Common Man's Theory of Change. - CSR

Why Corporate Social Responsibility?

My name is Ramu. I am just a common man from a small tribal village tucked deep inside the forests of Madhya Pradesh. I never went to a big school, never wore fancy clothes, and never travelled beyond the neighbouring town. My life, like that of many others here, has been a story of survival, of fetching water from distant Water bodies and of walking miles to gather firewood. I hope that someday, our children will live different lives and not live the life due to being born in a tribal family living in the forests of the country.

Many years ago, factories started rising around our farmlands with tall chimneys and huge gates. We thought maybe their arrival would change our lives, but this did not happen because their walls were very high and their concerns seemed too far away, may be even among the sky deities whom we worship during festivals. Too far from our reach.

Then one day, the change started flowing in………….. “CSR projects are coming,” the active young men in our village said. “There will be help now,” the elders hoped. And finally, CSR initiatives had arrived. Luckily our village close to the factories. Many others were not so fortunate. ,” My own sister lives in a tribal part of Chhattisgarh, in a Naxalite-affected region which is far away from the urban as well as the industrial areas, never received any CSR help.

When I asked a CSR officer out of curiosity why these areas don’t get CSR support, he said, “It is outside our CSR diameter as per law, we can only focus on the nearby villages where we operate.” I later found out from a social worker that there is no such law.

When the CSR team finally visited us, we celebrated as if guests from heaven had come. Someone who cared, we thought. Someone who had met us, seen us. They distributed books for the children, medicines, and even a few solar lamps. We took many photographs with the guests and shared stories of our good fortune with our friends and families. Year after year we kept getting books and pencils, medicines.  Our happiness was literally touching the sky. Finally, there was a hope of support after years of being the unseen, “We, the tribal people, were finally noticed by the urban world, even though they and the system had long refused to see us as their own.”

One day, a few years back, as the factory people wrote down our names and details, I thought why do they never tell us why they needed all this information?

The idea of CSR – Common Man’s perspective

As the years passed, a nibbling thought made me constantly anxious. Is this CSR a formality or kindness? Do they really care about our community? But I dared not speak my doubts aloud, “No”………How could we? They had provided us things we never had never experienced in our life. We remained grateful, but a pinch of resentment dampened the good spirits.  

Does CSR really mean picking one flower from the garden while letting the other flowers wither? Do we not need to water the garden at all? How do let people know about the many many problems that the community is facing. I want to ask the CSR officials, do you even hear us?

I am not educated like the CSR officers who came in our village. But I do understand the heart of my community.  

If someone ever would give me the chance to run CSR projects, I would help our people stand on their own feet, encourage activities that can uplift our communities from poverty and pain, not one-time donations or seasonal events.

It’s just an excuse companies use to avoid difficult areas and to shine where it’s easier to succeed. They were quite far from the industrial area, into the center of forest and may be so they had still remained forgotten.

I may not have the same education or power as you. I may not sit in air-conditioned rooms making policies like you. But I feel the emotions of “My people”.

Conclusion

This story is not just a letter but a “Theory of change” for development. A voice that I hope someone will listen to, not with pity, but with responsibility.

I am 70 years old now, said Ramu.

I don’t know how many more seasons or years I will see. But I dream that someday, a responsible CSR leader will read this story. They will remember that real change is key towards development, and just spending the CSR the way you want would make any change in the development of society. CSR is not made for company brochures. It is about thousand and lakhs of smiles of children who can go to school, for women who can earn and decide for themselves, and for communities who can stand tall, proud, and independent,t taking ownership by their own.

This is just my few words not for highlighting my story, but looking out of the hope that all will change.

The article is written by Mr. Pratik Madhukar Ambekar – CSR Associate

Mobile no- 8369062437, Email id – pratikambekar@mmjc.in