HYDERABAD: Medical emergencies can come anytime and sometimes even savings of a lifetime is not enough. Such uncertainties can befall anyone and without help in sight lives can be lost or careers can turn to dust. In today’s instant-connect world online crowdfunding platforms like Milaap are of much help. And it turns 10 this year.
Today vastly used for healthcare crowdfunding, Milaap shares how even until 2015, ‘education’ was the leading cause of online fundraising. In 2016, there was a sudden rise in funds raised for medical and emergency needs in a single year.
While the number of fundraisers set up every year for other causes like women empowerment and pets and animals is also seeing a spike, the contributions towards urgent healthcare needs remain the highest for treatments such as cancer-care and organ transplants, especially for children.
Talking more about this, Mayukh Choudhury, CEO and co-founder, Milaap said, “Medical needs have raised the highest amount through various campaigns from Hyderabad. This amount has seen a growth of 170x over the last six years.” Since the inception of the platform, the funds raised collectively through Milaap each year has seen nearly 200X increase, while the number of fundraisers set up each year has grown nearly 300X.
Till date, around Rs 110 crores have been raised for causes from AP and Telangana, over 70% of this being for causes from Hyderabad. In fact, both the states were the first to receive immense support from groups and communities abroad. The Telugu diasporic communities have been actively sharing and contributing to causes back home through Milaap.
Interestingly, diasporic communities have contributed nearly 40% of the funds raised for the twin states, while for most other geographies, it stands at about 30%. “Among foreign countries, contributions from the US form the biggest share. It is this support that has given us the confidence to completely waive off our fee and make it a free platform as we completed 10 years,” Choudhury adds.
A well-connected and digitally active diaspora, and closely-knit online groups and communities could be the major reason why over 95% of people from the city raise the required funds without any additional support from Milaap. “With the crowdfunding campaign started I could complete the crucial surgeries and give my daughter a second lease on life,” says Shyam Prasad who generated funds on Milaap for his baby daughter, who is recovering now.