Project DEEP

It's been one year, already! ⌛ We are super excited to share the annual assessment report from our first program in Krishnapur, where we transferred INR 65,000 to 50 families in May 2023. ✨ 🎉 The organisation is growing and the program is expanding, but these are the results that buoy our spirits the most. Everytime we introduce the model of cash transfers, it mostly polarises people, with one end of the spectrum believing in the transformational impact through values of dignity and choice, while the other dismisses it completely buying into the traditional myths around wastage of free money towards substance use and people becoming lazy. The one year experience that we have had along with the people of Krishnapur, leans towards the first. The results in terms of increased income and assets echoes what we have seen globally, and this gives us a fair reason to believe that this journey of development will continue for the long term as well. Each family has chosen an individual trajectory to build a better life for themselves and their next generations. Returns from the initial investments have been ploughed back into more livelihood, asset building or well being related spends. This builds sustainability for the family. The income increase in Year 1 does what the unconditional grant did in Year 0. Read the full report to know how the village has transformed one year on. Don't miss the map, that details the investment journey of each family. https://lnkd.in/d7DTCbj6 Huge shout out to Niyoshi Shah, Khushali Mehta and Muzamil Baig for the hardwork in bringing this report to life. #ProjectDEEP #transformation #unconditionalcashtransfers #choice

It was a lovely experience to hear poverty and our work on cash transfers being broken down to the basics at Mahindra University - School Of Management. A case study which explores the causes of poverty, the journey of Project DEEP, traditional poverty alleviation approaches and how they interplay with cash transfers was used for these lectures. 🤓 It really is a great space to expose the young business students to the world of development. Our co-founder Pankhuri Shah was part of these engaging conversations on what the poverty line should be, the difference between growth and development, and the big question of can we really trust people with free money?, and can cash transfer programs coexist with the provision of other essential public services? Thank you Proj Anjali Rajan, Prof Keerti Pendyal, Prof Dr. Jyothi Rani Korem, Prof Srinivas Pingali, Prof Shankar Prakash, Vivek Mathur for giving us this wonderful opportunity. Look forward to many more such enriching discussions. #unconditionalcashtransfers #nostringsattached #projectdeep #classroom

As we celebrate the festival of lights, we extend our warmest wishes for prosperity and good health to you. This Diwali, we are inviting you to set up a new kind of SIP 🎉 How about investing a small part of your salary every month for the development of tribal communities?  Click here to give now: https://lnkd.in/dcHe4Uvu May this Diwali illuminate each one's life with joy, wellbeing and a sense of fulfillment. 🪔 #diwali #transfertotransform #change #lights #joy #projectdeep

"The nonprofit GiveDirectly plans to send payments of $1,000 on Friday to some households impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The organization harnesses a Google-developed artificial intelligence tool to pinpoint areas with high concentrations of poverty and storm damage. On Tuesday, it invited people in those areas to enroll in the program through a smartphone app used to manage SNAP and other government benefits. Donations will then be deposited through the app’s debit card." The approach is meant to deliver aid 'in as streamlined and dignified a way as possible,' said Laura Keen, a senior program manager at GiveDirectly. It removes much of the burden of applying, and is intended to empower people to decide for themselves what their most pressing needs are. The influx of clothing, blankets, and food that typically arrive after a disaster can fill real needs, but in-kind donations can’t cover getting a hotel room during an evacuation, or childcare while schools are closed. 'There is an elegance to cash that allows individuals in these types of circumstances to resolve their unique needs, which are sure to be very different from the needs of their neighbors,' said Keen. She added that getting money into people’s hands fast can protect them from predatory lending and curb credit card debt. The organization employs direct payments for poverty relief around the world, but it first experimented with cash disaster payments in the U.S. in 2017, when it gave money to households impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Back then, GiveDirectly enrolled people in person and handed out debit cards activated later. The process took a few weeks. Now that work is done in days — remotely. A Google team uses its SKAI machine-based learning tool to narrow down the worst-hit areas by comparing pre- and post-disaster aerial imagery. GiveDirectly uses another Google-developed tool to compare those findings with poverty data. It sends the target areas to Propel, Inc, an electronic benefits transfers app, which invites users in those places to enroll. 'They don’t have to find a bunch of documentation that proves their eligibility,' Keen said. 'We already know they’re eligible.' In North Carolina, where electricity in some communities has still not been restored after Hurricane Helene, having a smartphone makes no difference without a way to power it and a signal to connect to. Keen said GiveDirectly is aware of this model’s shortcomings. She said some can be alleviated with a hybrid model that uses both remote and in-person enrollment. But the limitations also come down to funding." Support at https://lnkd.in/eQdxqUnT Gabriela Aoun Angueira for The Associated Press: https://lnkd.in/eKUp_9cB

