Navoday Foundation: Empowering Women, Transforming Lives

In the serene villages of Tamulpur district, Assam, an inspiring initiative is rewriting the script of economic empowerment for rural women. The Navoday Foundation, with support from the LivingMyPromise (LMP) community, is leveraging small contributions to create a big impact. This case study underscores how a unique confluence of diverse philanthropists, local changemakers, and innovative solutions can make a real difference.

The LivingMyPromise Difference

LivingMyPromise unites individuals from diverse backgrounds under a shared commitment to contribute 50% of their wealth to philanthropy. The Dolphin Tank initiative is LMP’s annual giving event designed to support young NGO startups, typically <5-7 years old with annual budgets between INR 30L – 2 Cr P.A. It exemplifies the ethos of bringing together the collective expertise and resources of LMP promisors to back impactful grassroots projects. Dolphins, a.k.a Promisors, donate funds directly to the organizations, ensuring a seamless, no-frills process that prioritizes unrestricted support. This approach keeps the focus on what truly matters: empowering NGOs and advancing their impactful work.

In 2021, Navoday Foundation became a standout recipient of Dolphin Tank support, with LMP members collectively committing INR 24 lakhs to train women in mushroom cultivation. The initiative, spearheaded by Navoday’s founder Purna Chetry, offered a compelling proposition: for ₹3 lakhs, 200 women could be trained and provided with starter kits to grow and sell mushrooms, yielding a potential cumulative income of ₹19.2 lakhs.

Transforming Villages, One Mushroom at a Time

Since the Dolphin Tank funding in 2021, the results have been nothing short of extraordinary:

• 800 more women have been trained taking the total upto 1,200 women, earning ₹10,000–₹12,000 per month each, increasing from ₹3,500-₹7,000 per month before funding.
• This means a cumulative monthly income of ₹1.2 crore, translating to approximately ₹14 crore annually for the women involved resulting from just ₹24 lakhs of seed money.
• MFI loans of ₹30,000 per beneficiary have been extended to 480 members, amounting to ₹1.4 crore in loans to support further growth.

Each woman grows 70-80 kilograms of mushrooms monthly as of today. This economic boost has not only empowered these women financially but also debunked local myths about mushrooms being poisonous, creating a thriving market. With local demand high and traders from neighboring Bhutan clamoring for more supply, the project has unlocked new opportunities for sustainable income.

      

This initiative is truly remarkable, as it empowers women in one of the remotest areas of India to earn up to 20 times more than their usual income—all from the comfort of their homes. This transformation not only enhances their financial well-being but also uplifts them mentally and socially. At the heart of this change is the vision of a young social entrepreneur, a local man, driven purely by his passion for improving lives within his community. He has taken it upon himself to grow and evolve, bringing his community along on this inspiring journey of progress and empowerment.

Click Here to watch the mushroom cultivation training offered by Navoday Foundation in action and hear directly from the women involved about their experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expanding Horizons for Philanthropists

For the LMP community, the partnership with Navoday Foundation has been a revelation. While some members even exceeded their pledges to cover cost escalations, the initiative has also opened doors to new cause areas. Supporting mushroom cultivation, a venture tied to rural entrepreneurship and food security, has expanded the scope of their philanthropic impact beyond conventional areas like education and healthcare.

LMP members visited Tamulpur to interact directly with the beneficiaries, witnessing firsthand the transformational power of their contributions. These interactions not only validated the project’s success but also deepened the donors’ connection to the cause.

Scaling up remains the next frontier. While demand is robust, infrastructure limitations such as shed space and access to capital pose challenges. To address this, Navoday Foundation has engaged microfinance institutions and explored creative strategies like Joint Liability Groups to enable women to secure loans for expansion.

Moreover, as production scales, ensuring daily supply consistency and tapping into larger markets like Bhutan and Shillong will require meticulous planning and execution. LMP’s continued support in the form of financial resources, advisory input, and mentorship promises to be crucial in this phase.

A Blueprint for Collaborative Philanthropy

The Navoday Foundation project encapsulates the spirit of LivingMyPromise: leveraging collective resources, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, and amplifying impact through grassroots innovation. By exposing philanthropists to new opportunities and empowering communities to build sustainable livelihoods, initiatives like these not only transform lives but also redefine the boundaries of modern philanthropy.

As the women of Tamulpur confidently cultivate their futures, supported by changemakers who believe in their potential, the vision of a self-sustaining, prosperous rural ecosystem doesn’t seem far-fetched. This is philanthropy at its most inspiring—bridging worlds together to sow seeds of hope and empowerment.