ESAF Foundation

ESAF Foundation is a development organisation founded in 1992 in Thrissur, Kerala, by Dr. K Paul Thomas and Mereena Paul. Its vision is the sustainable and holistic transformation of the poor and marginalised, and its mission focuses on women and children in particular. It works to give people access to education, finance, health services, natural resources, markets and technology. The Foundation describes its approach as creating opportunities through micro-entrepreneurship and social enterprises, and it treats business as a way to drive social and environmental change. Over three decades it has promoted more than 30 enterprises across finance, healthcare, skilling and rural livelihoods, including ESAF Small Finance Bank. Its stated values include integrity, transparency, community participation and trust in God.

Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala, India

Major Areas of Work

• Education, Child & Youth Development: Life skills, learning support and leadership for children and adolescents, including tribal and specially-abled children.

• Skill Building & Rural Livelihoods: Training, enterprise support and market linkages for rural and tribal women and youth.

• Farm Sector: Building Farmer Producer Organisations, dairy value chains and climate-resilient irrigation for smallholder farmers.

• Healthcare: Preventive health education, mental health awareness, nursing education and a charity hospital serving rural communities.

• Cities, Climate & Disaster Response: Inclusive public spaces and urban mobility, clean energy adoption, and relief and rebuilding after disasters.

Major Initiatives and Programmes

• ESAF Balajyothi: Clubs, camps and peer-led activities that build life skills, confidence and civic awareness among rural children aged 6 to 18, reaching over 14,000 children across two states.

• Lahanti Institute of Multiple Skills (LIMS): An institute in Dumka, Jharkhand that trains tribal youth and women in bamboo craft, textiles and rural enterprise, recognised as a Centre of Excellence and NSDC partner, with certified courses run with Sido Kanhu Murmu University.

• Village Level Entrepreneurship Development Programme: Trains local service providers, including Krushakmitras who offer soil health checks and crop planning to small farmers, Pashumitras who support dairy farmers with livestock care, and Urjabandhus who install and maintain solar energy systems.

• Livable Cities India: A multi-city programme running since 2004 with HealthBridge Foundation of Canada that advocates for urban planning centred on health, accessibility and well-being.

• ESAF Arogyasakhi: Places trained women health leaders in villages in Chhattisgarh, each supporting around 200 households through health education and preventive care.

Impact

ESAF Foundation states it has improved more than 6 lakh rural and urban lives across 13 states, including 85,000 farmers reached, 129 Farmer Producer Organisations formed across eight states and 10.6 MW of solar capacity installed. On carbon, its homepage cites 3.12 lakh tonnes of emissions reduced, while its environment page cites over 4.3 lakh tonnes replaced to date. It maintains partnerships with NABARD, the National Dairy Development Board, HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, Opportunity International Australia and the Ministry of Rural Development under DDU-GKY.

Leadership

• Dr. K Paul Thomas, Founder & Board Member
• Mereena Paul, Co-Founder and Executive Director
• Rev. Dr. Idicheria Ninan, President
• Billy Rajaratnem, Vice President

The Foundation runs field programmes with rural, tribal and urban communities across many states, so staff work directly on implementation rather than only on policy or funding. The range of sectors, from FPOs and dairy to mental health, solar energy and public space design, offers exposure across several development disciplines inside one organisation. Programmes are funded by government schemes, bilateral agencies, foundations and corporate partners, which builds experience in managing varied donor relationships. It suits people who want grassroots, enterprise-led development work, with roles based at the Thrissur head office and in field locations.