BACKGROUND

The story of Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand started as a small NGO in Kancheepuram, a district in the South-Indian state of Tamil Nadu that is famous for its silk industry. Child labour was a prevalent problem in the looms. Hand in Hand was established with the aim of eliminating child labour and getting children back to school. The project was a huge success. With the realisation that child labour was just one aspect of the overall poverty, in 2004, we decided to expand our focus and move towards an integrated approach to development.

The work of Hand in Hand now rests on five key pillars: microfinance, education, health, Citizens’ Centres’, and a clean environment.

Since 2004, our work has expanded substantially, both geographically and in terms of development interventions. From our base in just one district in Tamil Nadu, we today work in 17 districts. We have also expanded into three other Indian states: Pondicherry, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. In each new area, our work begins with the microfinance and self-help group programme. Then, depending on local conditions, we introduce education, health, Citizens’ Centre, and environment interventions.

We have proved that our model works on a large scale, and that it can be implemented around the world. We have set up partnership programmes in South Africa, Afghanistan, and Brazil, under which we supply consultants, managerial support, and expertise to pilot projects. Hand in Hand is also a consultant for the Inter American Development Bank and a partner with World Vision.