ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO website is under development. Registrations will begin shortly.
If you are a Development sector Consultant, an Expert on environmentally sustainable urban and rural livelihoods, a Design Thinker, a Livelihood planner and strategist, a Social Entrepreneur, a Livelihoods funder, or even a seasoned Social sector professional with multiple domain exposure and work, you are fit to join as a GO-BROWN. GOOD-TO-GO is one of the best projects that can take you to the hinterland grassroots, where lonely communities are not able to understand which way to go, if all crops fail due to climatic variations, and there is no food to feed them.
GOOD-TO-GO works in a hub and spoke model, where a GO-BROWN acts as the notch that connects the Grassroot Communities (Spokes) to the Facilitating organisation (Hub) of the network in a region.
There will be an Orientation and some training (if required) that you will receive from the CORE GROUP before you start your work with GOOD-TO-GO. Before you go to any rural area, you will be given information on the local area, the social dynamics there, as well as project level details by the Facilitating Organisation (GO-GREEN) or the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED). You will also be given information on the background of the Youth, the Community and the Grassroot NGO itself by the GO-GREEN.
On request of the GO-GREEN, physically visit the Grassroot NGOs (GO-RED Partners) and understand their problems holistically.
Use your troubleshooting skills to look at the problem(s) from multiple lenses and stakeholders’ perspectives.
Understand the economical, environmental and social impact of the problem in the present and future.
Use your social innovation and design thinking skills, to design out-of-the-box solutions and approaches.
Use your problem solving skills to make the new solutions become simple, effective and easy to understand and replicate.
Document the whole process in video and text, and share them with the Go-Red, Go-Green and Go-Blue Partners.
Professionally engaged by GO-BLUEs, use all the above skills to perform Social Impact Assessment of their supported Go-Green hubs, and their Good-To-Go work with their associated Go-Red Partners.
GOOD-TO-GO is committed to working everywhere, from the urban proximity villages to the remotest, virgin, nature rich villages of rural India. India has many sparsely populated villages which are extremely remote, a majority of which are reachable by road, but there are also a few which require a small trek to reach. Depending on the condition of the village / community, and their language, you will be offered choices from which you can choose. You can choose to go to different villages on different occasions, so that you can impact a wider variety of populations in the country. Villages that require a trek to reach, will only be offered to those who declare themselves physically fit to trek.
You will be contacted by the Facilitating NGOs (GO-GREENs), who find your exposure and experience matching with the socio-economical-environmental conditions of the Grassroot NGOs connected with them. You can also offer to guide a Grassroot NGO (GO-RED), even if they do not have a situation similar to your exposure. But your engagement with a Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) is decided by the GO-GREEN through which it is connected to the GOOD-TO-GO network.
For Social Impact Assessment, a Funder (GO-BLUE) will connect with you, to assess the work of a GO-GREEN they are supporting.
You can declare a particular area / region that you would like to reach out to, when you are available. For eg: if you are already present in a particular region, and are nearing completion of your engagement with a Grassroot NGO (GO-RED), then you can scan the database for other GO-REDs close by, awaiting an engagement with a GO-BROWN. If you find any, then you can offer yourself to the respective GO-GREEN. If matched, you can continue to the next GO-RED.
However, there are other factors that will be taken into account by the GO-GREEN to consider your engagement. For e.g. a) Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) in the region with very desperate needs; b) the amount of interest a GO-RED has already received from other GO-BROWNs; c) your Performance Rating etc.
Absolutely.
You can declare your availability and location wish list, to the GOOD-TO-GO network at least 15 days in advance, by filling in a simple online form. Accordingly your profile will be shared with the Facilitating NGOs (GO-GREENs) in those regions. After match making your exposure and experience with the social-economical-environmental situation of Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) in their region / network, the GO-GREENs will get in touch with you directly, sharing demographic details of the Grassroot NGOs connected with them. You can choose any of them, and lock your engagement through an online form. You can lock multiple periods with different GO-GREENs depending upon your availability.
