When Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala launched Swades Foundation in 2012, their vision was clear: real development in India must include rural citizens. Instead of pushing migration to cities, they focused on solving problems within villages.

Their model rests on one powerful idea, mindset change. By creating Village Development Committees (VDCs), Swades turned villagers from passive recipients into active decision-makers. This shift has sparked what they call “Dream Villages,” with over 250 already celebrated and a goal of 1,000.

The impact is visible. Swades has built 35,000 toilets, provided clean drinking water to nearly 48,000 homes, and trained 2,600 health workers. In education, it supports 193 schools and has given 9,400 scholarships. Livelihoods have grown too, goat rearing, dairy, poultry, and skilling programs have doubled incomes for thousands of families, even encouraging reverse migration.

A Dalberg study found that every rupee spent by Swades creates a 21x social return. Unlike many NGOs, Swades self-funds much of its work, while long-term partners like Tata Trusts, HSBC, and Deutsche Bank add scale.

At its heart, Swades runs on empathy and community ownership. As Zarina Screwvala puts it: when villagers believe they control their destiny, real change begins.