became even more valuable.

With TPP’s support, we organized free training programs for women agricultural workers at the Spandhana office. We conducted three-day training camps where participants learned about sustainable Agricultural farming practices, nutrition, and organic kitchen gardening. During these camps, we distributed organic food kits to the participants to encourage them to start growing healthy food at home.

Our work did not end with the training. Every week, our team visited the participants in their villages to observe their kitchen gardens, provide guidance, answer their questions, and encourage them to continue growing vegetables and other plants. We also organized community meetings in different villages to raise awareness about the objectives of the project and motivate more families to adopt sustainable practices. These activities helped strengthen community participation and improved confidence among women agricultural workers.

Spandhana was established in 2001 and has been working with unorganized workers for more than two decades. Today, we work closely with agricultural workers, construction workers, and beedi workers, helping them access their rights and government welfare schemes.

Our organization supports workers in obtaining Labour Cards, Ayushman Bharat Cards, government insurance benefits, old-age pensions, widow pensions, scholarships for workers’ children, and many other social security and welfare schemes. We guide workers through the application process and help them receive the benefits they are entitled to.

One of our major priorities is supporting beedi workers in accessing housing schemes and obtaining Beedi Worker Identity Cards so they can receive government welfare benefits. We continue to advocate for their rights and improve their quality of life through awareness, documentation, and community mobilization.

The support from The Pollination Project has strengthened our capacity to reach more vulnerable communities and create sustainable change. Your trust encouraged us to continue our mission of empowering unorganized workers and promoting dignity, social justice, and equal access to government benefits.

Thank you once again for your continued encouragement and support. We are proud to be part of The Pollination Project community and look forward to creating an even greater impact in the years ahead.”

Have a project like this?
If you’re holding an early idea for change, The Pollination Project is ready to help you bring it to life. Apply for funding!