Society for Women’s Awareness and Rural Development (SWARD) has completed 6 years and is headed by Ms. Kota Siva Kumari. It has around 5000 women as members. It works in 16 villages of Siddipet and Chinnakodur mandals of Medak district of Andhra Pradesh. This group has a dynamic leader and dynamic women in the Community Based Women’s Group (CBWG).

The group takes up a variety of activities, which include watershed development, sustainable agriculture, linking up with leading financial institutions for loans, income generation activities and legal aid and counseling supported and run by the federation of the CBWGs.

The organization has received state level recognition for its novel initiatives at the field level and is now accessing sizeable grants from external donors.

A Registered women’s organization working in 21 villages of Zaheerabad and Nyalkal of Medak District, started with Nirnaya supporting the key person, Ms. Metlakunta Susheelamma with a fellowship for one year. The organization expanded into a team of 5 persons and received Nirnaya support for five years. The activity in the beginning was only motivating and organizing the Dalit community women into Self Help Groups in order to access Government grants, subsidies and bank loans. Subsequently its scope has expanded to include various other activities like literacy for women, access to health care through medical camps, leadership training for the Community Based Women Group’s (CBWG), empowerment of differently enabled women, mass programs for International Women’s Day, World Human Rights Day, International Day for Disabled and motivation of girl children to attend school.

A learning center for the mentally challenged children in Orissa, it has with a two year support from Nirnaya been able to access long term financial support from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Mumbai.