The journey of 5 years at ECF has been punctuated by frequent and significant milestones. With the learnings and experience gathered on this journey to back us up, we have a compelling story to share! There are few principles which have kept us on course, more often than not, helping us in setting our direction as a growing organisation:
- We believe that focus on “one main thing” makes progress possible. The past 5 years have been primarily a sharpening of the one thing we are about – the approach of raising men to end violence against women. While there are many derivatives that are connected to this area of work, ECF’s mission is “to give every man in India the opportunity to study and practise gender-equitable behaviour”
- We vouch for strength in “Partnership”. From the journey of the past 5 years, we are learning not to give in to the temptation to reinvent the wheel. We are now trying to build a model which involves actively seeking out partners who would be able and willing to integrate ECF’s approach into their existing work in the identified communities. This will ensure collaboration and knowledge-sharing resulting in more impact.
- We believe in building evidence to support our approach. Over the course of our five-year journey, we have been involved in the business of validating the work we do through constant monitoring and evaluation, developing new curriculum, documenting progress and success stories.
- We are a small team with a big, shared vision. This is unique in many ways and testifies to the commitment and passion that makes our approach of working with men possible. Every set of ours ferries us upstream. Keeping the team small ensures accountability and ability for organizational acrobatics and growth.
ECF is now poised on a forward-looking trajectory, armed with a clear vision for the next five years. Its a journey we are more than excited about!