Overview

Navachethana was established in 1981. The organisation combines policy advocacy and support to grass-root movements with capacity building of the community-based organisations and leaders from the fish-working community, agricultural peasants, farmers, forest workers, Adivasi, and Dalit communities. 

Geography: Ernakulam, Idukki, Kasaragod, Mallapuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Wayanad districts in Kerala

Haiyya was founded in 2015 with a vision to transform India’s social fabric via young leaders, organisations, and citizen power, and to strengthen democracy, governance, and rights. They address rights, culture, traditional knowledge, health and nutrition, and livelihood issues of Adivasis by building the capacities of Adivasi youth.

Geography: Kerala and Tamil Nadu

 

Centre for Pastoralism (CfP), an initiative of Sahjeevan, was founded in May 2017 with the objective of using learnings from Kutch and other geographies by engaging with pastoral issues nationally. They work towards reducing the vulnerabilities of pastoral communities through interventions for enhancing the returns from pastoralism, and by securing more assured access to grazing lands via the use of the Forest Rights Act (FRA). 

Geography: Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat

Nilgiris Wynaad Tribal Welfare Society was set up in 1979 by John Wilson, an English nurse, along with a local committee. They initially provided basic medical care to Adivasis who lived in near isolation. They currently run a 12-bedded hospital, a mobile outreach clinic, a school, and a residential facility for children. 

Geography: Pandalur taluk of Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu

DEED was established in 1980 to promote the empowerment of Adivasi communities in Mysore, Karnataka. Their initial work focused on the release of bonded labourers, education, basic amenities, and obtaining land for cultivation on a group basis. Subsequently, they moved into working on forest rights and local governance. 

Geography: Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district, Karnataka

Nisarga Foundation was established in 1997 to promote the socio-economic empowerment of Adivasi communities of HD Kote. Their interventions began as a response to the oppression of Adivasis displaced and dispossessed by dams, national parks, and encroaching urban development. They work across themes including health, nutrition, education, gender, community development, environment, culture, and advocacy. 

Geography: HD Kote taluka, Mysore district, Karnataka

Lokamata Rani Rashmoni Mission was established in 1988 to promote social development in the Sunderbans region. They have since been working for the health and well-being of forest-fringe communities and biodiversity conservation. They work to address livelihood challenges faced by families residing in the lower Sunderbans region. 

Geography: Lower Sunderbans Region, Paraganas district, West Bengal

ASHWINI was set up in 1990. They work with Adivasi communities in partnership with ACCORD and Vidyodaya. Their focus is on rights, economic and legal aid, and education. ASHWINI has a three-tiered medical healthcare system which consists of the Village Health Workers, the health animators at the area centres, and the Gudulur Adivasi Hospital staff.

Geography: Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu

Centre for People's Forestry was established in 2002, working to help forest communities with entitlements and refine forest policies. They also work on other natural resources as part of the landscapes and ecosystems programme. Currently, they are also working towards enhancing returns from agriculture and enabling access to entitlements for tribal farmers in forest fringe communities.

Geography: Adilabad district in Telangana