The foundation’s operations are always powered by common sense to ensure the best possible outcomes. These cover all possible aspects of life in rural India that need further improvement.
Being fully integrated in the local community via its volunteers, collaborators and other agencies that it works with, the foundation is able to effectively transform the lives of the locals. The foundation has over time perfected means to tackle major issues in the area, but surely, more support and help is required from external collaborators, the government and other NGOs to bring about further improvement to the lives of the people.
Hundreds of individuals have seen a sea change of their economic status and social standing a result of the foundation’s work. Its support and guidance has produced millionaire entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, environmentalists, scientists and modern farmers to name a few. Further details are shared below.
Over the past several decades, it has become clear that the needs of the local area are comprised of the four key areas below.
1. Farming and agriculture
The foundation’s primary aim has been to introduce modern methods of sustainable farming to farmers for them to maximise their crop yields. Farmers are informed about the changing needs of the consumers alongside helping them evolve their farming habits to meet those demands through training and skills development. The need for infrastructure and tools is often met by the foundation as well.
Following successful pilot initiatives led by the foundation, local farmers diversified the crops grown on their lands. They are now able to meet the evolving patterns of consumer demands moving away from rice-only farms to a mixture of vegetables, pulses and seeds. The changeover has also led to conservation of ground water and a more sustainable practice of farming.
2. Women’s empowerment
The first hand experiences of hardships faced by the founder when she was bringing up a young family all by herself in the 1940s and 50s of rural India, serves to inspire the need for even more empowerment of women in rural India. Even in the new millennia, societal norms in rural India are still a big barrier to true empowerment of women. The foundation uses a two pronged approach to tackle this. First it prepares girls and women to capable of being empowered through education, training and skills development of girls and women. On the other hand, through its volunteers, who very well understand the cultural sensitivities of the communities, the foundation informs the wider society the benefits and ripple effect of economic and societal empowerment of women. The wider society is given the bigger picture of the impact of women’s empowerment and why it is a need and not a want in today’s world. Financial and logistical support is often provided for such initiatives.
The foundation’s initiatives have considerably increased the number of women finishing school and college, earning a livelihood and contributing equally to their family’s finances, not just through conventional employment but also via entrepreneurial ventures and co-operatives. There is always a need of more involvement and collaboration of government agencies and other non-governmental organisations to support similar initiatives.
3. Education for all
The access to quality education for all, is of paramount importance to the foundation. For over half a century, the founder and the foundation has been campaigning locally and influencing parents to ensure that their children receive the best education possible. Also, the value of higher education is emphasised for long term socio-economic development of the communities. Resources offered in support of this agenda primarily include information, infrastructure and scholarships.
The percentage of young people completing higher education has more than doubled in the last 20 years in the local community through the initiatives of the foundation and efforts of other NGOs working in the area. The number of children completing primary and secondary education has risen to almost 100% owing the government’s efforts, the changing social-economic conditions and certainly the foundation’s influence on the local community.
4. Employment and entrepreneurship
The foundation champions the symbiotic relationship between local employment and entrepreneurship. Through its various initiatives and seminars the foundation provides new concepts and technologies, and identifies new gaps and unmet needs to be served in the local area as well as in the region. Often the foundation also provides necessary infrastructure and loans to start new enterprise.
In the region, the number of skilled labour and semi-skilled labour has tripled in the last decade- especially ones taking up other professions other than the conventional rice or dairy farming. Owing to the actions of the foundation and its collaborators, both private and public, a new wave of entrepreneurs have set up local businesses and partnerships in a variety of areas that are now serving the local population starting from local produce shops to technology start-ups, to organic farms and plumbing companies to name a few.