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Footprints in Our History Trickle Up in Trickle Up was founded by Glen Leet and Mildred Robbins Leet in 1979. India We help people in extreme poverty & vulnerability About Trickle Up India: advance their economic & social well-being. Trickle Up India aims to help the poorest graduate We drive large-scale change by partnering out of extreme poverty. We work with women with governments, global institutions, and local belonging to the most vulnerable populations organizations. including indigenous tribal groups of the country. In order to give them sustainable livelihoods, we Since 1979, Trickle Up has helped women gain the help them start sustainable businesses, join savings skills and confidence to achieve greater economic groups that give them a safe place to save and self-sufficiency. access credit, become decision-makers in their households and communities, and gain hope and confidence for the future. We work in partnership with local organizations, as well as global institutions, Vision governments and the private sector. Trickle Up’s operations in India started in 2006 A world where no one lives in extreme poverty and from , West . The Trickle Up program vulnerability. in India is at a very exciting juncture with strong state government partnerships and demonstrated potential for influencing national and state level policies, practices and resources for reaching the Mission ultra-poor. Trickle Up helps people in extreme poverty and Our digital innovation programming supported vulnerability advance their economic and social through the private sector is a flagship for digital well-being. We drive large-scale change by innovation strategy development across the partnering with governments, global institutions, organization. We are committed to working and local organizations. in partnership with local partners, networks, government agencies and the private sector to expand abilities to reach the ultra- poor with sustainable solutions. We are currently working in the states of and . PRESIDENT: Ram Nath Kovind

India PRIME MINISTER: Narendra Modi India, a South Asian country, is the largest democracy in the world and the second most populous. NUMBER OF 22 (major languages) Surrounded by three mighty oceans, Indian Ocean LANGUAGES: in the south, the Arabian Sea in the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal in the southeast, and the majestic INDIAN STANDARD GMT + 05:30 Himalayas in the north, India shares land borders TIME (IST): with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and and Myanmar to POPULATION (IN 1.21 (As per Census 2011) the east. BILLIONS):

India is a secular, federal republic, with 29 states and SEX RATIO (PER 1000 940 seven union territories. A pluralistic, multilingual MALES): and multi-ethnic society, India is home to 1.3 billion people. It is also home to a high diversity of wildlife HUMAN 0.586 in a variety of protected habitats. DEVELOPMENT INDEX: From the incomparable Taj Mahal in Agra, to the marvelous Charminar in Hyderabad, MORTALITY RATE, 39 Telengana, from ‘Paradise on Earth’ in to to UNDER-5: (per 1,000 live births) ‘God’s Own Country’ in Kerala, India is a country filled with nature’s marvels and magnificent monuments MATERNAL 212 that attract attention from people from all corners MORTALITY RATIO: (per 1,00,000 live births) of the world. GDP ($ BILLIONS): 2726.32

LITERACY RATE: 74.04% India (Male - 82.14%, Female - 65.46%)

GENDER INEQUALITY 0.56 At a Glance! INDEX: BORDERED BY: Afghanistan & Pakistan (North-West); China, POVERTY RATE: 21% Bhutan & Nepal (North); Myanmar & Bangladesh POPULATION OF 354.68 : (East); Sri Lanka POOR PEOPLE (as per Census 2011) (separated from from (IN MILLIONS): India by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar in the MULTIDIMENSIONAL 0.283 South) POVERTY INDEX:

ADMINISTRATIVE 29 States & 7 Union NUMBER OF 700 DIVISIONS: Territories INDEGENOUS (with a population of 104 TRIBAL GROUPS: million) CAPITAL: New PROPORTION 12% INDEPENDENCE OF SEATS HELD DAY: 15 August 1947 BY WOMEN IN NATIONAL CURRENCY: Indian Rupee PARLIAMENT: Ten Things You Didn’t Know About India!

Chess was invented in India India’s men and women’s Kabaddi teams have won all the Kabaddi World 10 5 Cups held till date

There are more vegetarians in India In September 2009, India’s ISRO than anywhere else in the world Chandrayaan-1 using its Moon 9 4 Mineralogy Mapper detected water on the moon for the first time

It is home to 2 of the world’s oldest India is the world’s second-largest 8 languages - Sanskrit and Tamil 3 English speaking country

India has the largest postal network in the world with over 1,55,015 post Diamonds were first mined in India. offices. She also has a floating post Diamonds were only found in the 7 office in Dal Lake, Srinagar, that was 2 alluvial deposits in Guntur and Krishna inaugurated in August 2011 District of the Krishna River Delta, till. they were found in (18th century)

