Our Values

To empower the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities to combat poverty, exclusion and discrimination
To engage with children, youth and women to build their knowledge, skills and abilities to attain their aspirations
To form, build and strengthen partnerships with civil society organisations (CSOs) and Community based organisations (CBOs) to implement various development programmes
To engage and build partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including central, state and local Governments, multilateral and bilateral agencies, private sector and philanthropy institutions to address various development and humanitarian challenges
To respond to disaster – provide and assist poor and vulnerable communities with appropriate humanitarian and emergency response
To care for the environment, promote sustainable, resilient livelihoods and renewable energy practices with an aim to adapt and mitigate climate change

In order to achieve our vision, we work with communities and empower them to access their rights and entitlements, have access to equal opportunities and live with dignity and respect. We work with a range of partners, community organization and stakeholders to ensure the poorest and most marginalised communities are reached.

PHIA Foundation’s vision is a society free from poverty, exclusion and discrimination and all people living with justice, peace and dignity.

Values And Beliefs

Dignity

We believe in equality for all and in the innate dignity of every individual. We understand that this requires empathy, particularly while working with and for the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities. Solidarity, honesty and respect are central to our functioning.

Justice

We recognise the value of advocacy in bringing about structural causes that perpetuate poverty and inequalities. In addition to emergency response for immediate human need, we believe in empowering individuals and communities to combat injustice with courage, determination and hope.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a core idea of our work; both in terms of what we do and how we do it. Our work is rooted in a spirit of cooperation and partnership with multiple stakeholders in order to build capacity, leadership and agency of civil society and community-based organisations (CSOs and CBOs).

Accountability

We believe in promoting upward and downward accountability and transparency and strive towards enabling communities for effective participation in governance at all levels. To engage with the state with evidence-based advocacy for effective implementation of national development goals and sustainable development goals (UN – SDGs).

PHIA: Manifesting HOPE IN ACTION

At PHIA Foundation, we believe that the fight against poverty goes beyond just financial aid. We strive to expand the meaning of poverty to encompass the non-economic drivers that perpetuate its existence. We recognize that social norms, beliefs, and attitudes around gender, caste, class, ethnicity, religion, colour, culture, and physical abilities play a significant role in determining the intensity and scale of poverty for specific groups. Sadly, these marginalized and vulnerable groups, including women and children, often face multiple disadvantages and bear the brunt of poverty’s devastating effects.

While we’ve seen some positive progress through government and public sector actions to address discrimination, we know there is still a long way to go. We must address the underlying attitudes and practices that perpetuate discrimination and exclusion.

That’s why at PHIA Foundation, we strive for more than just inclusive and non-discriminatory growth. We aim to promote social justice and dignity for all. In order to achieve our vision, we work with communities and empower them to access their rights and entitlements, have access to equal opportunities and live with dignity and respect. We work with a range of partners, community organisations and stakeholders to ensure the poor, vulnerable and marginalised communities are reached.

Context/Need

India ranks 121 out of 163 countries on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress as of 2022, highlighting concerns for sustainable development in the country.
Marginalized communities such as Dalits, Adivasis, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are disproportionately affected, with five out of six multidimensionally poor people living in households headed by these communities.
Over 33 million Dalits and over 84 million Adivasis live in multidimensional poverty.
Wealth disparity is staggering, with nine people owning more wealth than the bottom 50%* of the population and one dominant caste group owning 41%* of the country’s total resources, leaving the bottom 40%* to own just 3.4%* of the country’s total assets.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for and importance of designing policies and interventions which are inclusive and promote equitable growth that addresses these disparities and promotes holistic development.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting inclusive growth, and building a climate-resilient and equitable society in India requires collaborative and coordinated efforts from the government, civil society, and private sector.