The Foundation activities commenced in Uttrakhand in November 2006 after work on the GMR Hydro power project was initiated. A study was conducted to assess the needs of the inhabitants living in the villages surrounding the site.

Villages surrounding the upcoming hydro power plant are situated in one of the toughest terrains of the country with temperatures touching -20ºC during winters. Lack of sufficient livelihood opportunities coupled with an inhospitable terrain makes survival difficult. . The following were the issues identified during the assessment:

• Education: The nearest high school is either at Joshimath or Gopeshwar, more than 10 kms away from the villages. It was found that the parents were concerned about their children (and especially girls) safety and security in letting them travel the distance to attend school. The dropout rates were therefore high, especially among girls. Poor quality of education and infrastructure were the other reasons for the high dropout rate.
• Health: The nearest hospital in the area is 40 kms away, at Joshimath. The tough terrain made it very difficult for people to reach this facility in times of emergency, leading to even death.
• Few opportunities for women: There are 2-3 existing SHGs for women created by a local Bank. However, they are not optimally utilized due to lack of proper mentoring, guidance and support.

Initiatives in Uttrakhand:
Based on the survey, five villages of the Chamoli district were selected to initiate the Foundation activities. These villages are Hanumanchatti, Oudh, Khero, Benakauli and Lambagarh.

Education:
A school bus has been started to transport students from Lambagarh and other nearby villages to Pandukershwar Higher Secondary School. The bus is being used by about 35 children every day.

Tuition classes are being conducted for students from Std. IX to XII in the Lambagarh village. Around 40 students take the tuition classes. The classes will be extended to other classes as well from this academic year onwards.

Various competitions like drawing competition etc. are organized regularly for the children of the community.

Village library:
A library has been opened recently in the Lambagarh village. The library stacks academic books, story books, magazines, employment news, Hindi and English newspapers etc. It aims to cater to the needs of adults and children and its functioning is overseen by Vikash Samithi, the community-based organization set up by GMRVF.

Health:
GMRVF has started an ambulance service, to make the emergency health care facilities more accessible. The ambulance is operated by an Ambulance Management Committee compromising of the villagers. It serves to transport emergency cases from all the neighboring villages to Joshimath Government Hospital. Around 10 -12 people are using the ambulance each month. The ambulance also transports people to medical camps held regularly for e.g., it provided transportation and other facilities to 20 patients for the medical camp organized by Punjab National Bank in Badrinath.

A weekly dispensary has been started by the Foundation in the Benakuli village. It caters to all the people of Lambagarh Gram Panchayat. The dispensary is attended by a doctor from Badrinath Government Hospital, which is also the referral unit for the clinic. The doctor attends the clinic on Sundays. On weekdays it is taken care of by para-medicals who are selected from the community and trained.

Empowerment:
A series of meetings and awareness programmes have been organized in the month of February, March and April for women of these villages. Women are being encouraged to develop saving habits. They are also being encouraged to start micro enterprises. Tailoring classes will soon be started for women.