Three women from Pune have come forward with a novel idea to extend support to worthy non-governmental organisations (NGOs): they have launched a website, www.allforasmile.com, to promote products made by NGOs, thus offering a strong marketing forum.
The website was founded by Surabhi Sathe, a former research scholar at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) and her friends, Ulka Kendurkar (painter and chartered accountant) and Shweta Lele (photographer, painter and singer).
“We always wanted to do some social work, but joining an NGO or running one is very difficult when one is a working professional. After brainstorming, we realised that NGOs who develop products need someone to market them. They put up stalls during festivals, but this does not help them much, even though their products are made by special children or senior citizens,” Sathe said.
She said that the website has completed a year and the trio is ready to welcome more NGOs to be featured on the website for free.
Currently, five NGOs from Pune and Delhi are featured on the website whose products range from chocolates and clothes to stationery and candles. More than 1,000 people have registered on the website to buy these products, said Omkar Sathe, who helped develop the website.
An account manager with Persistent Systems, Omkar Sathe said they consciously got IT companies involved in the project under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to extend support to the NGOs. NGOs that have their products displayed on the website are not charged for the service.
Speaking to DNA, Meera Badwe, director of the well-known NGO, Niwant Andh Mukta Vikasalay, said the website is a welcome support for NGOs.
“Basically we needed such a website because with this we don’t have to put up a stall or something once in a while. We can sell our products throughout the year and we don’t have to go to people’s doorsteps every now and then. The website takes orders and then delivers couriers, which is very efficient,” she said.
Very recently, the allforasmile.com team tied-up with a Kolkata-based NGO that produces silk and Batik products and also with Klisma, a network of NGOs. This will help them reach out to other NGOs as well.
At the other end, the website team is in parleys with builders, corporate houses, industries and others where NGO products can be sold.
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