CHENNAI: As a student, Ravi Kuchimanchideveloped an extension of the Rubik's Cube, a hot toy he thought would earn him a fortune that he could use to help society. "I always wanted to contribute to India but thought you needed money and power to do so," says Kuchimanchi, founder of Association for India's Development (AID), a volunteer movement promoting sustainable and equitable development.
The IIT-Bombay alumnus, who was doing a PhD at the University of Maryland in the early 1990s, applied for a US patent but his 'hypercube' didn't catch on. "The last rejection letter made me focus on people, not money and power, to make a change," says Kuchimanchi, 46, who grew up in Mumbai but spent holidays in his hometown, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. "I had seen the hardships people face in rural India and wanted to do something."
In 1991, he sent an email to a few friends suggesting they contribute $10 a month, which could be sent to a village in India. "The response was good and we formed AID. In the first year, we managed to raise just about $1,000," Kuchimanchi says.
Balaji Sampath, who volunteered for AID from 1994 and returned to Chennai in 1997 to found AID India, recalls waiting at a temple in Maryland trying to convince people to donate. "Initially, I found it hard to ask for money," he says. "One in 10 people would stop. And if five people listened, one would give money." By the end of 1997, they had 15 chapters across the US.
When they came to India for vacations, the volunteers visited villages to learn about ground realities and find genuine groups to support. "After a point, I felt there was only so much we could do from the US so I decided to return to India," says Sampath, 38, who did a PhD at the University of Maryland after studying at IIT-Madras. "People were ready to help; they just needed a channel to focus their energies and guidance."
AID India developed field programmes in education, healthcare and livelihood creation in TN, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and other states. It continues to partner with grassroots organizations in education, livelihoods, agriculture, health, women's empowerment and social justice as it did in the early years. "The organization engages people in any way that interests them. Our volunteers work on issues related to the Bhopal gas tragedy, RTI, sustainable development, anything they have a passion for," Sampath says.
Kuchimanchi says that since the problems were interconnected, the solutions had to be too. "This is what made us work in all fields," he says. Their focus was the villages, affected by all issues. "We thought that as we grew, there would be many volunteers who could focus on individual areas but AID should have a holistic approach," he says. The core team realized welfare programmes alone were not enough. "If we were serious about change, we needed to address the underlying inequalities," Kuchimanchi says.
Activists like Medha Patkar, P Sainath and Aruna Roy were their inspiration. "Our on-ground knowledge helps us push for the right government policies," Sampath says.
Kuchimanchi now works on alternative energy, development projects and social justice campaigns. "It was a hard decision for me to give up physics, which I love, and take this up full-time," says Kuchimanchi. "But I realise this is more valuable and an opportunity to give back to society," he says. His efforts inspired the Bollywood film 'Swades'.
After Sampath and Kuchimanchi returned, Kiran Vissa carried on the work in US. AID now has about 35 chapters in the US, 10 in India and some in Canada, UK, Australia. "At that time, AID was getting involved in complex issues such as displacement, forest rights, corruption, communalism and empowerment. It was a challenge to raise funds because AID gets most through individual donations," says Vissa, 37, an alumnus of IIT-Madras and the University of Maryland.
"A change of consciousness was required among both volunteers and donors, most of whom were upper middle class, but we managed it. We got involved in solidarity actions to amplify the voice of the disadvantaged," says Vissa, who is back in India now.
The IIT-Bombay alumnus, who was doing a PhD at the University of Maryland in the early 1990s, applied for a US patent but his 'hypercube' didn't catch on. "The last rejection letter made me focus on people, not money and power, to make a change," says Kuchimanchi, 46, who grew up in Mumbai but spent holidays in his hometown, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. "I had seen the hardships people face in rural India and wanted to do something."
In 1991, he sent an email to a few friends suggesting they contribute $10 a month, which could be sent to a village in India. "The response was good and we formed AID. In the first year, we managed to raise just about $1,000," Kuchimanchi says.
Balaji Sampath, who volunteered for AID from 1994 and returned to Chennai in 1997 to found AID India, recalls waiting at a temple in Maryland trying to convince people to donate. "Initially, I found it hard to ask for money," he says. "One in 10 people would stop. And if five people listened, one would give money." By the end of 1997, they had 15 chapters across the US.
When they came to India for vacations, the volunteers visited villages to learn about ground realities and find genuine groups to support. "After a point, I felt there was only so much we could do from the US so I decided to return to India," says Sampath, 38, who did a PhD at the University of Maryland after studying at IIT-Madras. "People were ready to help; they just needed a channel to focus their energies and guidance."
AID India developed field programmes in education, healthcare and livelihood creation in TN, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and other states. It continues to partner with grassroots organizations in education, livelihoods, agriculture, health, women's empowerment and social justice as it did in the early years. "The organization engages people in any way that interests them. Our volunteers work on issues related to the Bhopal gas tragedy, RTI, sustainable development, anything they have a passion for," Sampath says.
Kuchimanchi says that since the problems were interconnected, the solutions had to be too. "This is what made us work in all fields," he says. Their focus was the villages, affected by all issues. "We thought that as we grew, there would be many volunteers who could focus on individual areas but AID should have a holistic approach," he says. The core team realized welfare programmes alone were not enough. "If we were serious about change, we needed to address the underlying inequalities," Kuchimanchi says.
Activists like Medha Patkar, P Sainath and Aruna Roy were their inspiration. "Our on-ground knowledge helps us push for the right government policies," Sampath says.
Kuchimanchi now works on alternative energy, development projects and social justice campaigns. "It was a hard decision for me to give up physics, which I love, and take this up full-time," says Kuchimanchi. "But I realise this is more valuable and an opportunity to give back to society," he says. His efforts inspired the Bollywood film 'Swades'.
After Sampath and Kuchimanchi returned, Kiran Vissa carried on the work in US. AID now has about 35 chapters in the US, 10 in India and some in Canada, UK, Australia. "At that time, AID was getting involved in complex issues such as displacement, forest rights, corruption, communalism and empowerment. It was a challenge to raise funds because AID gets most through individual donations," says Vissa, 37, an alumnus of IIT-Madras and the University of Maryland.
"A change of consciousness was required among both volunteers and donors, most of whom were upper middle class, but we managed it. We got involved in solidarity actions to amplify the voice of the disadvantaged," says Vissa, who is back in India now.
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