SEWA members assembling lanterns

Haji Bhachudiwandh is a small agricultural village that is does not have access to electricity. They need solar lanterns that help them ward off wild animals and fend off harmful insects. The lanterns also help them during their nightly activities, such as cooking and cleaning. These lanterns charge during the day and provide a sustainable source of light at night. Furthermore, SEWA has set up a lantern assembly cooperative that sells and repairs the lanterns, creating additional employment opportunities.

Sustainable energy source; safety; new source of livelihood

Hamare Bachche students

In 2002, massive riots resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people in Gujarat, India, leaving many poor widows and orphans to gather the threads of their lives. SEWA started the Hamare Bachche ("Our Children") program to fund the education and counseling for children who lost one or both parents in the riots. In addition to tuition, the project provides students with room and board, counseling, school supplies, and healthcare. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Ahmedabad by providing their children with the opportunity to advance to high school and vocational training.

Provides healthcare, trauma counseling and school fees for the continued education of 60 children affected by communal violence. This allows them to advance to secondary school and acquire skills to succeed in life. 

Zejari Village is a poor village in the interior the Surendranagar District in Gujarat, India. The village relies on rain-fed agriculture and struggles to maintain the quality of its cultivatable land. In order to improve the quality of the land and to increase the quality and quantity of their crop production, farmers need to deep plough the land to bringing richer, better soil to the top. This simple exercise, along with sustainable farming techniques, will increasing crop yields by 2-3 times. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and help Zajari Village access a tractor that will make the deep ploughing of the land possible.

Increasing crop yields by 2-3 times; increase family income. 

Young female student

SEWA has operated a childcare center in Bilodra since 1999. It currently takes care of 30 children between the ages of 0-6 years old, but the center needs repair and renovation work. The center focuses on the overall development of the children, including their physical and intellectual growth. The center lacks funds and needs a partner that will help them provide the children with a healthy, encouraging learning environment, nutritious meals, education field trips, and immunization and primary care. The center will also help counsel parents on how to foster a learning environment at home. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Bilodra village to create a positive educational environment for their children.

2 full-time teaching jobs; increased production time for parents; healthier children with a brighter future

Varkhadiya well

Varkhadiya suffers from a shortage of drinking water as the wells in Varkhadiya are in a state of disrepair and the little water available is contaminated with excess fluoride, causing joint problems for the villagers. Furthermore, clean water is needed for the manufacture of detergent and incense sticks to supplement the income of the poor women in the village.
This project will construct a roof rainwater harvesting system with an accompanying hand-pump, which allows villagers to capture the water during the monsoon season and channel it into storage tanks for use during the dry season. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project, and partner with Varkhadiya to provide water that will help improve the health, sanitation, and livelihood of the villagers. 

Provides potable water for 550 families, improving the health and sanitation of the village; allows village women to take on detergent and incense making activities to generate income for their families

There are no toilets in Kankavati. Villagers have to walk long distances to go to the toilet. Women are most affected as they are often forced to relieve themselves in public view, putting them in a humiliating and stressful situation. These unsanitary conditions increase the spread of disease. The absence of toilets in schools force children to leave their classes and walk long distances to relieve themselves, hindering their education. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Kankavati to provide toilet facilities that will help improve the health, sanitation, and livelihood of the villagers.

Improved health; increased work and school hours.

Agricultural land in Surendranagar

Degam relies on rain-fed agriculture and struggles to maintain the quality of its cultivatable land. In order to improve the quality of the land and to increase the quality and quantity of their crop production, farmers need to deep plough the land to bringing richer, better soil to the top. This simple exercise, along with sustainable farming techniques, will increasing crop yields by 2-3 times. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and help Degam Village access a tractor that will make the deep ploughing of the land possible.

Increasing crop yields by 2-3 times; increase family income.

Agricultural workers

Mayapur farmers earn their livelihoods on small plots ranging from two to five acres of land. Their livelihood relies on the ability to improve the quality of the soil. These farmers need capital to undertake land development activities - filling mud, soil, and sand into the land - that will increase the quality and quantity of crops. Mud filling improves the quality and fertility of the land. Sand filling helps maintain the land’s moisture level while reducing the soil’s salinity. After such activities, productivity increases 15% to 20%.

Crop productivity increase of 15% to 20%

Students at the temporary CAE space

Coprodeli has built a Youth Outreach Center (Centro de Atención Externa, CAE) to provide dignified housing and access to education, health care and child development services to earthquake victims of Subtanjalla living in extreme poverty. The CAE’s focus includes psychosocial and medical care, nutrition, and education support, and an emphasis on identifying children in situations of high risk. The CAE currently operates in a temporary structure with particle board walls, thatched roof, concrete floor, no running water, and limited electricity, among others.
This project will fund the construction and supplies for a cafeteria to better serve the nutritional needs of CAE children and their families.

