OUR PURPOSE
Karuna USA believes that every individual deserves a decent and safe life and the opportunity to achieve their potential
Social and economic systems with high levels of inequality hurt everyone’s progress. That’s a fact. Working together we can challenge these systems and ensure access to a fair and decent life for all. Karuna USA stands in solidarity with those communities barred from achieving this right, who are unequally impacted by the effects of climate change, and with the women and girls whose empowerment is key to the transformation of societies.
Together with our local community partners in South Asia, we work to ensure girls are educated, women and girls can live safely, communities can prepare and respond to climate disasters, and can access safe and sustainable work for a better life.
350,000
We brought positive impact to
the lives of 350,000 people in 2022-23
DISCRIMINATION & EXCLUSION
Millions of people in South Asia live with poverty and exclusion
For decades, rates of extreme poverty have been falling rapidly in South Asia. While India, Nepal, and Bangladesh have made great economic progress in recent decades, 25-30% of their populations still live in extreme poverty. That is 320 million people, or roughly the entire population of the United States. Many live in rural areas; while women and children are unequally impacted. We know poor and vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of climate change disproportionately. The on-going repercussions of the global pandemic impacts the poor and marginalized in devastating ways, reversing years of progress in women’s and children’s rights.
Our 4 Areas of Focus
Keeping Girls in Education
96%
96% of children in Karuna projects
continue their education past age 14,
almost double the Indian national average.
Education is crucial to empowering maginalized communities. The structural discrimination and abuse these children face, especially girls, in schools often forces them to drop out. Teachers may carry out corporal punishment, deny access to school water supplies, segregation classrooms, and force them to perform clean the latrines on and around school premises. Fellow students and community members may also hold discriminatory attitudes and carry out discriminatory behaviors.
Karuna works holistically with schools, parents and children, providing support structures to enable underprivileged children to take full advantage of the mainstream school system.
Protecting Women and Girls from Violence
70%
Cases taken up by Karuna partners have a very high conviction rate of 70%
Where social exclusion intersects with gender, marginalized women and girls face severe discrimination. They are routinely denied access to justice, education, health and other services. Almost half of all women from the poorest backgrounds report domestic violence. Without intervention and proper support, many of them will live lives of isolation and internalize victimhood.
Karuna supports women to find their own strength and independence so that they can become leaders and social change-makers. Through our projects, we support women to reclaim their rights and choices, access education and vocational training, and become champions in their communities.
Building Climate Resilience
13 million
People were affected by cyclone amphan
South Asia experiences some of the worst extremes of climate change, including droughts, floods, cyclones and heatwaves. Living with chronic insecurity, the poorest and most marginalized are the most severely impacted. Karuna USA builds resilience among the communities to help them mitigate against threats, and to respond to them with life-saving solutions. This includes climate change awareness, trainings on preparedness, support for livelihoods, hygiene, water treatment, sanitation and protection of women and girls during and after disasters.
Access to Livelihoods & Protection from Exploitation
8,000 people
The number of marginalized people who are empowered through access to decent work
Millions of marginalized people are condemned to illegal and dangerous jobs, such as manually collecting and disposing of human waste from sewers and dry latrines, often times with only a bucket and their bare hands. They can even be forced to work for well below subsistence income-levels.
We believe that sustainable, humane and dignified livelihood is a basic right. By giving marginalized workers access to meaningful skills and training, we improve their quality of life while simultaneously challenging societal perceptions.
When an individual’s life changes, they can change their community. When a community changes, they can change society.
