Program Details: India

Young children in Dairy Gaon's Congress School are learning in refurbished classrooms, thanks to the CHAI Program, funded by Starbucks subsidiary Tazo Tea Company. Photo: Roger Burks/Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is working in India to build community collaboration and fulfill dire health and economic needs. The CHAI Program, implemented through local partners, strives to improve the quality of life for communities in rural villages in the hills of Darjeeling by reducing waterborne diseases, strengthening the capacity of community groups and enhancing young people's leadership skills.

Through the support of Tazo Tea Company, CHAI is improving the livelihoods of more than 18,000 people in 42 communities by encouraging neighbors to work together to achieve shared goals, such as better schools and water systems.

Mercy Corps is also working through local partner Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) to extend the CHAI Program into India's Assam state.

Mercy Corps' assistance to India dates back to January 2001 when the agency responded to a devastating earthquake in Gujarat.

Through two local organizations, the Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI) and the DHAN Foundation, Mercy Corps also assisted over 44,000 survivors of December 2004's Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Programs in Focus

Community Health and Advancement Initiative (CHAI): With funding from the Tazo Tea Company and implementation through local partner DEG, Mercy Corps has designed a five-year program to improve conditions for families living in 42 communities in the Darjeeling District, a mountainous region in northeastern India.

Water and Sanitation Awareness: Mercy Corps is working through DEG to reduce the rate of waterborne disease by 20 percent by promoting hygiene messages through a group of educators, laborers, youth and children.

Youth Empowerment: Through local partner DEG, Mercy Corps is linking youth, who have long been isolated from schools and training opportunities, with vocational training institutions and engaging them in planning and participation in community projects.

Open Initiatives: Mercy Corps, through implementing partner DEG, works with local communities to identify core problems and help manage solutions. These projects, as identified by the community, include water infrastructure, school improvements, loans and educational opportunities.