Working together to end poverty and injustice

Improving community health and natural resources management

The people of the Dharampur region in Himachal Pradesh struggle daily for survival. Poverty in this area is the cumulative result of growing population and environmental degradation. Many women in the area suffer with ill-health, a lack of income and no time to generate income. Central to their poverty is a lack of access to clean, safe water.

Oxfam worked with local partner RUCHI for five years, helping local women become self-sufficient in their access to safe water.

The Rural Centre for Human Interests, RUCHI, is a forward thinking technology centre based in the region. They have identified access to safe water as the entry point to poverty alleviation. RUCHI has encouraged women in the villages to form self-help groups. Working with the groups, RUCHI has identified and restored natural springs, built irrigation and percolation tanks and introduced rainwater tanks.

Oxfam Water for Survival worked with RUCHI for over 5 years, supporting them with building water tanks and toilets and with community health and hygiene education.

In the final year of the project, Oxfam worked with RUCHI to build their capacity to be self-sufficient so it could operate in the long-term. This included building capacity within the community to work with local government, the development of a new centre in Dharamshala for hosting volunteers, and a new website to encourage more volunteer involvement, managed completely by RUCHI staff.

Measuring success

Independent consultant Mandy Fitchett spent seven weeks at the RUCHI campus in Himachel Pradesh to evaluate the programme's achievements over the past five years. The evaluation shows that RUCHI interventions have brought about many positive changes in the project villages.

• Download the report: Improved Community Health through Natural Resource Management. RUCHI, Himachal Pradesh, India (PDF File 1MB)

Volunteer with RUCHI

In the foothills of the Himalayas in India, RUCHI works with local communities to overcome poverty. You have the opportunity to help make a difference while discovering a side of India few tourists experience: get to know local people; visit villages and provide practical help; learn some Hindi and teach some English.

• Visit the RUCHI website to find out more about volunteering with RUCHI