Opportunities to help Gen-Z create impact in rural India
All charged up to make a difference? This World NGO Day, Village Square curates opportunities, internships and fellowships for Gen Z to drive change in the rural development sector.
Yes, there is an internationally recognised day to celebrate and honour NGOs and non-profit organisations working to bring about positive change across the world. And it’s today (February 27), or World NGO Day!
In addition to their activities, these organisations also offer a range of opportunities to nurture the new generation of changemakers. And who’s more passionate about fashioning change than Gen Z?
From fellowships to internships, there are countless opportunities offered by these NGOs and nonprofit organisations for the youth to create meaningful impact in education, agriculture, sustainability, healthcare, and more areas.
Village Square presents a list of such potential engagements that youngsters can check out to kick-start their journey of rural impact.
SEWA International
Sewa Fellowship
With branches across more than 20 countries, Sewa International is a not-for-profit organisation committed to humanitarian service.
It offers a 100-week experiential fellowship programme for young folks aged between 21-30 to thrive in a hands-on learning environment in rural India.
The selected cohort is trained under experienced professionals with a structured curriculum to work across key sectors like education, livelihood, health and the environment over two years. Applications for Seva Fellowship 2025-27 are currently live.
Ruchi NGO
Internship programme
RUCHI is a non-political, non-profit organisation committed to the development of rural India, currently headquartered in Bandh, Himachal Pradesh.
It offers year-round internships where interns work in rural settlements across the Himalayan range. As a part of this programme, interns travel to remote villages, interact with locals to understand their lifestyle, get hands-on experience with implementing organic farming and water conservation measures, construction of water storage tanks, initiating health camps in the village and so on.
Those interested in the same can directly contact Ruchi NGO for more information.
Piramal Foundation
Gandhi Fellowship
Piramal Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, offers a 23-month full-time programme called the Gandhi Fellowship which aims to nurture new-age leadership competencies in today’s youth.
The programme selects a cohort of bright fellows who go through a 4-semester curriculum to understand and implement social impact at grassroots levels in rural India. The fellowship aims to develop leadership skills and innovative problem-solving aptitude in the upcoming changemakers of India.
Applications for the Gandhi Fellowship are open till 31st March 2025.
National Foundation for India
Abhijit Sen Rural Internship Programme
For students interested in research and fieldwork, the National Foundation for India offers the Abhijit Sen Rural Internship Programme.
This is a 50-day field-based research internship where interns step into the rural world to gather data and insights about local communities through surveys, interviews and group discussions.
Interns work at field locations spread across states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
While interacting with local communities, interns get a well-rounded research experience and a chance to publish their report. The next round of applications for the Abhijit Sen Rural Internship Programme will be announced in November 2025.
Manjari Foundation
Internships and volunteering programmes
Manjari Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation working to empower and uplift women from marginalised communities from social injustice and poverty.
It executes initiatives in education, livelihood, climate change and conservation as well as skill development and employment at grassroots levels to bring about a positive change in the lives of rural communities.
The foundation hosts interns and volunteers each year who work in rural setups for first-hand experience in livelihood promotion processes, community mobilisation, spreading health and nutrition awareness and so on.
Those interested in the same can directly contact Manjari Foundation for more information.
Transforming Rural India Foundation
Internship opportunity
Transforming Rural India Foundation is a non-profit organisation that designs solutions to help transform India’s “stranded villages” at the bottom into flourishing communities.
While TRI works in several states at the ground level, it is also embedded with district, state and central government offices working on sustainable solutions at scale.
For those who are Delhi-based, currently, TRI is offering internships with its support teams in HR & Admin (HR) and Finance & Accounts (F&A) / IT sectors at the New Delhi office for 3-6 months.
This is an ideal opportunity for those looking to create an impact in rural India while based in the capital, gaining experience in the HR and Finance sector. Applications close on 28th February 2025.
The lead image at the top shows a young professional helping a farmer adopt new-age technologies. (Photo courtesy: Canva)