And speaking of the sweetness of the Mawsynram, a village on the Khasi people, India was the first country 6 Hills, Meghalaya, receives the highest 1 to consume sugar after developing recorded average rainfall in the world. extraction and purifying techniques! Kolkata West Bengal is one of the eastern states in India, Kolkata traces its roots to three villages - , bordered by the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, , Govindapur & Kolkata - founded by . Sikkim and . Lying between the Himalayas in The city was the seat of the British Empire and the north and the Bay of Bengal in the south, the capital of India till 1911. state is geographically diverse. Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the state capital and the seventh largest A city that still retains the architectural and cultural city of the country. remnants of its colonial past under the British Raj, its landmarks include the government buildings West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, around B.B.D. Bagh Square, and the iconic Victoria stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Memorial, dedicated to Britain’s queen. The city is a Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total unique cross between its love for the classical and area of 88,752 square kilometres. The Darjeeling its attempt to fall in step with the recent times. Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state is a part of the eastern Himalayas mountain With the trams running through the streets till date, range. In this region is Sandakfu, which, at 3,636 m Kolkata is also the first city in the country to have is the highest peak in the state. its own network of the underground Metro railway system. The Ganges flowing through the city is its The narrow Terai region separates the hills from lifeline in many ways and the iconic the North Bengal plains, which in turn transitions stands tall near its northern fringes. into the Ganges delta towards the south. The Rarh region intervenes between the Ganges delta in the The capital of West Bengal and cultural capital of east and the western plateau and high lands. A small India - Kolkata is the gateway to the mountains coastal region is in the extreme south, while the of the northeast and marshlands of Sundarbans. Sundarbans mangrove forests form a geographical Situated on the banks of River Hooghly, it is the landmark at the Ganges delta. heart and soul of the Bengali intelligentsia.

The main river in West Bengal is the Ganges, which divides into two branches. One branch enters Bangladesh as the Padma, while the other flows through West Bengal as the Bhagirathi River and .

West Bengal: Area: 88,752 km2 Governor: Jagdeep Dhankar Chief Minister: Population: 9.1 crore (2011) Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Kolkata!

Kolkata is the second largest city in Founded on 19th November, 1792, India after ! the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata is the 10 5 second oldest consulate of the U.S Department of State.

In terms of the unique trains it daily The Kolkata fair is the world’s handles, the Howrah Station is the largest non-trade book fair. 9 busiest in India 4

The Great Banyan Tree in the Botanical is the first underground Gargen in Kolkata is the largest tree in Metro Railway System in India 8 the world in terms of area covered i.e. 3 330 metres!

College Street, a book lover’s paradise, The Royal Calcutta Golf Club is the is the second largest second-hand first golf club ever, outside the United 7 book market in the world! A thorough 2 Kingdoms search will reveal the first of even the rarest of the rare ! They say that, if you didn’t find a book in , that book probably And since we are very much about never existed! good food, Indian Chinese Cuisine 1 originated almost 100 years ago in Kolkata Kolkata is one of the few cities in the 6 world, to have Trams. Bhubaneswar Odisha Bhubaneswar is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is a centre of economic, Odisha, also called Orissa, is located in the educational and cultural importance of . northeastern part of the country. The state is bounded by the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal The history of the city and its surroundings can to the north and northeast, by the Bay of Bengal to be traced to the 3rd century BCE and earlier. It is the east, and by the states of and a confluence of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain heritage Telangana to the south and Chhattisgarh to the boasting of some of the finest Kalingan temples and west. Bhubaneswar became its capital in 1948, after is often referred to as the “Temple City of India”. independence. In late 2011 the state’s name was officially changed from Orissa to Odisha. Odisha’s geologic formations vary from some of the oldest You will be visiting: Balisankara The Balisankara block is in the Sundargarh district of rocks of Earth’s crust, to deltaic alluvial deposits Odisha where Trickle Up works in 17 gram (village) and ridges of windblown sand. panchayats and in 49 villages. Area: 155,707 km2 Capital: Bhubaneswar Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik Population: 4.59 crore (2018) Points of Interest: Lingaraja Temple, Jagannath Temple, Konark Sun Temple, Chilka Lake, Daringbadi, Chandipur beach, Puri beach, Simplipal National Park etc.

