Developing Indigenous Resources India (DIR-INDIA) is a Non-Profit and Charitable trust registered in Sub-Registrar Office in Chandigarh, India, which strives to uplift and empower the destitute, neglected and low-income communities of our country, specifically in the urban slums. Our story begins as a response to the limitations of typical development projects conducted here in India. Too often, the solution has been to improve conditions by providing more and more money for development projects. Temporary relief comes from these projects, but quickly dies when the funds run out. By design, DIR positions the community members not as beneficiaries of assistance, but as implementers of change. DIR doesn’t focus on solving problems, but rather empowering those in need to solve their own problems through education, training, planning and implementing effective programs.

Our organization focuses on health, education and self sustainability within the urban slums of Chandigarh. DIR doesn’t focus on solving problems, but rather empowering those in need to solve their own problems through education, training, planning and implementing effective programs. We hire women in these low-income communities to organize and implement the program themselves, as they instigate change within their communities based on the skills they learn and the work they carry out.

Our primary focus is improving infant and maternal health in these slums through immunization programs, close monitoring of each child under five years of age and pregnant mother’s weight, a feeding program for those children who are underweight, antenatal and postnatal care of mothers, and health/nutrition workshops for the community. We focus on preventative healthcare measures and equipping women from within the community with the necessary knowledge and skills to permanently solve their own issues.

DIR also provides a high-quality preschool to prepare young kids of ages between three to six years for building up a good foundation for further education in Public schools. Tuition classes are held for children between 3 PM to 5 PM so that a child is able to cope up with education in higher classes.

We also enable women to generate income through the provision of training and equipment in our tailoring program. DIR has no religious or political affiliations and is funded exclusively by donations. Our aim is to improve the quality of life for those in greatest need without regard to class, caste, gender, race or any other physical characteristic besides the need itself.