- Home/
- Quote Unquote
Mahatma Gandhi has said that India lives in its villages. So if you develop villages, India will get developed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been really trying to make rural development a priority area. Suresh PrabhuFormer Minister of Commerce & Industry- More than ever, we need to work towards building self-sustained livelihoods and driving the rural economy. The rural economy has already emerged as a powerful driver, which is leading our economic recovery.Amitabh KantCEO, NITI Aayog
- Creating self-sustaining communities require a 360-degree approach, we have to take water, sanitation, livelihood, all aspects together and bring a change in the community. Ronnie ScrewvalaCo-Founder, Swades Foundation
- What we always wanted to do and since last 20 years we have been working on is to create a model in rural economy that can lift people from poverty.Zarina ScrewvalaCo-Founder, Swades Foundation
- 100 million rural household are engaged in dairy, poultry, fisheries. It is a 100 billion dollar industry out of which only 30 billion is organised economy.R S SodhiManaging Director, Amul
- We have several collaborations with government, without their support, we cannot scale-up. We are proud of our project with the government of Maharashtra under which we are creating dream villages. Zarin DaruwalaCEO, Standard Chartered Bank
- We started the partnership with Swades Foundation 5 years back. We have worked with 25,000 people. The project helped provide sanitation to 9,000 families, 50 schools and thousands of children now study in clean environment.Surendra RoshaCEO, HSBC India
- Migrant workers are walking on foot by going thousands of miles. Why people have to have this kind of survival livelihood. Why can't we create an economy where you don't have to leave your home, the place of your birth to have a survival level economy. Muhammad YunusFounder, Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Nobel Laureate & Magsaysay Awardee
- I think we will have to have a leadership which is more creative in creating jobs again. We have to reboot the cycle. We need a certain leadership, the people in their fields too, more than ever, be coming out and creating job opportunities.Vikas KhannaChef, Restaurateur, Cookbook Writer & Humanitarian
- Swades Building Livelihoods programme will cater to 15,000 families to rebuild their lives and seek self-employment in Raigad. This is a very good initiative. I would like to appeal to all citizens to generously contribute towards this campaign.Nidhi ChoudharyDistrict Collector, Raigad
- The entire team of Swades is on the ground. The people on the grassroots know the problems of their people. Very often people who come from outside know the real situation.Zia ModyCorporate Lawyer, Founder & Senior Partner, AZB & Partners & Member, Advisory Board, Swades Foundation
- Thanks to COVID-19, now we have all become aware of the problems the invisible group face, we all need to come forward and help the people in need.Anu AgaFormer Chairperson, Teach For India & Former Chairperson, Thermax Ltd
- We believe that the community should take care of itself as we ultimately exit from it. R VimlaCEO, Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission
- So you know in the rural economy we definitely need to go beyond just agriculture. And this is something I have been saying for a long time.Arundhati BhattacharyaFormer Chairperson, State Bank of India
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.