Swades Building Livelihoods
Swades Building Livelihoods

About The Campaign

About The Campaign

#SwadesBuildingLivelihoods campaign is raising funds to build livelihoods of 15,000+ most needy households (tribal, migrant/daily-wage homes and others, poorest of poor families) in rural Raigad and Nashik districts of Maharashtra.

Our aim is to create self-sustaining communities as we build their capacities, strengthen inputs and market linkages ensuring that every household earns at least Rs2,00,000 per annum through a basket of programs - be it farm based, off-farm or non-farm interventions.

In our farm based intervention we build check dams and harvest rain water to irrigate land enabling farmers do a second crop and for some even a third crop augmenting their farm based income by 4 to 5 times. We have so far irrigated over 2,500 acres of land and most of it through drip irrigation.

With our off-farm interventions we engage households in poultry, goat rearing, dairy or fishery augmenting their income by Rs25,000 to Rs 80,000 per annum. We provide input support, training and continuous handholding and so far have created over 13,000 entrepreneurs.

Through our non-farm intervention, i.e., skills training for youth, we ensure that the youth are imparted with the right skills to enable them find employment or are self-employed. We have placed over 2,600 youth in employment with an average annual earnings of Rs1,00,000 resulting in more than doubling of their family income in most cases.

The current pandemic and associated slowdown has impacted livelihoods and resulted in inflow of over 90,000 people back to their villages in Raigad. Further, cyclone Nisarga left loss of property and livelihoods. The situation continues to be a double whammy for both residents and the reverse migrated families.

Whilst as a first response, we have supported immediate relief with medical aid and grocery/daily essentials, the parallel need now is for recovery, to overcome loss sustained and build their livelihoods.

About The Partner

About The Partner

Founded by Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala, the Swades Foundation operates with a single-minded focus of empowering one million rural Indians every 5 to 6 years. Our USP is a 360° intervention inside-out model of development, with a multiplier effect. Our holistic approach covers all aspects of individual and community development through 4 key verticals – Health and Nutrition, Education, Water and Sanitation and Economic Development. Our strength is our ~1,300 strong team comprising 1000+ community volunteers and 270 full time staff (FTE specialists and professionals); 90% FTE work at the grassroots, making us a strong execution foundation.

Disclaimer*: NDTV is the broadcast partner for a 2-hour telethon with Swades Foundation as the implementation partner and  Give India as the NGO partner to raise donations to build livelihoods of 15,000+ most needy households (tribal, migrant/daily-wage homes and others, poorest of poor families) in rural Raigad and Nashik districts of Maharashtra. The donations will be received by Swades Foundation and shall be utilized according to a plan prepared and monitored by them.  

NDTV has no role to play in the use of donations and will not be liable for any claim(s) made by any person or entity, including any statutory or governmental authority, arising out of the collection or utilization of these donations.