Parikrma Foundation

The Millennium Development Goals of the UN prescribes universal primary education as one of the 8 goals that will reduce poverty. Parikrma Humanity Foundation supports this goal and beyond in building a more equitable society.

We live in a knowledge based economy. Relevant knowledge is what helps individuals compete with others and run successful lives. The poor cannot hope to break their cycle of poverty without this edge. Doling out food, clothing and money gives only temporary relief. The poor can change their condition if they have what it takes to compete successfully. Parikrma Humanity Foundation was formed in 2003 with a mission to unleash the potential of the poor living in the	slums and streets of urban India. The long term vision is to create sustained change by transforming whole communities. Large scale change depends on the success of creating change at the micro level. Parikrma has identified the “Family” with a focus on the child as the micro level unit for creating change. Parikrma’s goal is to create, test and put in practice a sustainable and scalable model for poverty alleviation at the grassroots.

The Parikrma Model
The Parikrma Model is a 360° Development Program (3DP) that gives the poorest of the poor the ability to compete on equal terms. Parikrma gives them the tools that will create a level playing field, enabling the poor to break their cycle of poverty. The rest is left to individual initiative, drive and perseverance.

Giving the poor the edge to compete is not a quick fix. It takes time, effort and nurturing to provide ability and skills - something that is best done from a really young age. And so, children form the core of the 3DP program.

Parikrma Model has 3 unique features;

1. e2e:
Parikrma takes in children at the age of 5 and goes all the way till the children start earning a living. This end-to-end (e2e) approach is what guarantees a high success rate.

2. Quality:
Most development work suffers from the “lowest common denominator” or “charity” syndrome - i.e. give the poor anything because that will always be better than what they have. This is especially true in the area of education for the poor. Parikrma believes that it is the quality of input that will determine ability of the poor to compete. Striving for excellence will give the poor the edge.

3. Circle of Life:
Children need to be shaped – both mind and body. Parikrma has identified four areas that complete any child’s Circle of Life – Education, Nutrition, Healthcare and Family Care.

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