Allows 50 children, ages 4-16, to obtain nutritious, hot meals. Improves the overall health of students, and provides incentive for CAE and school attendance, allowing children to reach their potential in academic and social development. 

Zadiyana borders the desert and access to water is a major problem. The village is dependent upon seasonal rain fall, and water tables are falling. As water becomes more and more scarce, communities are beginning to migrate, leaving those left behind with fewer and fewer resources. Roof rainwater harvesting allows villagers to capture the water during the rainy season and channel it into storage tanks for use during the dry season. This project will allow for the storage of 5,000 to 10,000 liters of water. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Zadiyana to provide water that will help improve the health, sanitation, and livelihood of the villagers.

Increased source of drinking water; improved sanitation; improved health; reduce the need to migrate

Classroom at a village childcare center

Navli is a small village of agricultural laborers and tobacco field workers. As the tobacco industry is the largest employer in Navli, occupational health hazards have prevailed among majority of the villagers and their families. The lack of full-time, quality childcare for the children of these workers has forced many parents to bring their children with them to work in the fields, exposing very young children to these hazards.
The current childcare center takes care of 40 children between the ages of 0-6 years old, but is in great need of repair and renovation. The center focuses on the overall development of the children, including their physical and intellectual growth. However, the center lacks funds and needs a partner that will help them provide the children with a healthy and encouraging learning environment, nutritious meals, education field trips, immunizations and other primary care. In addition to those direct needs, the center will also help counsel parents on fostering a healthy learning environment at home. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Navli village to create a positive educational environment for their children. 

3 full-time teaching jobs; increased production time for parents; healthier children with a brighter future

Washing in Gujarat

Vadgam village is an agricultural and cattle raising community in Gujarat, India. There are no toilets in Vadgam, and the villagers have to walk long distances to go to the toilet. Lack of access to toilets directly affects the lives and livelihoods of the women workers who are forced to answer the call of nature in public view- putting them in a difficult, humiliating, and stressful situation. This lack of basic sanitation dramatically increases the spread of disease throughout the village. Absence of toilets in schools also forces children to leave their classes and walk long distances to relieve themselves, hindering their education.
Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project, and partner with Vadgam to provide toilet facilities that will help improve the health, sanitation, and livelihood of the villagers.

Improved health;
increased work and school hours.

Agricultural workers

Sidhasar farmers earn their livelihoods on small plots ranging from two to five acres of land. Their livelihood relies on the ability to improve the quality of the soil. These farmers need capital to undertake land development activities - filling mud, soil, and sand into the land - that will increase the quality and quantity of crops. Mud filling improves the quality and fertility of the land. Sand filling helps maintain the land’s moisture level while reducing the soil’s salinity. After such activities, productivity increases 15% to 20%.

Crop productivity increase of 15% to 20%

Savada relies on rain-fed agriculture and struggles to maintain the quality of its cultivatable land. In order to improve the quality of the land and to increase both the quality and quantity of their crop production, farmers need to deep plough the land to bringing richer, better soil to the top. This simple exercise, along with sustainable farming techniques, will increase crop yields by 2-3 times. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and help Savada Village access the use of a tractor that will make the deep ploughing of the land possible.

Increasing crop yields by 2-3 times; increase family income.

Childcare center in Anand District

As the tobacco industry is the largest employer in the small village of Napad Vanta, occupational health hazards have prevailed among majority of the villagers and their families. The lack of full-time, quality childcare facilities for the children of these workers, has forced many parents to bring their children with them to work in the fields, exposing very young children to these hazards.

The current childcare provides for 35 children between the ages of 0-6 years old, but is in great need of repair and renovation. The center focuses on the overall development of the children, including their physical and intellectual growth. However, the center lacks funds and needs a partner that will help them provide the children with a healthy, encouraging learning environment, nutritious meals, education field trips, and immunization and primary care. In addition to those direct needs, the center will also help counsel parents on fostering a healthy learning environment at home. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Napad Vanta village to create a positive educational environment for their children.

3 full-time teaching jobs; increased production time for parents; healthier children with a brighter future

School children in Gujarat, India

Khadol is a small village of agricultural laborers and tobacco field workers. The tobacco industry is the largest employer in the village and the nature of its cultivation creates health complications for the field workers. One of the most important concerns for these workers remain the lack of full-day childcare facilities, forcing the parents to bring their children to work with them in the field and exposing the young children to the health hazards already faced by their parents.
The current childcare center takes care of 40 children between the ages of 0-6 years old, but is in great need of repair and renovation. The center focuses on the overall development of the children, including their physical and intellectual growth. However, the center lacks funds and needs a partner that will help them provide the children with full-day childcare, nutritious meals, education field trips, immunizations and other primary care. In addition to those direct needs, the center will also help counsel parents on fostering a healthy learning environment at home. Become the Citizen Philanthropist for this project and partner with Khadol village to create a positive educational environment for their children.

3 full-time teaching jobs; increased production time for parents; healthier children with a brighter future