Glimpses from the field! WEATHER CURRENCY You will be arriving during the end The unit of currency in India is of monsoons. The temperatures the Rupee where Re.1 is made will vary from 26-34 °C (80-95 up of 100 paisa. Bank notes are °F). Expect frequent showers and in denomination of 5, 10, 20, high humidity levels. 50, 100, 200, 500 and 2000. Please exchange your money for Indian money only from banks CLOTHING or recognized foreign currency Please carry light summer exchange organizations. clothing and try to avoid dark 1 USD = 68.68 INR (approx.) colours that absorb heat. Don’t To check out current rates forget to carry waterproof shoes, visit: https://www.xe.com/ bags and raincoats or umbrellas! currencyconverter/ They will be really important especially for your field visits. CREDIT / DEBIT CARDS Almost all debit/credit cards OFFICIAL LANGUAGES like VISA, Master card, Amex English is widely spoken and etc. are widely accepted by understood in India, but the establishments including hotels, country has 29 official languages. restaurants, shops etc. However, most signage and official/Government documents However, in some small towns, are available both in English and rural areas, international debit/ in the state language. credit cards don’t work. It is advisable to keep cash handy in such places. ELECTRICITY In India electricity is provided Banking and exchange facilities: at 220 V, 50 Hz. Sockets take Currency exchange facilities are round pins (2 or 3). Adapters are available at banks and at hotels. generally available at all hotels. Most banks are open from 10 Please carry a universal charger if am to 2 pm from Monday to possible. Friday; however some banks offer extended banking hours. 24-hour ATMs are located in TIME shopping centres and many India has only one time zone neighborhood markets. which covers the entire country. Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Things to know before you start packing your bags! TRANSPORTATION SAFETY & SECURITY ADVICE The transport system of Kolkata Kolkata is primarily a peaceful is a mix of modern and the old and multi- cultural city, cordial modalities. and tolerant to people from all over the world.

BUS However crimes do occur, though they are rarely The city has an extensive network of buses but they directed towards foreigners. Crime rate in Kolkata, are very crowded and not the most comfortable India is considered to be moderate at 57.98%. mode of transport. Political demonstrations and rallies do occur in TAXI the city, however they are well monitored and The yellow ambassador taxis dotting the streets of controlled by the police. The only problem due to Kolkata are synonymous with the city’s backdrop. them may be traffic congestion in the roads. They Taxis are readily available at any time of the day. are most common in the Dharmatala/ Esplanade OLA and UBER App cab services are also available. area.

METRO The city is considered highly safe to walk alone The first underground rail system in India, Kolkata’s during daylight with a High safety percentage of Metro is also one of the fastest ways to get around 74.19. During night time the safety rates comes the city. Services are on between 6:45 am to 10:45 down to Moderate at 42.29%. pm on weekdays and 10:00 am to 9:45 pm on Sundays. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS • Keep phone numbers of local Trickle Up Staff TRAM handy with you at all times. Save it in your The only tramway in India, the Kolkata tram is mobile and also write it down somewhere and charming way of commuting in the city. Though a carry with you. little slow, the charges are very nominal and it’s a • Avoid areas with demonstrations and civil comfortable ride. You can catch a tram from 4 am disturbances. till 11 pm. • Be aware of your surroundings. • Monitor local media for updates (television, FERRIES print media, travel.state.gov, Mission India’s You can also take a fun ferry ride over short distances Facebook page). across the river Hooghly. The ferries run every few • Review your personal security plans. minutes.

AUTO RICKSHAW/ TUK TUK They run mostly throughout the city at fixed rates on fixed routes on shared basis.

HAND PULLED AND CYCLE RICKSHAWS Great options for short distances. Getting around the city on your own! EMERGENCY NUMBERS ACCOMMODATION Police: 100 Jharsuguda: Hotel Orchard Fire Station: 2244 0101/0163/0170/6164 Bypass Road, Ekatali, Jharsuguda, Odisha 768202 Gas leaks: Telephone: (06645) 8658570446 | 7381221100 2241 5363/5787/5579 (North/Central) www.theorchard.in 2411 8718/ 3792 (South) Pick up and drop to and from hotel to be arranged RAILWAY & AIRWAYS by Nawab Biswas Eastern Railways Reservation: 136, 137, 138 Airport (General Inquiry): 140 ASSISTANCE FOR U.S RESIDENTS Airport (Reservation Inquiry): 141 U.S. Embassy, New Delhi Airport (Flight Arrival): 142 Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021 Airport (Flight Departure): 143 Telephone: 2419 8000 | Fax: 2419 0017 Email: [email protected] HOSPITALS Website: https://in.usembassy.gov/ Woodland Hospital: 24567076/24567079 U.S. Consulate General, Kolkata Calcutta Hospital and Medical Research: Address: 5/1, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 24791805/24567700 Kankaria Estates, Park Street area, Kolkata 700071 Belle View Nursing Home: Phone: 3984 2400 22472321/22477473

BLOOD BANKS Central Blood Bank: 23510619 The Hemophilia Society: 24163739 Lifecare Medical Services: 22444940 Bhoruka Blood Bank: 22449619

AMBULANCES Dhanwantary: 24495594 | Healthcare: 24150600 Lifecare Medical Services: 24754628 The Relief Medical services: 24754169

TRICKLE UP STAFF CONTACT NUMBERS

Sushant Verma - 98100 58745 Regional Director

Manash Ranjan Das - 94383 25076 State Project Officer - Odisha

Nawab Biswas - 82402 22170 Administrative Assistant Notes Notes

Asia Regional Office 4/2 Orient Row, 2nd Floor, Park Circus, Kolkata - 700017, West Bengal, India.

Tel: +91 33 22894207/ 40004776 Email: [email protected]