It has been a year of immense learning. This time last year, we were immensely excited about the outcomes of our first program in Krishnapur with 50 households. 47 additional acres (50% increase) of land had been tilled, local employment had been generated and there was a visible difference in people’s self confidence. It was our first time experience of the transformation that direct cash transfers bring in the lives of people. 12 months on, we have grown 🔟x. Through our flagship program, we have now reached 501 families in all. 🎊 Staying and working closely with diverse communities in different locations has built our understanding of the circumstances that they live in, their challenges and aspirations. It has been an absolute pleasure to share people’s joy as they understand the program, and witness their sense of fulfilment as they create something new for themselves through the unconditional lumpsum. The tangible results, not just on monetary poverty, but on agency, dignity, and quality of life, have strengthened our belief in the work that we do, and the need to further strengthen cash transfers as a tool for poverty eradication and social protection. #unconditionalcashtransfers #nostringsattached #transformation #change #projectdeep #scale Apeksha Tamane, Khushali Mehta, Muzamil Baig, Pankhuri Shah, Pooja Rao, Sparsh M. Amit Garg, Anuj Mehra, Miriam Laker-Oketta, Shailja Mehta

The THING I love about unconditional cash transfers is its ability to be so many things for each recipient. In this video cash transfers to individual recipients meets the health needs of the recipients, their households and community through multiple mechanisms. 

It gives us immense joy to share a milestone of one more program, today on 'International Day for the Eradication of Poverty'. We announced our fourth program in Nal ka vas and Malariya Kala villages of Gogunda block in Udaipur (Rajasthan) reaching 218 families. 💫 Primarily inhabited by the Gametia tribe, it is nestled in the Aravali hills. Uneven topography, small land parcels and the care burden of large families (senior citizens and children) increases the vulnerability. People are largely dependent on construction and other daily wage work available in Gogunda town and Udaipur. There is an increased penetration of loan sharks in the area causing a further drain on the disposable income of the families. The unconditional transfer of a lumpsum will empower community to build economic stability and resilience by building assets of their choice, relieving their most imminent stressors and prioritizing development for themselves. 🌿 #unconditionalcashtransfers #nostringsattached #transformation #change #projectdeep

Today on World Mental Health Day, we explore the impact of cash transfer programs on improving mental health and well being. 🌱 The intensity of poverty increases for persons with severe mental illnesses compared to the rest of the population. On the other side of this relationship, when individuals do not have the necessities for survival, mental disorders such as depression or anxiety can develop and intensify. In short, untreated mental illnesses can lead to or further exacerbate poverty, but unchecked poverty can cause mental illnesses as well, creating this link between mental health and poverty. In such cases, poverty eradication efforts through direct cash transfers, go a long way in improving mental health and well being. Here is a glimpse into some studies across the world that demonstrate these outcomes. To know more, or for detailed reports, please DM us. If you know of more such research or have any personal experiences that reflect the same, please share in the comments. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #unconditionalcashtransfers #transfertotransform #transformation #change #projectdeep #mentalheathday

Persevering through crowded bus rides, daily hikes, a new language and the changing weather, these are the fantastic five conducting baseline surveys for our latest project in Gogunda, Rajasthan. Kudos to the team for completing 200+ surveys! ✨ Meet (L-R): Apeksha Tamane, Sapna Kumari, Aparna Awasthi, Sparsh M., Khushali Mehta Sajhe Sapne Surabhi Yadav #unconditionalcashtransfers #nostringsattached #transformation #change #projectdeep

We are very excited to welcome Pooja Ghalla and Renil Gogri as anchor funders for our work. It is a privilege to have such open and enthusiastic partners, with whom we can co-curate this important movement. Mirik Gogri Spectrum Impact #cashtransfers #unconditional #Projectdeep #support