The Desai Foundation Reaches the Milestone of Impacting Over 10 Million Lives in Rural India

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BOSTON–The Desai Foundation announced a monumental achievement: more than 10 million lives directly impacted through its innovative health, livelihood, and menstrual equity programs across rural India.

This remarkable milestone reflects the power of collective action and the commitment of a global community working together to cultivate dignity and resilience for underserved populations.

Megha Desai

“This journey has been extraordinary, and it is a testament to the power of people coming together for a common cause,” said Megha Desai, President of the Desai Foundation. “We extend our deepest gratitude to our donors, supporters, and partners whose unwavering belief in our mission has made this possible. Most importantly, we thank the people and the communities that we serve for their trust.”

For over 25 years, The Desai Foundation has been perfecting its community-driven programs by actively listening to and engaging with those it serves. With operations in eight states and nearly 3,750 villages, the organization is now positioned for significant scaling as it delivers impactful solutions in health, livelihood, and menstrual equity.

Entrepreneurship from its Origin

The Desai Foundation’s unique origin story is at the heart of the way it operates. Founded by tech-entrepreneur Samir A. Desai and Nilima Desai in 1997, initially as a family foundation, they spent a little over a decade and while self-funding and perfecting nearly 15 programs focused on health, livelihood and menstrual equity. Like any good entrepreneur, once they had developed scalable, repeatable and impactful programs (which they often refer to as their “Most Viable Products”), they were ready to invite in other investors and scale. And scale they did! They also continued to innovate, leading to some of their most successful programs. In 2014, they formally launched as a public programmatic non-profit with 30+ programs, and with a sister organization in India, Desai Foundation Trust.

Asani Sanitary Napkin Program

Menstrual Equity remains a significant issue in India, holding back millions of girls and women from an education, from participating in the workforce, adverse health outcomes and from living life with dignity.

“India is now the largest population in the world. For India to thrive and compete, its women must rise and thrive. It’s why we focus our programming primarily on women and girls” says Mittal Gohil, Executive Director, Desai Foundation Trust.

The Desai Foundation’s award winning Asani Sanitary Napkin Program hires and trains local women to manufacture and distribute high-quality, affordable sanitary napkins in their communities. By combining product distribution with education, Asani has become the most robust menstrual equity program in India, empowering thousands of menstrual advocates to transform perceptions and break barriers. The program has produced well over 9.9 million retail quality menstrual pads, done awareness sessions for over 2.7 million women and girls, and has employed over 1,200 women to distribute and produce the pads.

Health Camps and Awareness Initiatives

Preventive health issues keep too many women and children from attending school, limiting their economic power, and of course, simply affecting their ability to thrive. The Desai Foundation’s efforts have been focused on bringing health to the most rural parts of the nation. The Desai Foundation offers a range of health camps, including gynecology, vision/eye care, vaccination drives, and general medical check-ups. The organization also provides health and hygiene education in community centers and schools to promote long-term well-being. Their health programs have reached over 333,000 children, equipping them with essential primary health and hygiene knowledge to promote cleaner and healthier habits.Their flagship Bal Health Mela (Children’s Health Camp) has been one of their key sources of growth, as it has been invited into district after district.

Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training

Many women in rural India lack access to resources and opportunities to engage in meaningful employment or entrepreneurship. The Desai Foundation equips women with vocational skills through programs in candle making, jewelry crafting, sewing, and beautician training. Participants also gain entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to start their own businesses and build economic independence. We ensure that they not only have the skill, but also banking, savings and entrepreneurship skills to use it. The Desai Foundation also puts an emphasis on the qualitative benefits of learning skills, making friends, and cultivating dignity. Their programs have trained 34,000 in skills and 415,404 in banking and savings.

Heroes for Humanity

Originally launched in partnership with S.P. Hinduja Banque as a COVID-19 rapid response initiative, Heroes for Humanity (HFH) has evolved into a dynamic distribution mechanism for sustainable programming. Nearly 500 Heroes have been deployed to deliver essential health and education services while creating local jobs. This program alone has impacted over 6.5 million lives by focusing on prevention and empowering local leaders to support their own communities.

Scaling for a Brighter Future

With a dedicated team of 55 full-time staff, 500 Heroes for Humanity, and over 1,000 menstrual advocates, The Desai Foundation is ready to scale its proven programs to reach even more villages and states across rural India. This expansion is made possible by thousands of generous donors and corporate partners, including TE Connectivity, Blue Cloud Ventures, Nandansons International, Inc., Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, JPMorgan Chase, Guru Krupa Foundation, The Pad Project, Jeavio, Larsen & Toubro, Evalueserve, Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited, TATA AIG General Insurance Company Limited, Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited, SCOR, Svatantra Microfin Pvt. Ltd., and more. The Clinton Global Initiative has been an immense help in providing a platform to share the Desai Foundation story, and the foundation is grateful to the brands that provide it with 1% of their profits like RANAVAT, Spicewell, and Naidu Wines.

The Desai Foundation empowers women and children through community programs that elevate health, livelihood, and menstrual equity in rural India. With over 30 programs operating in eight states, the organization listens to the communities it serves to create sustainable, people-centered solutions. Its award-winning initiatives, including the Asani Sanitary Napkin Program and Heroes for Humanity, are transforming lives and enabling people to dream beyond their circumstances.

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