The Real Work of Varun Hiremath’s Hiremath Foundation in Tribal India: Beyond CSR, It’s a Movement

Introduction

Unlike many NGOs that do not go beyond charity, the Hiremath Foundation is one step ahead. If you see how, then you will find that the foundation is making change by transforming the lives of people by giving them exposure to different opportunities. From donating wheelchairs, setting up digital labs, to teaching financial skills to women in villages, the foundation has brought smile in the faces of many children as well as disabled people, who now can move in the society with dignity.

Vision: "Access is the First Step to Equality"

Varun Hiremath believes that poverty comes into the picture when there is no access to rights, opportunities and basic needs like technology, education, or financial services. This lack of access is due to to overlooking or always getting ignored. For instance, if we see tribal areas like Karjat in Maharashtra, Goalpara in Assam, they always lag behind when it comes to development. This is because these areas are often overlooked. According to Varun, the solution to it is not any temporary aid, but subjecting them to real opportunities. This would also lead to equality in the near future.

Key Initiatives on the Ground

• Mobility With Dignity:"More than Mobility, It’s About Freedom."

  The Foundation transformed the lives of people across cities like Maharashtra, Odisha, and Assam, by giving them freedom by offering them 150 smart, terrain-adaptive wheelchairs.

  The wheelchairs had rain shields, safety locks, and foldable designs, enabling them to get through the toughest rural terrain.

  To celebrate the independence and visibility of disabled people, events like "Pride on Wheels" were conducted. They celebrated the joy and dignity of the disabled people.

  Impact Story:
  A farmer from Shahapur, Anil, shared how imprisoned he used to feel due to his limited mobility. After getting the wheelchair, he can move freely and independently. This helped him discover his leadership in the local farming projects.

• Digital Dreams Project: "From Barefoot to Broadband."

  To enable digital literacy in tribal schools, the Foundation has established fully equipped computer labs.

  The foundation also implemented certain life-changing skills, one of which being teaching the Teens skills starting from basic typing to Excel, Canva design, and coding.

  To ensure inclusivity and maximum learning outcomes, instructors were trained in local dialects.

  Impact Story:
  A 16-year-old student from Deolali, Pratiksha Kadam, who was once afraid to access computer, now is designing local festival posters and also helps her father to manage the sales of their farm with Excel.

• Finance for Her: "When a woman understands money, the whole village transforms."

  The Foundation teaches the rural women to save, budget, and use digital banking, through community finance workshops.

  The workshops are conducted to cater to the local needs through regional languages and pictorial aids are used to make the information easy to understand and apply.

  More than 500 women can make informed decisions after this workshop.

  Impact Story:
  From Goalpara, Sarita, a mother of three children, shared that after attending the workshop, she is now managing her household finances and has opened a savings account in the bank.

• Footwear to Futures: "Because no child should walk barefoot to school."

  To protect their feet, especially in the monsoon, they were given seasonal footwear like slippers, gumboots, and school shoes.

  Health checkups were also conducted to ensure their well-being.

  Impact Story:
  A young schoolboy from Shahapur, Ravi, shared that wearing the shoes to school makes him feel empowered and upgrades his worth.

Where It’s Happening

• Maharashtra: Karjat, Jawhar, Shahapur
• Assam: Goalpara, Barpeta
• Odisha: Keonjhar (tribal belt collaboration upcoming)

Why This Matters

The Hiremath Foundation is truly making a difference by working towards the areas that are not even shown in Google Maps or are not at all looked upon. For those areas, even a small change would create a lasting impact. For instance, wheelchair denotes freedom, rather than just a device; a computer is a pathway towards opportunity; having a savings account denotes rights, security, and a brighter future.

Who’s Behind This?

Varun Hiremath, who served as a business journalist on live TV, covering topics like Nifty and Sensex, has taken a social responsibility of uplifting the rural community, with a special focus on the tribal schools and Anganwadi centers. This is being done to have a positive change in their lives, which would be long-lasting.

Support or Learn More

To know more about The Hiremath Foundation, you can connect with us through the following channels:

• Website: www.hiremathfoundation.org
• Instagram: @hiremath.foundation
• For partnerships or volunteering: info@hiremathfoundation.org

Final Word

When we hear the name Varun Hiremath, the first thing that strikes is empowerment. With the Hiremath Foundation, he has transformed the lives of numerous people belonging to the needy sections. His efforts would be reflected starting from a child learning to type, to a woman in a village learning to use UPI. By teaching them new skills, Varun has not only educated them but has also given them a life filled with independence and dignity.

Through his Hiremath Foundation, Varun has empowered the tribal as well as rural people. By focusing on health care, education, and digital literacy programs, he has made a significant change in the lives of the rural people. He has also put a spotlight on the overlooked areas, which include the tribal areas, where he gave them exposure to genuine opportunities by ensuring mobility, education, and making them financially literacy, so that they can have a better future ahead. All of these efforts show that he is a man of responsibility who thinks beyond any act of charity.

Conclusion

This blog contains real-life stories of the people who were highly grateful to the Foundation. This Foundation has truly changed their lives. It is because of this Foundation that those people who needed real opportunities now have access to the same. The Foundation has outdone itself in empowering the needy people in all walks of life, ensuring that they have a brighter future ahead.