Project RISHI

Project RISHI (Rural India Social & Health Improvement) is a student-run non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the sustainable development and growth of rural Indian communities. Currently, our chapter works in a village called Bharog Baneri in Himachal Pradesh, India on initiatives that include: rainwater harvesting, education, health camps, and women's empowerment programs. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been working to provide assistance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the burden it has placed on the community.

We are currently expanding our existing projects to make a bigger impact on our 2022 India Trip, and we would love to get support to implement the following: 

Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater Harvesting plans and helps implement the building of rainwater harvesting systems in Bharog Baneri. Because agriculture is crucial to the villagers' livelihoods, access to water is extremely important. Funds will go towards subsidizing these systems (the materials and labor costs) to ensure that families can secure enough water for their farms.

Education

• 
  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the entire education system of the country has had to go online. In Bharog, this means that some students have difficulties with accessing online content due to a lack of video playback devices. Furthermore, the secondary school in Bharog is currently underfunded resulting in students not being able to pursue streams of their choice as information about their options is not available. Funding would not only go towards helping students gain access to video playback devices but also remaining funds would be used in providing the students with a career panel where professionals provide information on possible avenues for students.

Women’s Empowerment

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  The Women’s project group focuses on initiatives related to women’s health and empowerment. The Women’s project group is currently working with a New Delhi-based organization called PINKISHE. The funds allotted for our Women’s project group will be directed towards reusable pad distribution and menstrual hygiene workshops that will be held in Bharog Baneri. Funds will also be allotted to implementing initiatives, such as livelihood programs, that promote women's empowerment.

Health:

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  The Heath project group is focused on community health development through the Primary Health Center as well as directly in the village through sustainable initiatives aimed at increasing awareness, accessibility, and quality of healthcare. The funds allotted for our Health project group will be directed towards the organization of a clinic hosted by auxiliary nurse-midwives. This will provide villagers easier access to primary care to manage chronic diseases and detect health conditions. Additionally, funds will go towards raising awareness and education programs surrounding the need for immunizations. Remaining funds will be used to assist the Primary Health Center in providing quality care for the villagers.

For the 2021 - 2022 year, our crowdfunding funds will be distributed between the four project groups as follows:

Project RISHI Berkeley is excited to bring our passion for rural sustainable development to upcoming projects in Bharog Baneri this summer. At RISHI, making a difference is rooted in learning about other communities and listening to them rather than imposing our own vision. With your help, we as a community can work towards empowering others and confront the challenges that Bharog Baneri faces. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Director of Fundraising at tanvit@berkeley.edu or send us a message on our social media platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ucbprojectrishi/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucbprojectrishi/