Empowering Girls Shaping Tomorrow
WISH (Women's Independent Self-Help) Network
The WISH Network is a diverse collective of mentors, community leaders, teachers, alumni, students, and social workers dedicated to uplifting marginalized women. Through scholarships and training, rural girls receive support for housing, food, education, vocational training, and medical care.
Hariharananda Vocational Training Center
The Hariharananda Vocational Training Center (HVTC) is a residential vocational and life skills training center dedicated to empowering young women between the ages of 17 and 26 from rural communities in Odisha. From 2022 to 2025, HVTC conducted daily classes and periodic workshops designed to build practical skills, confidence, and personal development.
Job Placement
Grassroots India walks alongside young women as they build brighter, more independent futures. We help students connect with meaningful educational and vocational training opportunities, guiding them toward dignified and sustainable employment. Along the way, girls strengthen their confidence and soft skills while receiving practical support with college and ITI admissions, CV preparation, and securing essential identification documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards.
Graduates of our First Aid and Home Health Aid programs are supported with internships and job placements in hospitals and nursing homes. Our tailoring students are empowered to establish self-employment within their villages or pursue work in the garment industry. Those trained in computer skills and small business management are placed in offices and retail shops, stepping forward with hope, skills, and the confidence to shape their own futures.
Educational Scholarships
Grassroots India provides educational scholarships to underprivileged and meritorious students pursuing higher education, helping remove financial barriers to continued learning. Financial assistance is offered for admission fees, examination fees, and the purchase of essential textbooks. In 2022, Grassroots India also awarded a hostel and meal scholarship to support a student with housing and daily nutrition needs. Textbooks were purchased for Plus Two and Plus Three students studying at the institute to ensure they had adequate academic resources. In addition to financial support, staff members guided several students through online admission procedures and examination processes and personally visited colleges to coordinate outreach efforts. This included assisting with admissions, hostel arrangements, and transportation support, ensuring that students could successfully transition into higher education and remain engaged in their studies.
Medical Aid & Mental Health Counseling
Grassroots India integrates medical aid and mental health counseling into a comprehensive support program for vulnerable youth and rural families in Odisha. Through its partnership with the W.I.S.H. Network, Grassroots India provides access to a private ambulance service for medical training and emergency transportation, addressing the overwhelming need for rural villagers to reach hospitals and clinics. The organization offers compassionate assistance with hospital admissions, home‑cooked meals, and temporary housing for patients and their families. Small grants are also provided to qualified applicants to help cover the costs of doctor visits, diagnostic tests, and essential medicines. Recognizing that mental health challenges are a serious and underserved issue among both urban and rural youth, especially following the COVID‑19 pandemic and lockdowns, Grassroots India regularly facilitates free group counseling sessions. Dr. Nivedita Das PhD. spearheaded the organization’s mental health initiative, conducting educational classes and providing counseling guidance to students and families. Mental health professionals conduct workshops on suicide prevention and share information about the state mental health hotline, ensuring that young people and families are aware of available support services.
Legal Aid
At Grassroots India, we stand beside women in some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, ensuring they are not alone when they need legal guidance. We provide preliminary consultations with compassionate lawyers and advocates, and have built strong relationships with dedicated individuals as well as CLAP (Coalition for Legal Aid to the Poor), who generously offer free legal advice to those without resources.
We are regularly entrusted with cases involving domestic violence, sexual abuse, land disputes, abandoned women and baby girls, and other violations of women’s rights. Through our professional mental health counseling program, many conflicts are resolved with care, dignity, and diplomacy—often without the need for court proceedings. Yet when justice cannot be achieved through dialogue, we stand ready with a committed and capable legal team, determined to protect the rights and futures of the women we serve.