Walkathon 2024 - New Social Order

DHAN Foundation organises Walkathon every year on different development themes. Since 2007, DHAN Foundation organised 17 Walkathons with 9 different themes. Every year, DHAN Foundation promoted Community Federations | Locations are also organising Walkathon on the same theme and throughout the year, organising events and activities related to the theme of the year. Walkathon 2024 is the 18th Version of the series which carries the theme of “Towards New Social Order.”

2007 & 2008: Vitality of Water…(Status of Water Resources – Past & Present):

Water is a precious asset of the human society. With the global struggle for water now raging, we are at a point where we need to be reminded of its importance. We have a great responsibility to leave water, which is the basis for life, not only for the living generation, but also for the coming generation. It is our ancient and proud water bodies that carry that water in itself, protect it, distribute it in its due share and make human life and soil prosperous. Irrigation tanks, ponds, lakes and water bodies called Ooranis are all lying in a very bad situation. This theme carries the agenda of Importance of Waterbodies renovation.

• Farmers are coming forward for contributing for Water Bodies renovation and maintenance
• More than 5000 Irrigation tanks have been renovated
• More than 500 Drinking water Ooranies have been renovated
• More than 5000 Water Users Association have been promoted and they are taking care of the waterbodies
• Custodians’ system for Water bodies were customised for Urban, Rural, Coastal and tribal water bodies according to their context
• Every year, Farmers Movement is declaring the Moved out of Encroachment – So far more than 250 water bodies encroachment have been facilitated for eviction.

2009-2010: To Save the Generation..(Promote Anaemia Free Society):

Anemia is one of the factors affecting the future productivity of the country. Adolescents, who are considered as the future generation, and maternal mothers who form the next generation are severely affected by anaemia deficiency. Due to this, their educational environment and future life has become questionable. The Walkathon 2009-2010 was carried with an agenda of Promoting Anaemia free Society.

• Every year, Self-Declaration of Moving Out of Anaemia (MoA) by the girls is being done
• Around 3500 Adolescent Girls groups were promoted
• Reached out 3.5 Lakhs Adolescent girls
• Around 2500 SHG leaders were trained on Community Health especially for Anaemia Control Programme.
• SHG leaders are working closely with Anganwadis and Primary Health Centres.
• Adolescent Girls specific entitlements like Iron tablets, Napkin supplies are facilitated.
• More than 17000 Pregnant women got sensitised on Anaemia

2011& 2012: Climate Change Adaptation:

Changes in climate due to global warming are called climate change. Due to this, a great change in weather conditions like rain, sun, cold and wind has started to happen. By the year 2100, the global temperature is expected to rise from 1.4 degrees Celsius to 5.8 degrees Celsius. This is expected to result in major impacts on natural phenomena such as Earth's hydrology, ecology, sea level and agricultural yields. This has emerged as a major challenge especially for developing countries and their poor populations. Due to this, the effects of climate change such as damage to agricultural yields, spread of infectious diseases, food shortages, sea level rise etc. Although everyone is affected by this, the people who suffer the most are the grassroots. DHAN Foundation Walkathon 2011 & 2012 reinforce the necessity of avoiding activities harmful to the environment in the future, protect existing water bodies, create oases through trees, plants and vines, and promote natural agriculture. Resilience to climate change through eco-friendly housing design, life and property insurance.

• Climate Change Adaptation – a New Development Programme has emerged in DHAN Collective System
• Climate Risk – Prevention, Adaptation, Mitigation practices evolved and practiced.
• Mutual Climate Risk Insurance products for Agriculture and Livestock introduced
• Orchards are being promoted in different context like Urban, Rural, Coastal and tribal
• More than 500 hectares of Mangroves has been facilitated for regeneration.
• More than 10000 farmers are enabled to create Farm ponds as Climate resilient farming practice
• Renewable Energy – Increased Solar Street lights & household lights using practices, Bio-gas energy system has been contextualised.
• Climate Smart Agriculture is being promoted through 100 Climate Risk Resilience Centres across INDIA.
• Hilly terrain specific Watershed interventions has been implemented to adapt erratic rainfall.

2013 & 2014: Agricultural Bio Diversity and Food Security:

One group of people without food, another group of people who eats luxurious food. The world is running on a triad of human structure as another group of people who eats the junk food that is somehow available between them. Social organizations have to fight for these three in some way. Among them are those who have no access to food and those who eat junk food. The youth of today's India has been made to have a guarantee of food and that food is nutritious. In biology, Human-caused disturbance has created a gap in the food chain. Many of the creatures are now near, Who is responsible for becoming an exhibit of the gallery..? Earthworm fertilizers, found naturally in the soil, are now artificially filled in plastic bags and sold in the market. DHAN Walkathon 2013 & 2014 sensitized that; the previous generation lived in harmony with nature. The later generation lived by exploitation. Today's generation is struggling. What are we going to leave for tomorrow's generation?

