We are a team of dedicated social entrepreneurs from India and the U.S. working to empower underprivileged communities in India through skill training and income generation. We believe in helping people realize their potential and are working to connect those in need with the resources and knowledge for developing their abilities and expanding their opportunities in life. It is our aim to help individuals and communities receive the necessary tools for achieving a healthy and sustainable quality of life.
MISSION: To help underprivileged communities throughout India lead a healthy, self-sustainable life through education, skill training and community development
OUR PROJECTS
We are working in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains north of Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand. Our work is focused on skill training and income generating projects for helping to support community development in underprivileged
communities. To begin our work, we plan to reach out to the Gujjars, a forest dwelling tribal group that has lived in the foothills of the Himalayas for centuries. Their main subsistence is milk production, which they are dependent upon for their livelihood. Due to their location in the mountains, they have limited transportation and are often exploited by middle men who give them a low price for their high quality, organic milk. With little support from the government and local community, the Gujjars have struggled to earn a voice in the market and meet the basic needs of their family. The women endure a physically demanding lifestyle fetching grass and firewood and taking care of the cows and their family. When they have time, they stitch traditional hats for their husband.Handicraft Skill Training
With a handicraft skill training project, we aim to empower the Gujjar women to use their traditional craft to improve their quality of life and help create a sustainable income for their family. The project focuses on providing an income generating opportunity for the women to produce embroidered textile products. We aim to provide product design and market support to help connect their products to markets in India and the U.S. By helping the women become income earners in their family, we can help the women have a larger voice in their community and improve their ability to care for their family.
Milk Market Assistance
We aspire to work with the Gujjar men to help them earn a better price for their milk production and raise the standard of living in their community. With regular transportation and business support, we would be able to expand their market for selling milk and connect them to local businesses, institutions and hotels who are willing to pay higher rates for pure milk. By helping the men get connected to the resources and networks, they will be able to sustain their self and create a good quality of life for their self and family.
Project Objectives:
- To develop the income capacity of individuals and communities through enhanced skill training, business support and knowledge
- To serve as a connection between the producer and the consumer by providing market assistance and product development
- To ensure access to quality education, healthcare and community assistance for women, children and families in need
LONG-TERM VISION
Our projects are focused on skill training and income generation to support community development in the areas where we work. We aim to expand our projects and help more individuals and communities in need. In an effort to help artisans sustain their livelihood, we are working to develop a network of handicraft producers for becoming connected to the global community. We plan to register AWAZ as a craft business in the U.S. in 2009 to continue to help market their products and raise funds for investing back into the communities where we work. In addition to the milk project, we aspire to target the needs of the people and provide skill training and assistance for other business development and employment opportunities for individuals in rural communities.
Sarah Mitts is a graduate of Kansas State University with an undergraduate degree in Business Management, International Studies and Non Profit Leadership. Her career focus is in international development and while at KSU, she helped to organize many activities to raise awareness about international social justice issues, such as co-founding the Fair Trade Advocates student organization and starting the KSU Save Darfur Team. After work experience in India and Paraguay, Sarah chose to move to India in 2008 to work for an NGO helping underprivileged women and children and begin work on the Gujjar Project.
Rao Talha received his MIB from IMS Ghaziabad near New Delhi, India in 2005 and began working as a marketing consultant for a computer solution company in New Delhi. He does shooting as a sport and represents Uttarakhand State in national championships. Originally from Saharanpur, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, Talha’s family owns a farm nearby the Gujjar community. He grew up learning about the local tribal group and their struggles and wanted to do something that could change their lives. After meeting Sarah in 2005, he realized his passion to serve those in need and returned to his hometown to start the Gujjar Project.
To learn more about our work and get involved, contact Sarah Mitts at
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