Rural Development

Adhikaar: Citizen Welfare Schemes Connect Project

Adhikaar is a non-profit initiative by KarmaKonnect Foundation designed to improve last-mile delivery of government welfare benefits in India, especially in rural and underserved communities. The project tackles issues like lack of scheme awareness, literacy gaps, and process challenges by offering a combination of digital tools (a multilingual mobile app and database of 291+ schemes) and physical service centers called Yojana Kendras.
Local volunteers called KarmaKonnect Adhikaars will be trained to provide doorstep and in-center assistance, helping citizens with scheme eligibility checks, application processes, and grievance handling. The Yojana Kendras will also act as training hubs, community meeting points, and sustainable local institutions that continue servicing citizens after initial funding support phases out.
The project promotes women’s employment and empowerment by selecting and training women from within local communities to run these services. It also aims to create a replicable, community-led model that integrates government, community, and non-profit collaboration to ensure access, awareness, and support for welfare entitlements.

Why This Project?
India has over 291+ government welfare schemes in sectors like health, education, agriculture, social security, and employment. Despite their availability, millions of citizens—especially in rural and remote regions—fail to benefit due to:

• Lack of awareness
• Language and literacy barriers
• Complicated application procedures
• Limited digital access
• Bureaucratic complexities
• Poor grievance redressal mechanisms

Adhikaar was conceptualized to tackle these barriers by combining grassroots community engagement with technology-led solutions.

Project Objectives
• Raise awareness about government schemes among rural, tribal, and marginalized communities.
• Provide end-to-end support in scheme applications through Yojana Kendras and trained volunteers.
• Facilitate easy grievance redressal and track applications efficiently.
• Empower women by recruiting and training them as KarmaKonnect Adhikaars.
• Strengthen local governance and public service delivery through community participation.
• Promote financial inclusion, digital literacy, and social equity.

Project Model

The project operates on a Phy-gital model:
• Physical Support: Through Yojana Kendras (community-run help centers) and local women volunteers (Adhikaars) who visit homes and guide citizens in-person.
• Digital Support: Via a multilingual mobile app and scheme eligibility database offering real-time updates, eligibility checks, and application tracking.

Impact Vision

• Adhikaar envisions a future where no citizen is left behind due to a lack of awareness, access, or assistance.
• Through its community-driven and technology-powered model, the project aspires to ensure every eligible family can secure their rightful benefits and improve their quality of life.
 

About the NGO

KarmaKonnect is a non-profit social venture that aims to connect the fragmented ‘giving’ ecosystem by empowering NGOs, donors, volunteers, corporates and government to create impactful social development interventions. KarmaKonnect is an enabler; motivating and empowering individuals and organizations to tap the growing philanthropy landscape by creating, connecting, and/or collaborating for credible projects and causes. The KarmaKonnect team is currently involved in a number of initiatives across the country, through various dedicated volunteers and NGOs. We are primarily working on:

• Child education and livelihood skills (slum evening schools/shelters and aiding low income govt schools) in Gujarat, Telangana, MP and Delhi through utilization of existing govt infrastructure and innovative collaborative models.

• Women Empowerment and legal help, rescue and rehabilitation projects (primarily on Gujarat and UP)

• Rural Empowerment and Citizens Change/Awareness programs (Gujarat, MP, UP, Telangana and Rajasthan).

• We also Executing comprehensive "adopt a village" projects for donors involving well researched sustainable solutions for development

• Training and placement of specially abled

• Refuge rehabilitation projects. (Urban slums)

• Adhoc Medical help and assistance as needed.