DVAS - Home

MANOBAL BIHAR: ERASE STIGMA, EMBRACE MENTAL WELLNESS

Positive Change: Mental Health and Behavior Change Awareness Program

MANOBAL BIHAR: MENTAL WELLNESS THROUGH COUNSELING

Positive Change: Mental Health and Behavior Change Awareness Program

HEALTHY PERIODS, SAFE LIFE: EMPOWERING GIRLS

Ambedkar Kishori Club: Dignity & Period Security for a Brighter Future.

EMPOWERING YOUTH: AMBEDKAR YOUTH FORUM

Skills, Minds, and Entrepreneurship: Building Bihar's Future, Together.

TRANSFORMING LIVES: WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

From Vulnerable to Victorious: Building Sustainable Livelihoods Through Local Employment.

MASTER TRAINER WORKSHOP FOR YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY

Empowering Trainers, Transforming Futures: Elevating Skills and Careers.

SAVITRIBAI PHULE HONORS: GIRLS' EDUCATION

Celebrating Young Women Leading the Fight Against Child Marriage and School Dropouts.

STATE CONFERENCE: URBAN POOR & HOMELESS

Addressing Social Security, Housing, Education, and Safety for All.

The Founder’s Journey

After enduring inhuman caste-based oppression, Mr. Dharmendra Kumar transformed his suffering into the power of justice. Through the Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti (DVAS), he initiated a movement to empower the unheard voices of Dalits, women, and children in Bihar.

DVAS was born in a society where feudal landlords subjected women and children to bonded labour, violence, and discrimination. Dalit children were denied admission to schools, access to temples was restricted, and local administration and judiciary operated under feudal pressure. When Dharmendra Kumar was enrolled in school, he faced severe opposition. He was made to sit separately from other children. His family and community were threatened that if they sent children to school, all houses would be doused with petrol and burned alive. Out of fear, no one sent their children to school, and Dharmendra Kumar also had to stop attending.

Despite these difficulties, he completed his education with the support of BDVS and began working as a volunteer to serve his community. Even after witnessing inhuman atrocities against women and adolescents, he continued his struggle for education, equality, and social justice.

In 1992, he founded DVAS. In collaboration with the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), he launched the Bal Mitra Gram (BMG) program, established community schools, and liberated hundreds of youths and bonded labourers. Nobel Laureate Mr. Kailash Satyarthi declared Ramchandra Nagar as an Ideal Bal Mitra Gram, which fostered positive change and increased community engagement in the region.

Today, DVAS continues to empower women, children, youth, and LGBTQ+ communities in areas such as inclusive education, mental health, livelihood and entrepreneurship development, gender equality, climate change, and urban poverty alleviation. To date, more than 1.26 million people have benefited from DVAS programs and have emerged as voices of justice, equality, and dignity.

About Us

We Believe in the Power to Create A Positive Impact

Empowering communities through compassion, courage, and collective change.

Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti (DVAS) has been a beacon of hope for more than three decades — empowering Dalits, Adivasis, women, children, and LGBTQ+ communities through initiatives rooted in dignity, equality, and justice.

From social inclusion, education, and mental wellness to livelihood generation and climate resilience, DVAS focuses on transforming lives by building leadership, self-reliance, and sustainable development.

So far, over 1.26 million individuals have benefited — gaining access to education, healthcare, skills, and economic independence through our people-first model.

Our Commitment: To ensure dignity, equality, and justice for every individual through empowerment, education, and opportunity.

OUR KEY INITIATIVES

OUR IMPACT

Transforming Lives Since Our Inception

1,265,000+

People Reached

12,000+

Gender Program Participants

85,000+

Women Empowered

28,500+

Dalit Children Educated

365,000+

Mental Health Supported

6,500+

Legal Aid Services

8,000+

Livelihood & Entrepreneurship

3,000+

LGBTQ+ Support Reach

1,265,000+

People Reached

8,000+

Livelihood & Entrepreneurship

6,500+

Legal Aid Services

365,000+

Mental Health Supported

85,000+

Women Empowered

28,500+

Dalit Children Educated

12,000+

Gender Program Participants

1,265,000+

People Reached

365,000+

Mental Health Supported

Through Savitribai Phule Digital Hub, Nari Shakti Writes a New Chapter of Empowerment

Sanu Devi’s Journey of Courage and Empowerment:
Sanu Devi, a 28-year-old woman from Hanuman Nagar Basti, Patna, embodies courage, determination, and transformation. Married in 2012, her life soon turned painful when her husband and in-laws abandoned her for not fulfilling their dowry demands. “My father works as a daily wage laborer at a construction site — we could never meet their greed,” she recalls. Refusing to surrender to despair, Sanu began working as a cleaner in a city mall, earning ₹2,500 a month — a small income, but enough to regain her dignity and independence.

When the March 2020 lockdown was imposed, the mall shut down, and her income stopped completely. “We could eat only once a day. During that difficult time, Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti (DVAS) supported us with dry ration and medical aid kits,” she remembers. Despite severe hardship, her determination only grew stronger.

In 2022, Sanu joined the “Savitribai Phule Digital Learning Hub” under the “Nari Shakti Championship Model.” Through this program, she learned essential skills in digital literacy, online transactions, and small enterprise management. The training opened a new chapter in her life.

After completing the training, Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti provided her with financial assistance to start her own cosmetic and beauty shop. Sanu embraced this opportunity with confidence and hard work. Today, she successfully runs her shop, uses digital payment systems, and reaches customers through online platforms.

Now, Sanu is not only self-reliant but also a source of inspiration for other women in her community. She motivates them to pursue digital education, entrepreneurship, and financial independence. Her journey — from economic inequality to economic independence — reflects the vision of Savitribai Phule and the mission of Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti: transforming struggle into strength and dependence into empowerment.

Impact:

Empowered women through digital education and financial literacy.
Supported economic independence and entrepreneurship for marginalized women.
Inspired others to break free from social and economic barriers.
Showcased the transformative impact of the “Savitribai Phule Digital Hub.”

MANOBAL BIHAR: ERASE STIGMA, EMBRACE MENTAL WELLNESS

MANOBAL BIHAR: MENTAL WELLNESS THROUGH COUNSELING

HEALTHY PERIODS, SAFE LIFE: EMPOWERING GIRLS

EMPOWERING YOUTH: AMBEDKAR YOUTH FORUM

TRANSFORMING LIVES: WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

MASTER TRAINER WORKSHOP FOR YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY

SAVITRIBAI PHULE HONORS: GIRLS' EDUCATION

STATE CONFERENCE: URBAN POOR & HOMELESS

JOURNEY OF THE FOUNDER FROM STRUGGLE TO SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

The Founder’s Journey

Join Us in This Journey of Change

We Believe in the Power to Create A Positive Impact

OUR KEY INITIATIVES

OUR IMPACT

1,265,000+

12,000+

85,000+

28,500+

365,000+

6,500+

8,000+

3,000+

1,265,000+

8,000+

6,500+

365,000+

85,000+

28,500+

12,000+

1,265,000+

365,000+

OUR STORIES IN MOTION

Video

Story

Through Savitribai Phule Digital Hub, Nari Shakti Writes a New Chapter of Empowerment

Through Savitribai Phule Digital Hub, Nari Shakti Writes a New Chapter of Empowerment

Impact: