'Breaking the cycle of generational poverty'. This is the journey we
set out on, in 2006. Walk with us awhile.
Generational poverty is multidimensional
and demands multidimensional
intervention.
Poverty is not just financial. Poverty is a lack of access to resources, goods and services due to historical, social, cultural and institutional barriers. What we do at Parinaam Foundation is break these barriers by providing the ultra-poor access to institutions, education, healthcare, financial literacy and better infrastructure — the resources they need to lead a life of dignity.
A population of 65.49 million Indians live in 13.7 million slum households across the country.
1 in 6 citizens on urban India live below the poverty
line.
Less than 1 in 5 Indian women are in the labour force.
Just a little more than 1 in 5 women are financially
literate.
Multi-dimensional poverty — disparities across sectors.
65,66,961+
better lives
Our journey has transformed life for over 6 million people from ultra- poor communities. Some have an education, some have better homes, some have better communities, some have better healthcare. All have better lives.
This is the total number of beneficiaries across our
initiatives (each of which we will explain as we go
along). Some beneficiaries will be common to more
than one program.
The Urban Ultra Poor Program works with ultra-poor communities to improve several parameters
that keep them fettered: 18,430 beneficiaries
The Financial Literacy Program aims to create
more financially literate women across India:
65,45,501 beneficiaries
The Community Development Program looks at
creating better infrastructure in education,
healthcare and within the community: 65,45,501
beneficiaries
The Academic Adoption Program is a 15-year,
long-term engagement that sends meritorious ultra-
poor children to the best schools: 3,030
beneficiaries.
Meet Sridevi Prop: Sridevi Chaats
With 2 children growing up, Sridevi found life tough to manage. Her income as a domestic help and her husband`s earnings from a garment factory were just not enough. She attended Parinaam`s financial literacy and livelihood training programs and decided to turn entrepreneur. She got herself a cart and started a chaat-shop, proudly called Sridevi Chaats. She claims she had a secret recipe with a local flavour that brings customers back to her cart. Her family income has doubled, her children go to school and yet another family has exited poverty.
16,63,102
literate women
Over 1.5 million women have graduated from our Financial Literacy Program. It helps to know that a financially literate woman almost always means a financially stable family. Write to us to see how you can conduct a financial literacy program for your ultra- poor community.
Contact Us
To conduct a financial literacy program for your ultra-poor community, please contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
89,580
happier students
This is the overall number of children we have manages to support over the years. Every child we manage to enroll and retain in school is a step towards a family exiting poverty. Some are beneficiaries of our remedial education program. Once a child is literate, the generations that follow will never slip back into illiteracy.
89,580 Students
We have student beneficiaries across 3 programs.
At the very top we have students from our Academic Adoption Program, which is a long-term, 15-year engagement.
Then there are beneficiaries of the remedial education centres that we setup in every community we work with as part of the Urban Ultra Poor Program.
And finally we beneficiaries of the school renovations we carry out as part of the Community Development Program.
49,00,000+
in a better space
Through renovations of schools, community health centres, orphanages, construction of community centres, bus- shelters, street lighting and other initiatives, our efforts have benefitted 4.6 million ultra-poor Indians.
89,580 Students
We have student beneficiaries across 3 programs.
At the very top we have students from our Academic Adoption Program, which is a long-term, 15-year engagement.
Then there are beneficiaries of the remedial education centres that we setup in every community we work with as part of the Urban Ultra Poor Program.
And finally we beneficiaries of the school renovations we carry out as part of the Community Development Program.
He scored 616/625 in Karnataka`s 2022 10th boards. He is a state-level runner and high-jumper. He is a Science Olympiad medalist at the national level. And Thirumalai got here after jumping over some really tough barriers. His parents, a domestic help and a daily wager are migrants from Tamil Nadu. He studied in the vernacular till his 4th grade, then shifted to an English-medium school as part of our Academic Education Program and managed to score almost 100%. Thirumalai intends to become a doctor. And we know he will. Once the boy sets his mind on something, barriers don't matter.
5
We have adopted a 5-fold path to eliminate generational poverty!
1. Improved Living & Livelihood
2. Education: Enrollment & Retention
3. Financial Literacy & Empowerment
4. Healthcare & Sanitation
5. Community & Infrastructure Development
1
Improved Living & Livelihood
Our experience of the last 19 years has taught us that poverty is not just an economic condition. Poverty is a multidimensional lack of access and hence, our efforts to fight poverty have to be multidimensional as well. One of our first initiatives is our Graduation Program - to bring our focus population into the system, get their documentation in place to bring them access to the government’s schemes. The sum objective of all initiatives is to improve access, increase income and better livelihood. Note: Not all communities have the same needs and we approach each community as unique.
UUPP - Parinaam’s Urban Ultra-Poor Program
16,400
complete Graduation Program
In 2023-24, we were able to support the exit of 16,400 families from poverty. This included 14,177 families who graduate from our Urban Ultra-Poor Program and 2,223 families whose children enrolled in our Academic Adoption Program.
89,580 Students
We have student beneficiaries across 3 programs.
At the very top we have students from our Academic Adoption Program, which is a long-term, 15-year engagement.
Then there are beneficiaries of the remedial education centres that we setup in every community we work with as part of the Urban Ultra Poor Program.
And finally we beneficiaries of the school renovations we carry out as part of the Community Development Program.
60%
income increase
48%
have better jobs
Incomes of UUPP families up by an average of Rs.3300/m 4002 of our beneficiaries have moved on to better jobs
31
self employment trainings
197
skill development training
329
micro-entrepreneurs created
4,877
job linkages
Vocational Training & Livelihood
Parinaam provides vocational training and employment linkage through the Urban Ultra Poor Program and the Academic Adoption Program. AAP’s Young Adult
Program provides multi-dimensional support in the form of career counselling, job ready skills, industry orientation, peer engagement and scholarships to enable youth from our communities to be job ready.
UUPP’s livelihood initiatives also contribute to ensuring our community members are employed and that those employed get better opportunities.
12%
enrolled in govt. schemes
One of the primary initiatives of UUPP is to provide community members access to identity documents and government schemes. What follows are enrollments in 2023-24.
Eshram: 8,813
Labour Card (employment): 2,998
Ayushmaan Bharat (insurance): 11,767
Gruhalakshmi (financial assistance): 2,674
Gruhajyothi (free electricity): 2,325
Shakti Yojana (free bus travel): 7,086
61%
choose health increase in community members attending health camps
Healthcare
Healthcare is one of the primary focus areas of UUPP. Health and sanitation in our densely packed communities is often a huge concern. During Covid, a lot of effort went into ensuring our community members had access to health- information and healthcare (alongside rations, of course). Health camps conducted: 196. Families receiving health education: 16,399. Participants in our health camps: 24,770.
Laxmi and the Sun God
Only 10 households in her community had access to electricity. And that is where Lakshmi saw an opportunity. She received Parinaam`s financial literacy and livelihood training and started selling solar lamps in her community. Her children are part of Parinaam`s Academic Adoption Program — her older daughter has finished school and is in the second year of college and her younger one is in Grade 6. Lakshmi now earns Rs.10,000 per month, is financially aware, has her own bank account, saves for the future and is a shining light, both at home and work.
2
Education: Enrollment & Retention
The most effective and powerful way to end poverty is education. Children who can be retained in school till graduation have a great opportunity for employment and with that, can provide their family a way out of poverty. Our efforts to educate the children in our communities are multi-pronged. We have remedial classes for all school going children in the community. We also have a 15-year Academic Adoption Program that sends meritorious students to the city’s best schools. Our efforts in education extend across 3 phases: Early Childhood (5 to 11 yos, LKG to 5th grade), Adolescence (12 to 16 yos, 6th to 10th grade), Young Adulthood (17 to 21 yos, school-leaving to employment)
AAP - Parinaam’s Academic Adoption Program
75,885
have better infrastructure
98%
high pass percentage among AAP students
10,462
attend our remedial classes
3,030
are in AAP, our long-term,
15-year adoption program
One of the primary initiatives of UUPP is to provide community members access to identity documents and government schemes. What follows are enrollments in 2023-24.
Eshram: 8,813
Labour Card (employment): 2,998
Ayushmaan Bharat (insurance): 11,767
Gruhalakshmi (financial assistance): 2,674
Gruhajyothi (free electricity): 2,325
Shakti Yojana (free bus travel): 7,086
Here is how you can transform a family forever by educating
a child.
One of the primary initiatives of UUPP is to provide community members access to identity documents and government schemes. What follows are enrollments in 2023-24.
Eshram: 8,813
Labour Card (employment): 2,998
Ayushmaan Bharat (insurance): 11,767
Gruhalakshmi (financial assistance): 2,674
Gruhajyothi (free electricity): 2,325
Shakti Yojana (free bus travel): 7,086
Kanimozhi and her calculations
The school Kanimozhi wanted to go to was 50 km from her home. That her parents couldn`t afford it was the next issue. But Kanimozhi was picked by our Academic Adoption Program and from then on, there was no looking back. She has scored 93% in her 10th boards and is very clear what she wants to do. She loves mathematics and accounting and wants to become a banker. Kanimozhi will ensure that her family is able to exit generational poverty. And she will ensure that the generations that follow her will never face poverty or illiteracy.
3
Financial Literacy & Empowerment
The percentage of Indian women who are financially literate is just above 21%. The 2-module Financial Literacy Program helps women in ultra-poor communities manage their finances better, save, and plan for the future, thereby reducing poverty. The program specifically targets women, empowering them with the knowledge and tools to take control of their financial well-being and facilitate their integration into the formal banking system, enhancing financial inclusion. FLP promotes economic self-reliance among participants and contributes to gender equality and women's empowerment. It has also been our experience that a financially literate woman contributes immensely
1,29,187
women using long-term financial products
women using long-term financial products
These include women who have Fixed Deposits and Recurring Deposits in banks. Have bought insurance products and have started investing in other financial products.
99%
stable enough to repay loans.
80%
of beneficiaries transitioned to digital banking
1900
show an increase in average balance in savings accounts
Laxmi tailors her budgets
Lakshmi attended our Financial Literacy Program where she learnt how to use banking products and savings products like FDs and RDs. She got herself a cart and started selling fruits and vegetables, then got herself a loan to build her home. She ensured she gave her children a good education — her first daughter is a beautician, her second is doing her nursing and her son, the youngest, is in an ITI. Now she has bought herself a sewing machine and operates her little tailoring unit from home. Laxmi is a classic example of how a financially literate woman is the secret to a stable family!
4
Healthcare and Sanitation
Parinaam provides vocational training and employment linkage through the Urban Ultra Poor Program and the Academic Adoption Program. AAP’s Young Adult Program provides multi- dimensional support in the form of career counselling, job ready skills, industry orientation, peer engagement and scholarships to enable youth from our communities to be job ready. UUPP’s livelihood initiatives also contribute to ensuring our community members are employed and that those employed get better opportunities.
Living through Covid
In the beginning, our primary concern was the families in our Urban Ultra Poor Program. We took over the responsibility of 4600 families and provided them 8 rounds of dry ration kits. Through our Covid awareness program, we were able to reach 3,69,022 beneficiaries. But as the situation showed no signs of improvement, Samit Ghosh and Ravi Bahl reached out to Citi alumni on behalf of Parinaam to give birth to Together Again, an initiative to help improve healthcare infrastructure across the country. The initiative developed and followed a rapid assessment and execution process to ensure that healthcare facilities most used by urban-poor communities across India were provided their most urgent needs.
Parinaam’s during Covid times.
123
healthcare infrastructure projects
196
health camps
4,395
vaccinations
24,770
participants
Kandi Primary School, Gaya gets a makeover
Kandi is one of the many villages in Gaya, a city and district that has a lot of historic and spiritual significance in India — a pilgrimage centre for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists alike. The Kandi Primary School building and compound walls had collapsed in places. Students from a 2 km radius attend this school and most of them are children of daily wagers, unskilled workers and pavement vendors. While the parents desired a good education for their children,they could not afford private schools and had no option but send their children to this unsound structure. The Chote Kadam renovation project, in collaboration with Ujjivan Small Finances Bank, transformed Kandi Primary School. Making it a safe, appealing place for students, teachers and parents. The Kandi school has reported a reduction in dropout rates and a 30% increase in admissions. Project duration: 45 days Project cost: Rs. 6,26,958/- ($7,600) Materials used: Water-soluble paints, Portland cement, waterproofing material.
5
Community & Infrastructure Development
The communities Parinaam works with need livelihood intervention and education to raise themselves from the clutches of penury. But they also need healthcare centres, community centres, maternity clinics, school buildings, recreational centres, safe water access and much, much more, to lift them out of poverty. These interventions go beyond brick and mortar infrastructure. They create a sense of dignity, self-worth and confidence among the beneficiaries. Only with these can we create a belief among the ultra-poor that they can build better lives for themselves.
347
infrastructure projects
157
school renovations
49,61,400
beneficiaries
75,885
happy students
The Guwahati open-air theatre
Lalmati is an up and coming area in Guwahati. But there continue to be pockets in Lalmati that are still underdeveloped and in many ways, underserved. Communities composed of migrant populations are the most uprooted as they have lost the support of their original village community and are not part of the new community they live in. It becomes important therefore, to provide them the resources to create new communities that they can then make their own. The children and adults of the Lalmati area did not have a playground and a space where adults could congregate. This was why the request for a community centre came to the Ujjivan branch. The open air theatre constructed for the community is host to all the community`s activities now. This is where they celebrate festivals, this is where village gatherings are held, this is also used by the local school for its celebrations and events. The children also use the space to play. The theatre uses bamboo, native to Assam in its construction and has also used elements from Assamese art and theatre on the walls to bring a local flavour to the space. The space has led to people gathering there more often and this is creating a greater sense of community. Materials used: Treated bamboo. Project duration: 45 days Project cost: Rs. 6,20,000/- ($7,600)
123
health-centre projects
34
public infrastructure projects
33
community development centers
37,80,070
healthier folks
9,98,527
lives made easier
10,69,198
engaged locals
Breaking the cycle of generational poverty among the ultra-poor of a whole city is a long, arduous journey.
We thank everyone who has walked with us.
And we request you to walk with us a little longer.
