We Are Harvest India

A grassroots Indian nonprofit organization embracing the forgotten poor as family.

Ending poverty through radical dignity.

Our story

In 1965, a nurse named Lalitha Kumari discovered that millions of people lived in remote villages with no access to medical care. So she quit her stable nursing job in a hospital so she could walk from village to village to serve people in need and provide them with medical care.

But she realized that this wasn’t enough. Lalitha started bringing books with her on these treks so she could also teach people to read.

Lalitha’s compassionate response has since grown into a global movement driven from the grassroots to champion India’s forgotten poor. We meet everyday practical needs, offer education that creates future opportunities, and creates havens of stability for those without a home.

Together, we provide not only practical, urgent care—but also the embrace of family. Because charity doesn’t break cycles; belonging does.

We believe in radical dignity

Harvest India goes above and beyond charity to show compassion that creates belonging. 

At our core, we’re driven by a conviction that all people deserve to be embraced as family.

Because more than charity, family catalyzes change.

We give our everything to welcome the poor and outcast into a sense of community. We listen to their stories, hear about their needs, and offer support that helps them rise out of poverty.

What our partners are saying

Who we are

Harvest India is a grassroots-driven nonprofit working to disrupt the cycle of
poverty and restore hope to the most vulnerable.

400+

staff in India

2400+

community partners in India

12+

team members in the US & UK

20+

partnering organizations & businesses

3,200+

individual partners like you

From abandoned to advocate

As a young boy who’d lost both parents, Kishore was bound to live—and die—on the streets. Today he’s a key Harvest India staff member and champion of compassion for other young, vulnerable children.

Join us in ending poverty and restoring dignity. Change a life today with your gift to the Harvest India Vision Fund.

When he was a little boy, Kishore’s mother was diagnosed with throat cancer. 

The family had no money to pay for cancer treatment. So it quickly spread, making her sick and weak. 

Kishore took care of his dying mother while his father continued working to provide for the family.

Shortly after she died, a new tragedy struck. Kishore’s father fell and severed his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed. Young Kishore cared for his father until he died a few years later.

When children from poor Indian families like Kishore’s lose their parents, they often end up on the street. There’s no one to check on their safety and well-being, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. Without an education, they end up locked in an unending cycle of poverty.

But Kishore’s story is different.

A Harvest India community partner and his wife welcomed Kishore into their home as one of the dozens of children they personally fostered over the years. 

And through generous partners like you, Kishore received the care and education he needed to break out of the cycle of generational poverty.

Today, Kishore is a champion of compassion. He’s a well-loved Harvest India staff member overseeing local operations and helping welcome international teams during their visits to India.

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