AVANI is a voluntary organization working in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, located in the middle ranges of the Central Himalayan region (click here for the map). It was in 1997 that AVANI started its journey as the Kumaon Chapter of The Social Work and Research Center, also known as the Barefoot College. The Barefoot College focuses on capacity building of the rural communities enabling them to handle their own issues. In November 1999, AVANI was formally registered and is continuing the work initiated in 1997.

The genesis of AVANI came about in the context of the isolation and consequent problems of the far-flung villages situated in one of the highest mountain ranges of the world. Nature, as it obtains in this region, warrants search for local specific solutions to the problems. In our interaction with people regarding the problematic, our accent has been more on conservation rather than distribution, more on self reliance than outside dependence. Our endeavor has been of making technology and livelihoods contiguous within the household, an integral part of living, being and celebrating life in these beautiful mountain ranges.

In order to realize this dream, we initiated work on developing and disseminating appropriate technologies for meeting the energy and water requirements of the villages, promoting craft based (development of hand made naturally dyed textiles) and farm based livelihood opportunities.

AVANI is also a founder member of the World Mountain Peoples’ Association, which strives to develop solutions to the problems, influence policies in favor of the mountain communities, and bring them together on a common platform.

How you can help

• Volunteer with us for a period of three months or more
• Send donations to support our work
• Buy hand crafted, naturally dyed textiles made by the rural artisans of Kumaon

For more information, write to info@avani-kumaon.org

Additionally you could take a look at two small documentaries on Avani, made by composer, musician and filmmaker Chinmaya Duster. Both movies are freely available on YouTube:
Avani – An Introduction
Avani – Philosophy

AVANI
PO Tripuradevi
via Berinag
Dist. Pithoragarh
Kumaon 262531
Uttarakhand
telefax (91) 5964 244943