International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: 5 NGOs transforming lives of Indian tribal communities

EVERY August 9th, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples invites us to recognise and celebrate the contributions of Indian tribal communities and those worldwide as well as. It is important to preserve their rich heritage and to recommit ourselves to safeguarding their rights, cultures, and livelihoods. In India, as in many other parts of the world, tribal groups face persistent challenges like loss of lands, erosion of time-honored art forms, limited access to healthcare and education, and rampant malnutrition among children. Deep-seated social stigma and geographical isolation only make these challenges worse, trapping entire villages in cycles of poverty and neglect.

 

However, a handful of visionary NGOs have risen to support the Indian tribal communities, working at the grassroots to build and execute concrete solutions. From Jharkhand’s tribal artisans to Maharashtra’s remote hamlets and India’s coastal nomadic tribes, these organisations, guided by founders who themselves share in the lived experience of marginalisation are crafting pathways to a better tomorrow. Whether it’s by reviving ancient crafts, running life-saving mobile clinics, or giving malnourished children a home and a future, their interventions exemplify sustainable development for tribes and a commitment to protect Indian tribal communities.

 

We are profiling five such trailblazing nonprofits and their founders who are transforming lives every single day, turning despair into hope, proving that when we support Indian tribal communities, we all stand to gain.

 

Winner With You & Rajeev Ranjan– Reviving Tribal Artisans in Jharkhand

 

After growing up in a small Jharkhand village and forging a successful career abroad, Rajiv Ranjan returned home to find his community’s ancient crafts teetering on the brink of extinction. Moved by the plight of these artisans, Ranjan founded Winner With You to help these proud tribal artisans regain their dignity and protect invaluable art forms. Winner With You today provides everything from raw material support, market linkages, access to global platforms, modern design techniques using traditional tribal motifs; micro-grant funding, and fair-trade partnerships that connect artisans directly to national and international buyers.

All of this is executed through their Art Hub.  By marrying cultural conservation with economic opportunity, Winner With You has empowered hundreds of Indian tribal communities and artisans to rebuild dignified livelihoods and rekindled global appreciation for centuries-old Adivasi art forms. Support the cause.

 

Mahan Trust Dr Ashish & Kavita Satav – Healthcare in Maharashtra’s Melghat

 

Dr Ashish Satav and Dr Kavita Satav left high-paying urban postings to address a stark reality: the Melghat tribal hamlet in Maharashtra had no reliable medical infrastructure. Rampant malaria, malnutrition, and childbirth complications claimed thousands of lives each year. Dr Ashish a surgeon and Dr Kavita travelled across villages in bullockcarts, on motor sysles and at time on foot, at times conducting surgeries in candle light. They have left no stone unturned to ensure Indian tribal communities are not denied health care. They founded the Mahatma Gandhi Tribal Hospital under the banner of Mahan Trust, transforming a modest clinic into a full-service hospital that now serves over 30 surrounding villages.

Mahan Trust’s model combines a permanent in-patient facility—complete with an ICU and maternity ward—with roving mobile clinics that navigate dense forests to deliver vaccinations, antenatal care, and nutrition supplements. The Satavs train local tribal youth as community health workers, who conduct door-to-door screenings and health education in Gondi and Marathi dialects. A dedicated telemedicine unit connects patients to specialists when complex cases arise. Over the past two decades, Mahantrust has performed more than 10,000 major procedures, slashed infant mortality rates by half, and built trust among communities that once had no access to medical care. Help Dr Ashish and Kavita continue their nobal work. Support them now. 

 

Vanavil Trust & Revathi – Giving children from Nomadic tribe the care they deserve

 

In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, media professional Revathi encountered tribal families along India’s eastern coastline whose children suffered acute malnutrition and exploitation. Determined to act, she founded Vanavil Trust to offer nomadic tribal children a sanctuary of education, healthcare, and emotional support. Vanavil Trust provides round-the-clock shelter for where children receive education, Shelter, daily meals fortified with local grains and legumes, and regular health checkups.

Through its comprehensive model, Vanavil Trust has uplifted more than 800 children turning lives once mired in destitution into stories of hope, learning, and cultural pride. Primarily catering to children from the Boom Boom Mattukaran tribe that were once seen as soothsayers and performers a majority of the members of the community today either beg for survival or do menial work. The children too are forced to beg or enage in dehumanising forms of child labour. To change the future of these children donate here.

 

Waatavaran & Bhagwan Keshbhat – Securing fair livelihoods for tribal families

 

Bhagwan Keshbhat founded Waatavaran after witnessing how impoverished tribal men and women were routinely trapped in exploitative labor arrangements, cutting timber, quarrying stone, or working in brick kilns under conditions akin to modern-day slavery. Determined to restore both dignity and economic independence, Bhagwan designed a model that bridges training, micro-finance, and market linkages for forest-dwelling families. 

To amplify impact, Bhagwan’s team runs workshops in villages educating families on legal protections against bonded labor and guiding them through cooperative governance. Since its inception, Waatavaran has liberated over 600 tribal workers by replacing forced labor with small enterprises. Help change live here. 

 

Ayang Trust & Bipin Dhane – Educating Majuli’s tribal children

 

Bipin Dhane’s journey from an impoverished, small town youth to an IIT graduate, and then to a corporate position abroad, might have been the end of his story had he not felt an irrepressible pull to serve those still mired in the poverty. He started teaching children in Majuli, the world’s largest river island in Assam, where annual floods erode homes and carve new channels, threatening tribal livelihoods and displacing families. There, Bipin established the Hummingbird School under Ayang Trust to offer more than just education. He wanted to kids a sustainable pathway for to thrive.

 

Hummingbird School provides day and residential programs for children, combining a rigorous academic curriculum (with emphasis on Assamese, English literacy, and STEM basics) with boarding facilities, three nutritious meals daily, and healthcare checkups. Inspired by local ecology, the campus integrates flood-resistant architecture, raised classrooms and floating vegetable gardens, that teaches resilience in the face of climate change. Support this visionary IITian now.

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