Swayam Shikshan Prayog

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) is a well-established non–profit that supports and builds capacities of grassroots women’s collectives to promote inclusive and sustainable community development. In the last decade, SSP teams and leaders have reached out to 5.5 million people in low income communities and as a result women’s earnings have tripled and they are recognized as decision-makers locally with better health, nutrition, and basic services. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, SSP’s existing network of women leaders organized themselves into village-based task forces and became the focal point for community-level pandemic response. With the advent of second wave of the pandemic in India, SSP ensures immediate access to COVID relief in at least 100 villages in Western India. This is done through an empowered task force of women leaders to engage in COVID care and prevention. The award contributes to the Foundation’s goal of improving access to resources for immediate COVID-19-related public health challenges while simultaneously advancing new models, policies, and infrastructure for greater public health equity and resilience in the future.