Anusaya Garje is quietly leading a powerful shift in her community At 34, with education up to Class 10, Anusaya works closely โฆ
Our Inspiration and Icon
“Ordinary women can trigger extraordinary changes. My vision is to create an ecosystem that empowers women at grassroot enabling to move from margin to mainstream, transforming not only their lives but their community, their villages and society โ for the betterโ
ย
– Prema Gopalan.
Ms. Prema Gopalan established Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) in 1998. She was a firm believer in the power of women to shift boundaries and mindsets.
Little did she know, she was setting in motion a movement that would spread across India. A movement that is inspiring rural women to step out of their homes, shrug off archaic notions of self, & carve new identities as entrepreneurs, farmers, & community leaders.
โSakhisโ as she lovingly called these women, are impacting every facet of their society today. With a strong vision of a developed community, they are battling issues of agriculture, water, health, nutrition, & civic leadership, to create thriving models of development.
Premaโs intrinsic belief in women’s leadership garnered worldwide interest & acknowledgment. In a glittering career spanning three decades, she received several national & international awards. She was the recipient of the 2021 Women Transforming India Award, NITI Aayogโs flagship initiative.
Prema leaves behind an immense legacy. She also leaves behind women leaders who embody her work, her values, & her spirit.
Late Mr. Nadarajan V.C. was a dedicated management consultant and a guiding force in the fields of rural finance, livelihoods, and enterprise since 1992. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and TNAU Coimbatore, he brought together deep academic insight and on-ground experience to his work.
Early in his career, he served as an officer with Indian Overseas Bank and as a development professional with PRADAN, New Delhi. Also he was the Board Member of the Covenant Centre for Development (CCD), Tamil Nadu, which is committed to build community institutions around traditional wisdom to empower the poor and vulnerable communities for sustainable development.
He was a valued Board Member of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), where his wisdom and strategic thinking left a lasting impact. His loss is deeply felt, and his contributions will continue to inspire us.
He was a dedicated management consultant & a guiding force in the fields of rural finance, livelihoods, & enterprise since 1992. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad & TNAU Coimbatore, he brought together deep academic insight & on-ground experience to his work.
Early in his career, he served as an officer with Indian Overseas Bank and as a development professional with PRADAN, New Delhi. Also he was the Board Member of the Covenant Centre for Development (CCD), Tamil Nadu, which is committed to build community institutions around traditional wisdom to empower the poor & vulnerable communities for sustainable development. Over the years, he became a trusted advisor to national & international development organizations as well as grassroots NGOs, offering his expertise in project & program management focused on rural transformation.
He was a valued Board Member of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), where his wisdom & strategic thinking left a lasting impact. His loss is deeply felt, & his contributions will continue to inspire us.
Our Key Sectors
Our Initiatives
Key Awards Received By SSP
2024 : Community Excellence / Saksham Samudaya Award from the International Institute of Security and Safety Management (IISSM) recognizes outstanding contributions towards community empowerment and development.
2022 : Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)โs Local Adaptation Champions Awards 2022 at COP27. SSP is one of the four organisations recognised for their work in leading climate change adaptation for vulnerable local communities.
2021 : NITI Aayogโs Women Transforming India Award
2018 : Social Entrepreneur of the Year India Award, awarded by Jubilant Bhartia Foundation and Schwab Foundation (WEF)
2017 : Winner of the Equator Prize declared by the UNDP from 806 nominations from 120 countries for its women led climate resilient agro-ecological farming model
Awards Received by Grassroots Women Leaders
Global Local Adaptation (CGA)โs
โLocal
Adaptation Award for
Capacity & Knowledge
(for the
Women Led Climate Resilient
Farming Model)โ at COP27
Awards Received by Grassroots Women Leaders
Global Local Adaptation (CGA)โs
โLocal
Adaptation Award for
Capacity & Knowledge
(for the
Women Led Climate Resilient
Farming Model)โ at COP27
Women Taking The Leads
SSP and IDBI Join Hands to Support Wayanad Landslide Victims
Visit by Heike Roschanski, India Desk Officer, Misereor on 18th November 2024, to Kumbhari village, Solapur District, Maharashtra
Our Women Leaders
Anusaya Garje is quietly leading a powerful shift in her community At 34, with education up to Class 10, Anusaya works closely โฆ
Sunita Kumbhar did not begin with opportunities-she began with responsibility. In Kumbhari village of Dharashiv district, Maharashtra, her life took shape around โฆ
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ In Longaon village of Jalna district, Maharashtra, her family depended on her husbandโs photography work, which was limited โฆ
Our Women Leaders
Anusaya Garje is quietly leading a powerful shift in her community At 34, with education up to Class 10, Anusaya works closely โฆ
Sunita Kumbhar did not begin with opportunities-she began with responsibility. In Kumbhari village of Dharashiv district, Maharashtra, her life took shape around โฆ
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ In Longaon village of Jalna district, Maharashtra, her family depended on her husbandโs photography work, which was limited โฆ
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ: ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ In Shelgav Diwane village of Dharashiv district, Maharashtra, Jaymala Bhatlawandeโs life took a difficult โฆ
๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐: ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ In Kamalanagar Block of Bidar district, Karnataka, Sunita Metre is transforming lives in Holsamudraโturning everyday challenges โฆ
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ In Orial village of Gaya district in Bihar, Panika Kumariโs journey shows how rural women can become โฆ
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐, ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ Shanta Raja, a small farmer from Kottathara Panchayat in Wayanad district, Kerala, has been managing her farm โฆ
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง Women farmers in Chinchpur village of Sillod block, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra, are building more climate-resilient livelihoods with โฆ
The women who are quietly transforming their communities In Jalkotwadi village of Tuljapur block in Dharashiv district, Maharashtra, Gangabai Lokhande is one โฆ
๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ In Shevdi village of Nanded district in Maharashtra, when only four self-help groups were active, Sheetal Eklare saw โฆ
The organisation is committed to promote sustainable community development by
repositioning women as change makers and fostering collective leadership.
