About
Vimarsh is a community-based organisation working in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, now in its 25th year. We work directly with women, adolescents and children — through village-level groups, counselling and legal aid, school-based health and rights education, and support for children's education.
Our Story
In its own words, marking 25 years, Vimarsh's leadership describes the organisation's journey this way — paraphrased from the Trustee's message in the 2025–26 annual report:
Vimarsh's journey is not the story of an institution over 25 years — it is the shared story of the courage, struggle and empowerment of thousands of women, children, girls and communities. In these 25 years, we have learned that change does not come from a single project or intervention. It is born when a woman stands up for her rights, when a girl chooses her own dreams, when a community unites for change — and when small efforts combine into the foundation of larger social change. Vimarsh's identity has never been only about providing help to people, but about developing leadership, confidence and the capacity for change within them.— Kanchan Bhandari, Managing Trustee
Vision
Mission
What Vimarsh set out to do
From Vimarsh's own organisational documentation.
- Empower women socially, politically and economically, and link them to the mainstream of development.
- Build capacity, leadership and skills of women for their social empowerment.
- Ensure the participation of women in the development process.
- Increase household income through income-generation projects.
- Build capacity for active participation of women in Panchayats.
- Develop community understanding of violence against women.
- Sensitise community groups, Panchayats and administration on child rights and their participation.
- Organise educational activities for the development and welfare of children.
- Encourage communities to prioritise the health and education of adolescent girls.
- Involve school dropouts in the mainstream of study.
- Organise income-generation projects for poor and marginalised farmers.
- Organise livelihood and rehabilitation projects through new techniques and technology.
- Introduce innovative measures and upgrade local structures for conservation and protection of natural resources.
Values
Not stated explicitly as a list in the source material. Based on consistent language across the annual report, candidates likely to reflect Vimarsh's actual practice are suggested below for the team to confirm or correct:
Suggested, not confirmed — please validate before publishing as an official values statement.
Our Approach
Every Vimarsh programme is built around a village-level group — of women, of adolescent girls, of adolescent boys — that meets regularly, is trained, and takes on its own leadership over time. Paralegal volunteers, women leaders and youth organisers from these communities are trained to carry the work forward themselves
Our People
Board of Trustees
- Kanchan Bhandari — Managing Trustee
- Renu Thakur — Trustee
- Anil Chaudhary — Trustee
- Sangeeta Maurya — Trustee
Team
"Bhawana Kunwar" and "Bhawana Kunwal" both appear in the source and may be the same person recorded with a spelling variation, or two different people — please confirm. Role titles, photos and short bios are pending consent and confirmation from each team member.
Government Committee Memberships
Vimarsh represents community perspectives on the following government bodies.
- Member, PCPNDT Committee
- Member, Nirbhaya Committee
- Service provider under the Domestic Violence Act
- Member, District Level Committee on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
- Member, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao district-level committee
- Member, Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee
- Member, Child Welfare Committee
Our Journey
2025–26 marks Vimarsh's 25th year of work — the clearest confirmed milestone in the source material.
Twenty-five years, still growing
See the programmes this history is built on.