Gartner has been supporting CORD in its mission to empower communities in India since 2016. To date, our associates have provided funds and voluntary support towards more than 30 villages in India. This includes supporting the building and development of over 14,600 toilets, 6,600 soakage pits, 10,000 garbage pits and 11,800 micro garbage segregation units. Read on to learn more about CORD’s mission and how our associates volunteer their time with the organization.
CORD’s programs in rural development cater to empowering and making communities self-reliant. The uniqueness of the model rests on making the rural communities equal partners in their development, rather than just facilitating developmental projects.
It creates Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) nurtured in each village ward to encourage them to participate at the Gram Panchayat level, a unit of local self-governance. Further, to ensure the success of its model, CORD puts women at the center stage, and all its programs are facilitated through the Mahila Mandals or Women’s Groups.
“CORD is revolutionizing community work, especially in terms of sustainability and women empowerment. Our perspective on how strategy merges with tactics in these areas have been completely changed all thanks to CORD.” - Mohit Dhar, Retention Analyst GRP.
“Most of the NGOs I have interacted with help the community in need by donating something like clothes, food, or any other essential requirement. CORD doesn’t work like that. Their model is pure “Knowledge-centric” where they educate the masses, especially women, to stand up for their rights.” - Jaipal Singh, Program Manager, GDM
Giving back as an organization is important as it instills a feeling of responsibility not just towards our organization but the entire community as well. And, it offers the opportunity to collaborate across teams and build deeper relationships with coworkers.