The Aangan Trust develops replicable models, advocates for a more effective juvenile justice system, builds information resources about target populations and children’s issues, and ensures a continuum of care for children and youth in the juvenile justice system. It works with state authorities in observation homes for children and in high-risk communities across 12 states.
Apnalaya
Location: Mumbai
Nitin Raste: Cloud Information Management System Specialist
With a focus on Shivaji Nagar in Govandi, a Mumbai suburb, Apnalaya works towards improving the quality of life of people living in urban slums and strives to achieve this through urban community development projects. Apnalaya addresses challenges in the areas of health, education, disability, and women’s empowerment through community-based workers.
BAIF focuses on families living below the poverty line through the empowerment of women, promotion of education/health facilities, and livelihood programs. BAIF uses available natural resources and appropriate technologies as well as by building local capacities. BAIF is a recent recipient of the Times of India Social Impact Award, and its projects and activities reach over 3 million beneficiaries spread over 55,000 villages across 12 states.
Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD)
CORD empowers the rural poor to assess, plan, and implement their own solutions to the problems they face. They believe that this inspires community ownership and responsibility. CORD addresses issues such as health care, sanitation, social injustice, disability, livelihood in non-agricultural sectors, governance/infrastructure problems, and environmental degradation. They have six extensive training centers in rural India that offer classes on integrated rural development in local Indian languages. Till date, they have impacted 550 villages.
VOICE promotes sustainable and ethical consumption through increased consumer awareness based on scientific knowledge and best practices of comparative testing. The organisation believes that consumers need education, guidance and protection against deficient services and products pitched with misleading advertisements. VOICE publishes-monthly magazines Consumer VOICE in English & Hindi and Web Edition which contain product/services performance and comparative reviews. VOICE reports and views are unbiased as it does not publish commercial advertisements nor takes donation from companies.
Dream A Dream seeks to empower children from vulnerable backgrounds by developing life skills and at the same time sensitizing the community through active volunteering leading to non-discriminatory society where unique differences are appreciated. Dream A Dream currently enhances the lives of 3000 children with the help of 1500 volunteers who represent an increasingly sensitive community. Their programs seek to build life skills through sports, arts, mentoring, IT literacy, outdoor adventure programs, and career development.
GYANODAY provides vocational education and health services to low-income children to help them become self-sufficient, productive, and ambitious members of society. GYANODAY has won national and international awards in the field of education. In the next 3–5 years, they hope to scale their organisation by two-fold.
Helpers of the Handicapped provides healthcare, education, vocational training, and need-based support to rehabilitate, integrate, and empower people with disabilities. The organisation places a special emphasis on women, children, and the rural poor. Since its inception in 1984, they have provided rehabilitation assistance to over 18,000 people.
Magic Bus uses a sport for development program model to promote children to make wise decisions regarding gender equality, education, health, leadership, and livelihoods. Magic Bus works to create equal opportunities for children living in impoverished communities. They have worked with over 250,000 children across India and have offices in the UK, USA, Germany, and Singapore.
The Manitham Charitable Trust provides a discrimination-free platform for children to express themselves, explore their talents, and build self-confidence. Mentors across their 15 child resource centers support children academically and teach them about their rights. Manitham also runs a knowledge center that provides Dalit girls in 30 villages with training and opportunities for better career growth. The nurturing and support that children receive from the centers helps them to gain the skills and confidence they need to thrive.
Naandi works to improve child rights while providing access to safe drinking water and creating sustainable livelihoods. They utilize public-private partnerships and involve the community, bringing best practices across disciplines to governments, corporations, civil society, and rural communities to make the best use of their resources and drive innovative social change across sectors. They currently work in nine states, reaching over a million beneficiaries.
PRIDE (Planning for Rural-Urban Integrated Development through Education) India is a development organization that helps rural communities improve their economic status and achieve greater confidence in themselves. A partner organization of Save the Children India, Pride India takes a child-centric approach to problems plaguing India through health, education, and livelihood programs. Notably, PRIDE India has established the SPARSH Rural Hospital in the earthquake-affected area of Osmanabad, Maharashtra.
READ India
Location: Geejgarh village, Dausa district, Rajasthan
READ believes that vibrant, prosperous, and engaged communities will alleviate global poverty. Their resident-owned community library and resource center model brings together education, enterprise, and community development, thereby creating sustainable social and economic development. READ has five community library resource centers in Rajasthan, Manipur, and West Bengal.
The Rashtriya Life Saving Society runs structured awareness-raising programs, modular training courses, safety initiatives, life guard certification, and aquatic risk consultancy to reduce the rate of accident-related deaths in India. They have provided first aid and lifeguarding training to over 75,000 people in India. In the next 3–5 years, they hope to triple their output.
Sahaara Charitable Society works with people on the margins of society such as destitute/slum children, the visually impaired, ex-convicts, and victims of human trafficking. Based in Mumbai, Sahaara helps provide basic education, access to resources, and relationship-building activities, which leads to a better quality of life for the beneficiaries they serve. Sahaara has affected the lives of 2,900 individuals thus far and hopes to engender a five-fold growth over the next five years.
Salaam Baalak Trust provides a holistic safety net of services to the street children of Mumbai in an environment that is conducive to optimum development and empowers them to strive for a better life and the opportunity to become productive members of society. Salaam Baalak Trust currently operates three centers and two projects in Mumbai.
Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust
Location: Good Shepherd Recovery Home (about 60 km outside of Pune)
Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust provides care and support for street-based drug users in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Mumbai. Former drug users function as outreach workers and peer educators to provide health education to street drug users, whilst medical staff and social workers offer treatment and counseling services. Sankalp also provides skills training and opportunities to generate income. Their operations include drop-in centers, a program for drug users at Arthur Road Jail, and a 24-hour critical care shelter.
Switch ON
Location: Kolkata, West Bengal
Basharat Hafiz: Information Technology (IT) Research Analyst
Switch ON takes a holistic approach to solving the challenge of awareness, accessibility, and affordability of renewable energy technologies in rural India. Their operations encompass capacity-building workshops and an innovation incubator that focuses on product development and distribution models. Switch ON has reached out to 60,000 youth through programs and events, organised multiple energy conferences, authored case studies on energy security, and trained over 200 entrepreneurs.
Vital Opportunities in Creative Empowerment – VOICE 4 Girls
VOICE aims to reach thousands of girls across the developing world and inspire the next generation of women to take their futures into their own hands. Through our English immersion curriculum, we cover topics like body awareness, community safety, and career opportunities, through fun and engaging activities. Voice 4 Girls builds confidence and English communication skills through an engaging summer camp.