Please remember, that your locked engagement will start a series of groundwork at the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED), and mobilising the youth there, giving them some hopes and expectations. It would be unfair to cancel any such commitment, until and unless you are stuck in an emergency situation. Any such cancelled engagements (except for emergencies) will affect your performance rating. However if the engagement is cancelled because of the GO-RED or GO-GREEN (except for emergencies), it will affect their performance rating as well, and your availability will be flashed again to the GO-GREENs with a high priority tag, so that you get a quick engagement with another Grassroot NGO (GO-RED).
Every engagement of a GO-BROWN will be paid by the GO-GREEN or GO-BLUE that is engaging them. For helping their Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) develop community livelihood plans, the GO-GREENs will engage the GO-BROWNs professionally for a specific period. Each GO-BROWN is free to command their own price for the engagement and the GO-GREENs are free to negotiate as well. Selection of a GO-BROWN for helping a GO-RED will solely depend on the respective GO-GREEN.
For Social impact Assessments, the GO-BLUEs will directly get in touch with you after going through your profile, experience, current rating and current work area.
As the geographical reach of GOOD-TO-GO increases, GO-BROWNs will find more engagement opportunities with GO-GREENs and GO-BLUEs. It will be in the benefit of GO-BROWNs to explore untouched areas and spread the GOOD-TO-GO Network, by identifying prospective NGOs/CSOs and encouraging them to start as GO-GREENs in their region.
Absolutely. GOOD-TO-GO Network is designed to help all players (stakeholders) grow their scope and work for development, improve their visibility and demand, and get both organisational and citizen support for their work. The best part of the ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO network is that each stakeholder's performance is assessed by others through a feedback system, that generates an overall rating and a current rating for each. This helps in the best performers (with highest ratings) get most opportunities of work and/or volunteering.
Sure you should bring more Development Consultants into the network, as it works in your favour too. Since every Consultant comes with a domain speciality, it helps in getting more visibility across the country. For eg: a Consultant you have added in the GOOD-TO-GO network has been engaged by a GO-GREEN to help a rural community design a sustainable livelihood plan for themselves, and the plan results in some livelihoods that are of your domain speciality. Since your performance rating is high, your friend will not have to think twice before reaching out to you / engaging you for designing the livelihood plan for that domain. So the more number of Consultants you add to the GOOD-TO-GO network, more are your chances of professional engagement too.
Foreigners are restricted in certain areas of India, and some other areas require special permits. If you are of foreign origin and your selected project is in an area, which require permits; please ensure that the Facilitating NGO (GO-GREEN) obtains one for you, before you travel to the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED). In areas where there are absolute restrictions for foreigners, you will not be assigned to a project there if you are a foreign national.
The language and dialects of different regions in India vary a lot. The Facilitating NGO (GO-GREEN) will ensure that a Translator (if available between your language and the local language/dialect) accompanies you, as he/she will facilitate the interactions between you and the participating rural youth. The Translator's expenses will be borne by the GO-GREEN or GO-RED. Wherever the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) has staff who know both languages, they will organise for the same on their own.
If you wish to bring a Translator along, please register him/her as a GO-PRO with GOOD-TO-GO Network, and take care of his/her expenses during your visit. GOOD-TO-GO may also professionally hire the services of your Translator for other GO-PROs / GO-BROWNs, whenever required. Youth in remote areas, are however, extremely shy, and we encourage you to build a rapport with them and help them speak out. Village youth with urban exposure might understand and speak English/Hindi and you can use their help to interact with other people in the community.
Since it will be difficult for you to take pictures and videos while you are working, the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) will do that for you. Please be mindful however of the fact that you will be living in a village and will be working with the community. Do respect the sentiments of the Community and their culture, while taking pictures with them. Do take permission of the Grassroot NGO before taking pictures of village habitat or videos of village life.
GOOD-TO-GO will request access to your pictures and videos for uploading on their website, with due credit to you. Please note that you will get space on our website to share your own experience.
