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Sewa: The Journey of Indian Diaspora

Sewa International began its journey amidst the chaos of the Latur earthquake in 1993. It was a moment of crisis that brought together a group of individuals united in their desire to alleviate suffering and lend a helping hand to those in need. This marked the genesis of Sewa International, born out of a shared commitment to serving humanity in times of distress.

This small flame soon grew into a roaring fire, mobilising the Indian diaspora worldwide to reconnect with their roots and serve their homeland. Guided by the Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the belief that the world is one family, What started as a small collective of volunteers soon flourished into a global movement, inspiring the Indian diaspora to reconnect with their roots and contribute to the welfare of their homeland. The Sewa movement has now spread its wings worldwide to 20+ countries.

On May 16, 1997, Sewa International was formally established under the Indian Trust Act of 1882, solidifying our commitment to humanitarian service. Sewa adopted a holistic approach to development that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Initially only focused on providing immediate relief and aid during disasters, with time being, Sewa International’s footprint extends far beyond encompassing initiatives in Education, Livelihood and Skill Development, Health and Sanitation, Environment and Leadership Development. By aligning our efforts with the SDGs, we strive to create sustainable solutions that uplift communities and promote long-term resilience.

Vision

Sewa International as a premier non-profit, would live in a world of equality, where everyone is happy, enjoys good health, has equal growth opportunities and lives in balance with nature. In the event of any disaster, Sewa will be called in and be among the first to serve.

Mission

Sewa International serves humanity in distress, aids local communities, and promotes volunteerism. We engage our beneficiaries to be agents of change in development and strive to make progress broad-based.

How We Work?

Main aim of Sewa International is to serve the humanity in distress, either directly or through empowered local partners especially in times of disaster, who despite lack of resources work extremely hard to provide help to affected people. Most of these local NGOs lack basic setups(timely reporting, monitoring, language issues, low capacity etc), which results in the majority aid going to all big players, leaving the actual working organizations struggling for money. So, Sewa International tries to empower these referred local organizations, so that the aid actually reaches the end beneficiary.

In case, where we find that there is lack of such local partners, who can implement the program effectively, then depending on the available resources (financial, HR) and development needs for the region, it considers the viability of setting up its own operations to implement and manage the project. This has also been very effective as seen in our Sewa Uttarakhand project, where we developed the team and program from ground up with 3800+ women members as part of the 360+ SHGs/Federations leading a socio-economically empowered life in Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts.

Guiding Principles


  1. We are inspired by Dharmic principles of “Serving Humanity is Serving Divinity” and “Unity in Diversity.”
  2. We practice "Service above Self".
  3. We practice team work and promote self-reliance.
  4. We are proactive and responsive to the needs of society while promoting ‘Self Reliance’ among those who are served.
  5. We are pluralistic, trustworthy and transparent.
  6. We create a positive impact through operational excellence and beneficiary empowerment.
  7. We respect and safeguard our environment.
  8. We value our volunteers, donors and partners.
  9. We respect the dignity of every human being, consider humanity as one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam!!) while serving them regardless of race, color, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation.
  10. We accept and celebrate diversity in people and community, we are sensitive to the cultural backgrounds of people we serve.

Partners

Sewa International, First Floor, Plot 8,
Site 11, Near SD Public School,
West Patel Nagar,
New Delhi - 110008
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