• Farmers are enabled to conserve, cultivate, commercialize and Consumption of traditional varieties of Small Millets and Millets
• Enabled Community Associations for inland fisheries.
• More than 1000 small water commons are under fish rearing.
• Promoting Community Nurseries and Nurturing traditional tree varieties.
• Facilitated Prosumer system through Farmers Producer Companies
• Promoting Organic Farming
• Enabling small & marginal Farmers for Intercropping, Multicropping system of cultivation
• Promoting Goat rearing as viable business with Stall Feeding system
• Promoting Backyard Poultry in tribal context
• Promoting Kitchen Garden practice as a usual practice of women

2015 & 2016: Green and Clean Environment

The five elements like Land, Water, Fire (Energy), Wind and Heat, today have started to change from their nature due to severe impurity. The Walkathon carried the message of why the Tamil community which naturally lived together in the fivefold theory of Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal and Palai has changed to different environment today. The Walkathon sensitised that, why do we point in lamenting that nature has neglected us, losing this wonderful life-loving quality of this land we live in? Even by hunting animals, hunting animals are not completely exterminated and their hunting is only for biological necessity because hunting animals know that tomorrow that generation also has to live. But it is a fact that human beings are concerned about the existence of this world. The Walkathon called the society to save the world only by the way of start creating. Our dawn tomorrow will be the boom of nature. Let the forest begin with the fragrance, the plants, the vines, the trees, the birds and the animals leaping for joy! May the merit of each one of us to create a new world be great!

• Tank Silt Application system has got strengthened and thereby soil breeding enhanced and reduced farming input cost
• Integrated Nutrition Management System practice introduced and followed
• Beach Cleaning System has got strengthened
• Promoted Roof Water Harvesting System for drinking at Individual and Institution level (Schools), PHCs
• Low-cost technology for sanitation has been developed and scaled up through Community Institutions
• Enabled Community to ensure SBCC on Sanitation Usage and declare open defecation villages.
• Community owned Sacred Groves – ensuring both promotion & conservation.

2017-2018: Giving Forward Celebrating Community Contribution:

The Walkathon carried the message that, Giving Forward is an expression of maturity in the act of thanks giving. So far, charity is seen as giving back to the society, but giving forward is a movement which aims at multiplying the benefits to the needy to maximise the wellbeing through their collective action. Realising the gestures of mutuality exists in the community in various forms from its more than these decades of grassroots action, Through the Walkathon, DHAN Foundation has posted the theme “Giving Forward” as a value among the collective people institutions promoted by it.

• Giving Forward becomes a culture of DHAN promoted SHGs, Farmers Association members.
• Every year, awarding Community initiatives and contribution on 02, October
• Around 20 Community Self Growth SHG federations (One People Institution supporting for promoting another people institution) have been promoted.
• Kalanjiam Women Self Help Groups & Vayalagam Tankfed Farmers Associates collectively emerged & contribute for development activities through Kalanjiam Mutual Movement & Vayalagam Mutual Movements respectively at National level.

2019 & 2020: Enabling Women Empowerment:

Empowered Women have contributed to the development of all and historically they have devoted themselves for the welfare of the humankind. DHAN Foundation Walkathon during the year 2019 & 202 carried the theme of Enabling Women Empowerment. In our day-to-day life, we encounter different contextual issues, yet the way women handle such situations stand testimony to their mature state of mind. However, they are not appreciated for their leadership skills. Hence, DHAN Foundation Walkathon 2019 & 2020 called NGOs, Government, Banks, Corporates and Philanthropist to enable women empowerment for the welfare of the society.

• More than 50000 Self Sustainable women SHGs promoted
• More than one lakh women emerged as Social Leader
• Enabling women for financial access
• Enabling women for Asset Creation
• Training, Facilitation & support for Women headed farming families
• Increased health access

2021 & 2022: Nutrition Security:

India has made rapid strides in improving rates of under nutrition and malnutrition, however, India continues to have one of the world’s highest child undernutrition rates, impacting the child’s health & development. Against this backdrop, DHAN Walkathon 2021 & 2022 focus and emphases on ensuring nutrition security among women and children who are considered as highly vulnerable groups.

• Local Food System practice as a culture.
• Small Millets Conservation | Cultivation | Consumption is institutionalized through a special DHAN Thematic Institution – Small Millets Foundation
• Nutrition Food Recipes pooled and disseminated as a community driven system
• Ensure Sustainable Behaviour Communication Change on consuming nutritious food
• Kitchen Garden becomes integrated part of rural living.
• Prosumer System is getting strengthened especially among poor and vulnerable community
• Formalised Institutional collaboration of People Institutions with Mainstream institutions like SHGs with Anganwadi.

2023 DHAN Walkathon carries the theme of Towards New Social Order

Today, the society we live in depends on money, sets aside the common good for selfish interests, forgets the basic values, destroys our culture, pollutes the environment and is stuck in a kind of sick mentality. The illusion that economic success is considered the pride of life has increased. Hence, DHAN Foundation like to enable the community towards a new social order which will create a society free of poverty, virtuous and egalitarian is a huge task. We have to travel a long way. Although the whole path is not lit, in our hand, the small lamp called “Aram (Virtues)” gives a light for the next two feet. DHAN have chosen “Towards New Social Order..” as the central theme of Walkathon for last year (2023) and this year (2024) and aiming for creating public understanding to walk towards the new social order through individual, family, institution and society actions. Just as a small flower in the desert gives hope to the entire universe, DHAN hope that, our action will give encouragement to the entire human community.