Yes, GOOD-TO-GO will expect a feedback at the end of your project, the format of which will be given to you electronically, before you leave. You will be required to keep some basic log of your entire stay, and submit your feedback after the trip. Your feedback will help evaluate the quality of the training, facilitation by the Grassroot NGO and services of the Facilitating NGO. Your hours will get logged in only after your feedback and experience sharing is received.
GOOD-TO-GO will also take a feedback from the Grassroot NGO, some of your Trainees, and Facilitating NGO, to evaluate your performance rating. The Facilitating NGOs would generally contact and prefer Development Consultants (GO-BROWNs) with higher performance rating, for such opportunities.
Of course! The GO-GREEN or GO-RED or GO-BLUE that has contracted you for helping the community youth redesign their livelihoods, will give you an official letter for the same, mentioning the period and honorarium for the consultancy.
With ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO, you will be able to:
Support multiple grassroot organisations and their beneficiaries with your skills.
Act collaboratively as a team, helping the organisations design appropriate solutions and proposals.
Act as the backbone in the entire system, connecting all the dots and liaising between all PPP Stakeholders.
Initiate many Go-Green Hubs in the region.
Do realtime social impact assessment of development work and sustain yourself.
If you have not registered as a Development Consultant (GO-BROWN) with GOOD-TO-GO yet, please do so immediately here mentioning your skills, experience and domains of expertise. You do not need to take a subscription right now, as the first Voluntouring opportunity is without any subscription, to give you a flavour and experience. If you are satisfied with your performance and the facilitation done for your visit, take a Subscription by clicking here. Your subscription amount helps this Not-for-profit network maintain its database and web based operations.
Once subscribed, declare your availability and preferred locations / regions to the GOOD-TO-GO network by clicking here. Accordingly your profile will be shared with the Facilitating NGOs (GO-GREENs) in those regions. After match making your skills with the needs of Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) in their region / network, the GO-GREENs will get in touch with you directly, detailing the projects, requirements, facilities, tourism opportunities, and costs. You can choose any of them, and lock your engagement through an online form. The other GO-GREENs will be informed immediately, so that they do not bother you any more. You can lock multiple periods with different GO-GREENs depending upon your availability.
You can also keep visiting the 'EVENTS' page of the website frequently, to see events that coincide with your vacation time.
The GO-GREEN or GO-RED or GO-BLUE that has contracted you for helping the community youth redesign their livelihoods, will take care of your travel (from your last destination, and back to your next destination), lodging and boarding during your stay at the Village. A Grassroot NGO's staff will always stay around you in the village, to make you comfortable and acquainted with the local community, and organise the meetings and discussions.
The answer is no, not usually. Most villages in India are accessible by road, and only those who are fit to trek will be assigned projects that require a bit of trek.
All you need is a tourist visa to come into India. Any further permits to enter restricted areas in India, if needed, will be obtained by the Contracting agency (GO-BLUE, GO-GREEN or GO-RED) once you reach their office.
The Facilitaing NGO (GO-GREEN) will be responsible for arranging all basic amenities for your food and stay, including toilet paper. However, please bring your cosmetics, electronics, clothing, medicines, etc! But here is a list of what will definitely be useful in rural India.
Flashlights, sandals, sunscreen, moisturiser, lip-balm, mosquito repelling cream, camera, batteries, light sweater (regardless of which season you come in), good walking shoes, (trekking boots, if you plan to trek), thick jackets if it is winter. There are not many things available in the local stores, so please bring the essential ones on your own.
But please keep some vacant space in your backpack, as you may like to carry some local souvenirs back home.
GOOD-TO-GO ensures that all logistics for lodging boarding of GO-BROWNs are taken care of. The Facilitating NGO (GO-GREEN) and the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) you are visiting, coordinate for this, for your commute, to get you a clean and comfortable accommodation to stay and home cooked meals. You might not get attached toilets and running water, AC or coolers. But you will get enough place for you to keep your belongings safe, clean drinking water, nature cooled insect free rooms and beds with clean linen and blankets, non spicy healthy food, plenty of oxygen to breathe, and of course a sound sleep. You will discover how village life makes the best use of nature to get what even the luxurious suites cannot. So try to live the village life and discover a new you.
