Action Village India works in partnership with grassroots organisations across rural India, supporting communities that are too often left out of the country’s rapid economic growth.

India is often described as a rising global power, with booming cities and expanding technology industries. Yet this narrative does not reflect the reality for many people living in rural areas, where poverty, limited access to education, climate pressures and deep-rooted social inequalities continue to shape everyday life.

For over 40 years, Action Village India has supported locally led organisations working directly with these communities – helping create opportunities, strengthen livelihoods and support long-term, community-driven change.

Girls’ Education: Breaking Cycles of Inequality

Across Jharkhand and Bihar, many girls are still unable to complete their education. Poverty often forces families to prioritise boys’ schooling, while girls are expected to take on household responsibilities or are married at a young age. Long distances to school, safety concerns, and a lack of resources such as uniforms or menstrual hygiene products also contribute to high dropout rates.

Through grassroots partnerships, girls are supported with school fees, uniforms, bicycles, and tuition. At the same time, organisations work with families and communities to challenge the norms that hold girls back.

These interventions keep girls in school and open up futures that would otherwise be out of reach.

Disability: From Stigma to Dignity

In many rural communities, disability is still heavily stigmatised. People with disabilities are often hidden away, excluded from education and employment, and sometimes seen as a burden or even a bad omen.

In Tamil Nadu, our partner CRUSADE works with people with disabilities and their families, including the many caregivers who are most often women. Through Self-Help Groups, access to disability ID cards, healthcare, and livelihood support, individuals are gaining independence, visibility, and dignity.

This work is about changing perceptions and ensuring people with disabilities are recognised as active members of their communities.

Women’s Work: Invisible Yet Essential

Across India, women make up a significant share of the workforce, particularly in agriculture, informal labour, and home-based industries. However, much of this work is unrecognised, underpaid, and insecure, with little or no access to social protection or formal employment rights.

Through Self-Help Groups and community initiatives, women are coming together to change this. They are building small businesses, generating income, accessing government schemes, and strengthening their collective voice.

From sustainable livelihoods in coastal Odisha to skills training and enterprise development in Madhya Pradesh, these initiatives are helping women move into more secure and empowered roles.

Community-Led Change

What connects all of this work is a belief in community leadership. Rather than imposing solutions from outside, Action Village India supports grassroots organisations who understand their communities and can build lasting change from within.

By supporting this campaign, you are helping these local organisations continue their vital work and empowering rural communities across India to build more secure, resilient, and hopeful futures.

Thank you for being part of that change.

To find out more, please visit our website.