India Programme
Supporting equitable opportunities for all
Overview
Everyone should have a fair chance at creating a life for themselves in which they can move beyond mere survival to achieve their full potential. Many, however, lack those opportunities simply because of where they are born or who they are.
The India Programme supports efforts to sustainably improve the lives of marginalised people in West Bengal, a state in the eastern region of India on the Bay of Bengal. These include vulnerable workers, Indigenous communities known as Adivasis, and adult and child migrants, whose needs and rights have been neglected for decades.
Our primary grant-making focus centres on two sub-regions within West Bengal where all three groups live – the tea gardens of North Bengal and the Sundarbans coastal region, which also face a range of climate-related and other challenges.
Our secondary grant-making focus is in other districts in West Bengal that are home to one or more of the three priority groups – unorganised workers, Indigenous communities, and migrants. We hope to produce evidence from locations across West Bengal that can inform and influence desired systemic changes at the state and national levels so that all people have a chance to thrive.
Programme strategy paper
Oak Foundation’s India Programme strategically partners with and invests in not-for-profit organisations that supports efforts to sustainably improve the lives of marginalised people in West Bengal, a state in the eastern region of India on the Bay of Bengal. These include vulnerable workers, Indigenous communities known as Adivasis, and adult and child migrants, whose needs and rights have been neglected for decades.
Our programme grant-making in 2022
We made 10 grants totalling USD 4.63 million
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The women who are leading the way
Hundreds of millions of informal workers form the backbone of India’s economy. Despite being in great numbers, informal workers, in particular women, are often invisible. The work of our partners in Jharkhand and West Bengal has strengthened women working in the informal sector to negotiate better wages and ultimately, build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
Helping communities craft solutions
In the coastal district of South 24 Parganas, in the state of West Bengal, people are facing disruptions to normal life, as irregular weather patterns and extreme climate events like super-cyclones and tidal surges create unstable livelihoods and living conditions. This has led to increased migration and other knock-on effects such as increased domestic violence, trafficking of children and young adults, early marriage, water and food crises In response, local organisations are working with to find solutions to help communities thrive.
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