Electricity and connectivity have reached almost all villages of India, except for few unreachable or troublesome zones. However the bandwidth might not be constant and of high speed everywhere. In some villages, people have to reach high vantage points to get the best connectivity.
In some remote villages there might be lights powered only by solar panels, which work for just a few hours in the night. Cell phone connectivity might also be limited and though there are multiple providers (BSNL, Airtel, VI, Jio and others, only BSNL might work in the remoter areas). Once you go into remote areas, you can enjoy cell phone detox as well.
We encourage you to inform your family ahead of time if you expect a phone silence from the area you will be going to. The Facilitating NGO (GO-GREEN) however, will be in touch with the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) and local village through its ground network and messages will be passed on in case of emergencies. Though it may take some getting used to, volunteering in areas where there is no connectivity and/or electricity, we ask that you take the time to enjoy the surroundings, the people and the absolute serenity of nature around you. These people have stayed here for generations and have survived and learned from their surroundings.
GOOD-TO-GO generally discourages smoking or drinking. If you are desperate for a smoke, we ask that you choose a lonely spot to do so, but leave no burning stubs behind. Under no circumstances can we endorse any smoking in public. Taking drugs is strictly prohibited. Drinking during working hours is also not allowed. It is possible that you may be offered any local drink in appreciation of your efforts or just to welcome you into the community. GOOD-TO-GO will not be responsible for any health discomfort resulting out of that. We ask that you practice restraint and take care to ensure that you do not behave in a manner that compromises your position, or the credibility of GOOD-TO-GO. Any untoward incidents caused by unruly behaviour can cause your contract to be immediately terminated and your honorarium withheld.
While we want you to enjoy your experience at the remote village, we ask that you treat the role that you are playing with responsibility and sincerity, and contribute to a positive and respectful experience with the community.
The food prepared for you will be primarily vegetarian to maintain a commonality. However if you wish to have non-veg cuisine, you can pay someone locally to get that, and have it at your own risk. GOOD-TO-GO will not be responsible for any health discomfort arising out of the same. Please resist and refuse any offers of meat of endangered and/or protected species of animals, birds and reptiles. Any violation might lead to legal proceedings against you.
We respect Vegans, and will try to provide vegan cuisines as far as possible. However, we would ask you to carry a pack of Dates with you for emergencies.
However, if you are particular about carrying your own water, we encourage you to make those purchases in your arrival city, before starting your road travel to the Village.
Language and dialect will vary from region to region. The Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) will try to find a Translator who knows the local language and Hindi / English, from among the youth in the village. If you know neither Hindi / English, nor the local language, then a Translator needs to be professionally engaged with you during your stay at the village. This will be discussed and agreed upon with you, before finalising your contract by your contracting organisation.
During the summer months of Mar – June, you can expect it to be extremely warm in the day times. A light sweater might be needed for the evenings. Since the weather is unpredictable at all times, we always recommend carrying a light sweater for emergencies. The winters (Oct - Jan) can get very cold, and you should pack accordingly from thermals, gloves, woollen socks to thick fleece jackets. As in the rest of India, we request that you wear clothing that respects the sentiments of the local people and avoid wearing revealing clothing. Villages in India are not exposed to clothings of multiple nationalities, and mosquitos like a variety of blood. It will be good to cover yourself up with comfortable clothing.
Villages are generally safe places for women and men alike. Many women trek alone in villages and have never felt threatened. The locals respect women and will treat you well. The local village women are also very friendly and we encourage you to build a rapport with them and involve yourself with them. As anywhere, dress so as not to draw extra attention, and do carry yourself confidently. The Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) whose project you are visiting, is responsible for your safety and security while you are at the village. During the commute to the village and back, the Facilitating NGO )GO-GREEN) and its vehicle Driver will be responsible for your safety and security.
If you have a question that is not answered here, please Email us at ensuredgoodtogo@gmail.com with
Subject: FAQ - GO-BROWN
We shall send you an answer personally, and also add it to this FAQ.