How can we build thriving, self-reliant communities?
While some parts of the world are experiencing economic growth, disparities are increasing and millions of families continue to live without access to job opportunities, education, health services or basic amenities.
That’s why we invest in local grassroots leaders. Their potential to drive change is tremendous — but opportunities for training, education, technology and support are not. We bridge these gaps through our Quest Fellowship Programme and provide much-needed opportunities to help leaders improve their own communities.
It’s about listening and working from the ground up.
It’s about communities deciding on the issues they want to address.
And it’s about their people being at the heart of the solutions.
We recruit grassroots leaders who live and work in the communities they serve. They have a personal stake in the issues they are tackling, a vision for their community and a deep desire to make it a reality.
- 750+ Quest Fellows in India and China (since 2008)
- 2 out of 3 are women
- Aged between 18–57
- Almost half are from marginalised or minority groups
- 47% have not completed high school
- In India, 6 out of 10 fellows live in slum communities
- In China, 5 out of 10 fellows live in rural communities
- 5% are illiterate
We provide an intensive programme of training, mentoring and support so that Quest Fellows can lead initiatives that generate livelihoods, reduce corruption and violence, and increase access to education and health services.
- 25-30 days of training
- 52 hours of mentorship
- 1 project
- 520 hours of community work
- 10 days of peer learning and networking
- £40 per month stipend (India)
Many of our mentors are graduates of the fellowship programme. They work in community organisations and have a deep understanding of local issues. We provide tailored training for mentors to equip them with skills that they can share with fellows and others in their organisation.
We work in partnership with grassroots organisations (NGOs) to recruit, train, and support Quest Fellows. Our local teams manage this growing network of 100+ partners, who are selected based on:.
- Quality of work and leadership
- Credibility within the community
- Commitment to grassroots development
Fellows organise and lead initiatives to tackle a wide range of issues that include corruption, domestic violence, food security, land rights, access to education, health services, basic amenities and environmental concerns. Each Quest Fellow influences around 2,000 people in their community through their work.
