about Hai
HAI is an Indian Humanitarian Organisation working to alleviate risks and vulnerabilities through relocalisation and decolonisation of aid.
FROM IDEA TO MOVEMENT
Our Story
What started as one humanitarian’s stand and is now a growing collective redefining aid on local terms.
Having spent significant years of his career in the Global North, our founder, Mr. Sudhanshu Singh, became intimately aware of the persisting inequalities of the global humanitarian order. He knew that something needed to change.
At the peak of his career, he decided to move back to India with the simple yet monumental mission- decolonise aid.
The mission is disruptive and requires great courage and stubbornness. Fortunately, he found like minded humanitarians and together they have been advocating for ‘true’ localisation through Humanitarian Aid International and partners.
milestones
Our milestones
Since its inception in 2016, HAI has grown its mandate to build a network of Indian grassroot organisations based on the principle of mutual aid, supporting each-other to strengthen institutions and gain greater visibility and recognition. From mobilizing funds for disaster response and recovery to supporting community-led responses in conflict zones, HAI and its LOCAL members have quite a journey to share.
Launch
A team of humanitarian and development professionals with a collective global experience of over 300 years, officially registered Humanitarian Aid International as an Indian non profit on the 4th of May 2016. Founded and headquartered in India, the organisation aspired to evolve development and humanitarian paradigms based on Indian traditional practices, informed by western architecture and Indian experience.
Becoming a Global Voice
In the very first year, HAI made its agenda clear not only at home but internationally. At the World Humanitarian Summit, HAI endorsed the Charter4Change to usher humanitarian Reform, becoming an active voice in the coordination group. HAI continues to keep itself meaningfully engaged in the processes of Agenda for Humanity, Grand Bargain and the Humanitarian Financing Task Team of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Participating in global discourse through international dialogues such as UNOCHA’s Global Humanitarian Policy Forum and ECOSOC’s Humanitarian Affairs Segment, HAI has become a leading voice on the Localisation process.
Creating Momentum
We believe in the power of collective action. That is why, we regularly organise conferences, webinars and workshops to engage our audiences. We’ve also become members of key networks which provides us with the opportunity to create change from within. These include, ADRNN, United Agaisnt Inhummanity, Start network and A4EP.
Growing LOCAL
Since the first year, we envisaged developing a platform of frontline and grassroots organisations to collectively influence the Indian humanitarian architecture which places local organisations and frontline actors at the forefront. The plan was fructified in February 2023, when 20 such organisations assembled in Bhubaneswar to launch ‘Local Organisations Coalition for Advancing Localisation (LOCAL)’. Today, our LOCAL network has grown to include 22 members across 13 states in India.
Disaster Response
HAI with its partners have been responding to disasters since its early days. From raising only 30,000 INR for drought response in Maharashtra, we quickly grew to attract funding from larger donors such as HCL Foundation for our flood relief efforts in Assam and Bihar. Within 8 years, we have effectively mobilised resources in response to over 20 disasters, including floods, droughts, landslides, slow onset disasters like soil erosion and the COVID-19 pandemic, creating meaningful impact for millions of vulnerable families.
DATA
Soft launched in January 2024, DATA (Dashboard for Aid Transparency and Accountability) aims at enhancing accountability and transparency within the broader humanitarian and development sectors in India. So far, 54 organizations have registered on the platform, reporting data of over INR 420 million mobalised for 33 disasters since 2020.
Prioritizing Climate
Mitigating and reducing the impacts of climate change is a defining priority for us. Thanks to SONY picture’s generous funding, we were able to launch our first climate program in the Sundarbans Delta. With a focus on disaster preparedness, resilience-building, and combating soil erosion and flooding, the initiative spans 15 villages and reaching over 120,000 people.
Pakistani Hindu Refugee Program
Although HAI primarily works through its member organisations, HAI initiated the Pak-Hindu Refugee Project in 2018 to meet the need for the provision of humanitarian, developmental and integration assistance to Pakistani refugees from the Hindu minority community. So far, our team on the ground is relentlessly working to support education, skill development and healthcare, helping build community resilience. Learn more about the programe and contribute to our cause.
Thousand Plus Campaign/Pooled Funds
Responding after a disaster occurs is often too little too late. Effective and impactful Disaster Reduction and Response requires a proactive approach and flexible funding. That’s why we created a pooled fund supported by our Thousand Plus Campaign. The Fund helps us mobilize resources as soon as a disaster strikes, reducing response time and saving thousands of lives. Our efforts were recognised by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in their study mapping global pool funds.
Humanitarian Roster
We’ve been working on compiling a roster since the very beginning of HAI. The roster comprises professionals from various disciplines, and volunteers. This roster will provide immediate surge capacity to smaller organisations, who may find their capacity overwhelmed while responding to a bigger disaster.
Drone For Humanity
In 2019, HAI and CDDMASS launched a joint initiative Drone for Humanity (DfH), bringing together civil society, private sector, start ups and governments to collectively build a conducive eco-system for application of drone technology in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action. The technology proved to be greatly beneficial in loss and damage assessment, disinfecting public places, carrying out surveillance of public places, and disseminating information on rights and entitlements especially during the COVID-19 pandemic
POWER IN EVERY STEP
