Role of NFN in ‘Giftmilk’ programme

Besides conceiving and planning out strategies and policies for the Giftmilk initiative from time to time, NFN in the ‘Operations mode’ carries out mainly the following activities to reach out to the children:

• Coordinate with Dairy Cooperatives to confirm the feasibility of supply of flavoured milk at schools in desired locations. Enter into supply agreement on taking up a Project in their district.
  • Check and confirm to Donors on request, feasibility and otherwise, alternative options for milk distribution to closely match Donor choice.
• Coordinate regular supply and distribution arrangements, payments to the dairy cooperatives, accounting, monitoring and closure of each Project.
• Collect data on transactions made and maintain an accurate database of the milk distribution and make it available to the Donors.
• Network with monitoring agencies (volunteers) to ensure proper implementation at the ground level and strive to attain the Vision.

Thus, NFN acts as a catalyst between Donor, Dairy Cooperative and beneficiary Schools to ensure proper implementation of Giftmilk.

Funds received are utilised through a supply agreement with identified dairy cooperative for supplying specified flavoured milk variant to the identified school/s.

Monitoring Supply and Distribution

For every instance of supply made, the dairy cooperative has to send a message (SMS) to the system. Thus the system would be updated on supplies made in each project of Giftmilk.

The school on its part send a daily message (SMS) to the system so that an update on daily basis on the children covered and the Child Milk Days (CMDs) achieved is available. (Each day a child get milk means one Child Milk Day achieved).

At the end of every month, the school sends a duly signed monthly attendance and distribution statement.

The dairy cooperatives supplying the milk send fund utilisation statements for the material supplied/ distributed.

Based on the Fund Utilisation Statement and the Monthly Distribution statement of the school for the previous month, the payment is made to the dairy cooperative.

Dairy cooperatives also monitor distribution as and when necessary. Adequate care is taken by all stakeholders in the chain regarding the food safety aspect.

Accountability

Accountability of the dairy cooperatives supplying the milk/milk products would include timely supplies, quality assurance and sending regular fund utilization statements for the material supplied/ distributed.

Accountability of beneficiary schools would include ensuring proper handling & storage (if necessary), maintaining records of stock, distribution and regular reporting on the system.

Transparency

As all transactions in the chain from receipt of donation to distibution of milk and release of payment would be reported on the system, complete transparency will be ensured, be it in supply arrangement, acknowledgement of milk supply, distribution or fund utilisation and project closure.