Improve Sustainability in Rural Indian Villages

Project RISHI members with students at a K-5 Ekal Vidyalaya.

Project RISHI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit student-run organization at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The current goal of Project RISHI is to make sustainable changes within communities in Karanjo, an area of the state of Jharkhand in India. Each summer and some winters, Project RISHI sends a team of members to India to interact with and learn from the villagers. Upon returning from the village, Project RISHI boasts over forty dedicated members on campus committed to crafting tailored solutions for the problems presented by the villagers. Members use the entire academic year to strengthen ties with the village through constant contact and ideate a variety of initiatives to implement within the village in summer. In the past, USC Project RISHI has implemented tobacco de-addiction campaigns, literacy courses and a dental health camp in collaboration with various enterprises in communities in Gujarat and Los Angeles areas. 


A Jamid rice farmer who gave us a tour of his house and fields.

The past summer, Team India visited an area in Karanjo, Jharkhand with the help of a nonprofit named Ekal Vidyalaya. During the team’s time there, they spoke with teachers, volunteers, doctors, principals, students, etc. in order to garner a deeper understanding of the lives of the people in Karanjo. This spring and the following summer, we hope to use the data we have collected to start implementing initiatives that could have a sustained positive impact on the wellbeing of the village.


An Ekal Vidyalaya student using our offline education system.

So far, programs to improve education, nutrition, and women's health are being developed. We plan on beta testing some different ideas this spring, but these tests will require materials. We hope that you will join us in improving sustainability in rural Indian villages. Each dollar donated is funding tangible change in Karanjo, and we are excited for the opportunity to execute our organization’s hard work this past year.

If you would like to see what we were able to accomplish this summer or learn a little more about us, please feel free to check out our website at https://uscprojectrishi.squarespace.com/

Linked below is a breakdown of what your donation will go towards: 
Itemized Cost Breakdown